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Suppliers onboarded in record time, including onboarding over 800 suppliers in 6 months
Reduction in workers stopped at log points, ensuring 100% compliance
Compliant workforce ethos sustained at all times, while doubling the size of the business and planning for further growth
Whitehaven needed to quickly onboard 1,000 suppliers, transition to automated processes, and build real-time compliance visibility. With Avetta, Whitehaven achieved these goals in record time, and is now expanding use of the platform across more sites.
Whitehaven’s core values are Safety, Teamwork, Respect, Integrity, Value and Excellence – STRIVE. Safety is a core and leading priority of the business. When Whitehaven acquired two large mines in QLD, safety and compliance were paramount as over 1,000 suppliers needed to be onboarded quickly.
“Safety is our leading company value. Getting all of our suppliers onboarded quickly so we could verify compliance was critical, so our contractor workers could be onboarded to commence their training, but we weren’t sure how realistic this goal would be. Avetta proved it was not only possible, but achievable in record time.”
– Hana Chadburn, Specialist Systems, Whitehaven
Prior to adopting the Avetta platform, Whitehaven was not collecting information about suppliers’ insurances in a reliable way. With a company-wide policy of only allowing contractors who are 100% compliant on-site, this lack of visibility was creating inefficiencies as well as safety and compliance risks.
Previously, a supplier deemed non-compliant at one site was automatically considered non-compliant across all sites, creating operational inefficiencies and unnecessary disruptions. The implementation of Avetta Connect eliminated this blanket approach, allowing site-specific compliance management. This improvement also seamlessly integrates with their access control system, enhancing safety and operational control.
With Avetta Connect, Whitehaven can automate processes that were previously handled manually. Suppliers have also been empowered to verify their own insurances, documentation, and compliance requirements. This has allowed Whitehaven to scale its supplier and contractor base without having to increase its HR teams.
Hana Chadburn, said, “With our previous systems and processes, the quality and quantity of work we produced would have been significantly hindered during a time of such rapid growth. We would have been tied down in administrative tasks. Now with Avetta, our teams and suppliers are working more efficiently and with greater visibility and control over our compliance and safety data. We can focus on continuous improvement and plan ahead.”
Avetta Connect made it easy and simple for Whitehaven to track in real-time how many suppliers were onboarded, and whether there were any gaps in the process. Whitehaven made it clear to the more than 1,000 suppliers that 100% compliance was non-negotiable, and collaborated with Avetta to not just empower suppliers to manage their own accounts, but also empower contract owners to verify if they will be on site.
Consequently, the platform enabled contractors to take a more proactive approach to communicating, verifying, and tracking that they were ready for work and compliance had been confirmed.
Within six months of the Avetta implementation, Whitehaven reduced the percentage of workers being stopped at log points due to compliance issues from 10% to 1.6%.
Leaders within the business had previously been spending hours at a time on administrative tasks, including searching for relevant information to check compliance requirements and contacting the relevant people to verify compliance. Now, leaders are able to spend that time focused on critical tasks, while having accurate, real-time data and insights to understand the overall compliance and risk posture of the business. Rather than spending hours addressing each complication, queries can be addressed in minutes.
Chadburn added, “Avetta helps us and our contractors immediately see where the compliance issues are, and what’s needed to fill the gaps. Instead of being a hurdle for our workforce to jump over, the platform is an enabler, helping them make quick decisions. Our teams have confidence in the data and insights we get from Avetta, enabling us to efficiently assess documentation uploaded on a Sunday afternoon so that workers can be verified and on-site on Monday morning.”
In the last few years, Whitehaven has doubled the size of its business, and is anticipating further growth ahead. Previous methods of manually inputting data were quickly becoming unsustainable, and personal data and compliance information being stored on laptops and spreadsheets were introducing cyber security risks.
Whitehaven integrates Avetta's supply chain data with internal business systems to improve productivity and decision-making. By connecting platforms through APIs, Whitehaven experienced:
These integrations reduce data duplication, break down silos, and centralise information for better reporting and operational efficiency.
Looking ahead, Chadburn concluded, “We have clear criteria and goals for our team, contractors, and suppliers. Our strong relationship with Avetta allows us to voice what we need when we need it, so we can quickly work towards that same vision and goal together. Avetta’s genuine approach to collaboration truly helps our business.”
Whitehaven Coal is a leading Australian coal producer, operating six mines across NSW and QLD, and two high-quality, large-scale development assets. Whitehaven has offices in Sydney, Newcastle, Gunnedah, Brisbane and Tokyo.
Whitehaven’s core values are Safety, Teamwork, Respect, Integrity, Value and Excellence – STRIVE. The safety of Whitehaven’s people, workplaces and communities is the biggest priority.
Avetta’s Workforce Management solution gives you real-time visibility and control over your workforce and assets. Easily verify worker qualifications, ensure only competent, trained personnel access your sites, and meet all safety and legislative requirements with confidence – all while reducing risk and improving operational efficiency.
Talk to us today about workforce competency management.
