Hi $300bn worth of rail and metro projects announced or under way in the Middle East.

Hi $300bn worth of rail and metro projects announced or under way in the Middle East.

The annual MEED MENA Rail & Metro Summit was told this morning that a total of $300bn worth of rail and metro projects are under way or planned in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region.

“Every single country in the MENA region has rail project ambitions,” MEED Projects’ director of analysis Ed James said.

“Not all of these projects will go ahead, but the figure is indicative of the scale of what is happening.”

James said Saudi Arabia had the largest rail project pipeline in the region with over $100bn, including the Riyadh Dammam High-Speed Rail, which is currently under study, along with the Eastern Province Municipality – Dammam Metro. Qatar boasts a rail and metro project pipeline valued at $40bn, followed by the UAE with $30bn. Across the region, the other big investments will be seen in Egypt, Iran, Kuwait and Oman.

Meanwhile, a keynote speaker at the summit says delivering rail and metro megaprojects in the Middle East presents unique challenges.

“A lot of the projects in the region are aiming for completion in the period to 2022,” Fluor (UAE) programme manager Dago Beek said in a keynote speech. “2020 is a huge challenge whether it is for projects or rolling stock.”

“These are strategic projects where co-operation with all stakeholders is required,” he said.

“We need confirmation of stakeholder standards and regulations. We need the required drawings for existing and proposed services. And we need to deal with overlapping transport corridors.”

“We need transport safety laws and multi-modal regulations,” Beek said.

“Right of way and land acquisition is an issue. Every piece of land is owned and getting alignment straight is a huge challenge.”

“We should move in a more professional manner when dealing with systems assurance,” Beek said. “And we need to be more professional when we are dealing with communication.”

Beek said that a key technical challenge is dealing with sand dunes drifting across the alignment of railways passing through deserts.

“There is no one solution to this challenge,” he said.

A possible technical solution brought forward at the summit was the use of viaducts of about 3 metres in height upon which railways would run.

“There is no single solution to this challenge,” Fluor (UAE) programme manager Dago Beek said a question and answer session after his opening keynote speech at the summit.

Fluor Corporation and Parsons Brinckerhoff are project managers on the $7bn Saudi Landbridge rail project which will connect Jeddah with Riyadh and the Saudi capital with the Gulf coast. Beek said the final full alignment of the project is not yet fixed, but it will include a stretch from Jeddah to the Riyadh area. The possible alignment of a link between Riyadh and the Gulf coast is now under review.

The MEED MENA Rail & Metro Summit is sponsored by Fluor, ZTE, Louis Berger, Vossloh Middle East, Bechtel, Drake & Scull, Autodesk, Hill International, Parsons and Thales.

Hi Announcement in The Project Manager Network Resources & Links:

Hi Announcement in The Project Manager Network Resources & Links:

It’s been a great October here with the Hi Project Manager Network Tools! Hope everyone is closing out the month well and keeping their projects on track! Have a great week and please enjoy the weekly group updates below:  Project Management Resources:  - 5 Key Findings on the State of Modern Product Delivery -http://bit.ly/1FMjvAY - How to Scale Agile in Your Organization - http://bit.ly/1tRjbxR - Advance your PM Career - http://bit.ly/1pz4UC1 - Enhance your business acumen with an online MBA from Quinnipiac University - http://bit.ly/1vtrQon Reports and Downloads:  - Eye-Opening Report on Budgeting and Scheduling - http://bit.ly/1rvrtE5 - Enterprise-class Work Collaboration Project Management Solutions -http://bit.ly/1rj8I6x - Microsoft Project 2010 - Free Quick Reference Card -http://bit.ly/1aNUn0I - Stress Management For Dummies, 2nd Edition - eBook -http://bit.ly/1BJmPb8 - Web Marketing For Dummies, 3rd Edition - eBook -http://bit.ly/1wBm70i PM articles from Projectmanagers.net:  - 5 Open Source Project Management Tools to Consider -http://bit.ly/1wBmw2U - Taiga a New Open Source Project Management Software -http://bit.ly/1wBmw2W - Estimating risk - http://bit.ly/1wBmZC2 - How do different groups judge success? - http://bit.ly/1wBn0WG Career advice from Recruiter.com:  - Do You Always Come in Second Place at Job Interviews? -http://bit.ly/1wBlUdx - Learning to Acknowledge and Understand Other Cultures by Recognizing Your Own - http://bit.ly/1wBlUdy - Know the Major Differences between Private- and Public-Sector Companies - http://bit.ly/1wBlUdD - 5 Great Questions to Ask in a Video Interview - http://bit.ly/1wBlSlP - Take the Skills of a Sales Professional into the Job Hunt -http://bit.ly/1wBlSlT - Five Strange and Awesome Company Perks - http://bit.ly/1FwLrIX ProjectManagers.net Site Resources: Jobs: http://www.projectmanagers.net/jobs Reports and Whitepapers: http://research.projectmanagers.net Software and Services Directory: http://www.projectmanagers.net/directory

Hi Salting The Earth: New Molten Salt Reactor Looks For Commercial Success.

