Royal Dutch Shell Plc and International Business Machines Corp. are getting into the B2B marketplace business.
Shell and IBM have jointly developed and launched Oren, a global B2B mining services marketplace platform.
The aim of the new marketplace is to introduce more shared ecommerce and digital technology services to bring more efficiency into the energy development and mining markets. “We envision Oren being the one-stop digital destination for the mining sector to access the best digital solutions and technologies, not just from Shell and IBM, but also from leading and emerging companies,” says Shell vice president of global marketing Carol Chen. “Being able to find and access a wide range of solutions digitally is even more important given the movement constraints faced as countries respond to COVID-19.”
Mining companies are looking to become more agile and resilient by embedding more automated mine technology such as self-driving haul trucks and remote operations centers into their operations. To do this, mining operations need to quickly become more digital, says IBM.
“The next push in mining requires a new approach towards industry-wide technology platforms, which requires new levels of openness, innovation and collaboration—Oren accelerates the adoption of digital services in the mining industry by facilitating technology transfer, innovation and integration from solution providers across the ecosystem,” says IBM iX global managing partner Matt Candy. “For miners, this experience can help efficiently locate solutions at all levels of the organization.”
Shell and IBM have yet to release key marketplace details such as pricing. But the two companies have named the list of services available on Oren. They include services for artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), data analytics and digital remote monitoring services, among others.
The marketplace also features advanced search; MachineMax, a cloud-based digital service for off-highway vehicles and industrials fleet optimization; Shell Remote Sense, a smart lubricant condition monitoring service delivering insights for industrial; and IBM’s Maintenance, Repair and Operations Inventory Optimization Services, which helps manage spare parts inventory.
Shell and IBM say faster adoption of digital technologies and services delivered from sellers to buyers on Oren will have a big impact on gaining efficiency in mining and energy services. “[There is] potential benefit of approximately $190 billion for the mining sector and $130 billion for the metals sector through digitalization,” Shell says. “The total for mining and metals is equivalent to 2.7% of industry revenue and 9% of industry profit.”
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