ISS's winning workforce strategies support BHP Oak Dam mobilisation

Image: the ISS Team at BHP Oak Dam Village, South Australia

BHP Oak Dam contract win
BHP Oak Dam represents South Australia’s largest-ever exploration program. The Oak Dam deposit is located on Kokatha country, 65km south-east of Olympic Dam in South Australia. It is a highly mineralised system with demonstrated iron oxide copper-gold (IOCG) reserves. 

Following a competitive tender process, ISS’s ability to adapt to the customer’s needs won through to secure the contract in November 2023. ISS’s track record of supporting BHP Carrapateena in South Australia, over the past five years, showcased our expertise and commitment to delivering both hospitality-centred and facilities management services. Site inspections underscored our Placemakers’ skill and dedication to ensure resident satisfaction and well-being.

Planning ahead 
Mobilising teams for a project during December’s holiday season presents challenges such as procuring essentials when businesses are closing over this period. Our experienced procurement team leveraged an established supplier network to make sure we had all the necessary items on-site at the right time. Operations began at BHP Oak Dam Village in early January 2024.

Cross-team collaboration supported task allocation to target areas and key stakeholders. Real-time tracking of these tasks, from safety to logistics and ordering, ensured all stakeholders were alerted to potential gaps and could close them out promptly. Overall, this approach was instrumental to the success of the Oak Dam mobilisation.

“The ability to learn from past experiences has been crucial in ensuring a successful mobilisation at Oak Dam. The mobilisation lead possessed valuable insights into what worked well on other sites and how to avoid potential obstacles based on previous experience.” Mathew Smith ISS Key Account Manager, Energy & Resources

Strategic workforce management
A percentage of available leadership roles at BHP Oak Dam were allocated to high performers from BHP Carrapateena. The site operates under established leadership, so this move also allowed other Placemakers at Carrapateena to develop into the vacancies created. This workforce management model proved a win-win for both sites, providing a conduit for upskilling and knowledge-sharing.

As an example, two chefs relocated from Carrapateena to Oak Dam to manage the kitchen there. The move created new opportunities for experienced Placemakers looking to step up and ensured best-practice knowledge transfer from one site to another. New recruits could also benefit from working with experienced team members as they settled into their new roles.

We have three themed dining events scheduled every month so that residents have can experience different cultures, such as New Zealand, Thai, and Indian-themed nights.

Next steps
Oak Dam’s gym construction will be completed by mid-March and our lifestyle partner, Vitality Works, will join us on-site. Vitality Works will provide our team and residents with healthy lifestyle resources and learning.

ENDS

For more information about ISS Facility Services Australia and New Zealand see:

LinkedIn: ISS Facility Services Australia and New Zealand
Website: www.issworld.com/en-au