Hi Salting The Earth: New Molten Salt Reactor Looks For Commercial Success.

Nuclear power has always been a delicate subject, and recent contamination issues such as those in Fukushima have put “traditional” nuclear power under the microscope again.

Thankfully, there’s an alternative: salt. Not the shaker kind or the sea variety, but molten uranium or thorium suspended in liquid and used to generate anywhere from 29 to 290 megawatts of electricity.

This isn’t a new technology, but new iterations have real potential in an evolving power market. The question is: What can this seasoned nuclear option bring to the table?

From Water to Salt:

In the late 1940s, American Naval researchers started looking for ways to put nuclear power plants into air craft carriers and submarines. The answer? Pressurized water reactors that used high pressure – on the order of 160 atmospheres – to keep hot water in liquid form even at 330 degrees Celsius.

The benefit? Lots of hot steam for electricity and propulsion. Downsides? The reactor was heavy, hard to maintain, and if something went wrong, radioactive components came blasting out with 160 atmospheres of force. In submarine jargon, that equates to “we’re all going to die.”

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory meanwhile, went looking for a lighter, less strip-the-flesh-from-your-bones way of getting nuclear reactors into airplanes – and they came up with the molten salt reactor (MSR).

Here’s how it works: Molten salts of uranium or thorium are mixed with water and undergo a continuous nuclear reaction, but without high pressure. If breached, there’s no sudden explosion and no risk of meltdown since the fuel medium is already liquid.

In addition, MSRs produce far less waste material than water-powered plants when decommissioned, and over 80 percent of MSR waste is short-lived. Despite their benefits, salt-based options lost out to other technologies in the early 1970s.

The Great White North:

Just as fashion trends re-emerge after a few decades of dormancy, so it is with nuclear power generation.

Power company Terrestrial Energy has plans to build prototype, low-enriched uranium MSR reactors in Canada over the next few years. The company is tweaking standard design by eliminating graphite as a high-temperature moderator and instead using a sealed reactor space with room for two modules: one in use and one cooling off.

Each unit will last seven years and used reactors will provide recyclable materials. Canadian performance-based licensing means the company should be able to achieve government approval in just a few years and then transition to U.S. applications.

Stay Salty:

The bottom line: In combination with solar, wind and natural gas power sources, MSRs makes more sense than highly pressurized and radioactive water.

Sure, consistent power plant maintenance is crucial to avoid the spectre of nuclear contamination but using a more familiar medium like salt cuts down on public superstition – no need to toss this one over your shoulder.

Hi Magnitude News! Siemens to Deliver the World's Largest Subsea Pipeline Heating Power System.!

Hi Magnitude News! Siemens to Deliver the World's Largest Subsea Pipeline Heating Power System.!

Siemens Energy has received an order to deliver customized direct electrical heating (DEH) power supply systems for ten subsea flow lines, with an option for two additional systems. 

Customer is BP Exploration Limited and all the systems are to be deployed on BP-operated Shah Deniz gas field in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea. 

Delivery of the equipment is scheduled for end of 2015. 

Siemens scope of supply for the Shah Deniz Stage 2 development project includes the delivery of customized topside DEH power supply systems to be used on ten subsea flow lines to prevent hydrate formation during planned and unplanned process shutdown. 

Deepwater natural gas reservoirs and low temperatures induce hydrate formation, which can cause flow assurance challenges such as flow line blockage or reduced capacity. 

The DEH power systems from Siemens will contribute to a consistent flow of hydrocarbons despite challenging fluid characteristics and temperature conditions at the seabed. The respective modules of the systems contain power components as well as a unique control and protection system for the topside equipment and subsea DEH cables. 

They will provide power for the heating of pipelines when required by the operations and will be installed on the platform deck. 

The order includes full-load testing of the containerized systems that simulates real-life conditions to verify the integrity and full functionality of the system before shipment to Azerbaijan. This is key in order to ensure the reliability and availability required for this type of critical equipment. 

"Siemens is an established supplier of DEH systems and Subsea Solutions. With this contract award in the prolific Shah Deniz field, we will strengthen our position in the growing market for direct electrical heating," said Mario Azar, CEO of the Siemens Energy Sector's Oil and Gas Solutions Business Unit.

Hi 5 Top Tips for Performance Managing Your Suppliers to Success.!. & Strategic Sourcing.!.

Hi 5 Top Tips for Performance Managing Your Suppliers to Success.!.

Procurement and contracts professionals in the mining industry, between interviews, surveys and annual Mine Procurement and Supply conference, a big focus that keeps coming up time and time again is that of supplier performance management and getting back to basics with what you expect from your vendors in the mining industry. 

Based on research with over 100 procurement and supply chain executives in the mining sector from companies such as Rio Tinto, MMG, BHP Billiton, Fortescue Metals, Thiess, St. Barbara, Orica Mining Services and many more, here are top tips for improving the results from your suppliers:

1.       Review all SLAs and contracts in place to identify core KPIs – many long-standing vendor relationships will be based on contracts that have been in place for years, or even decades sometimes. 

They are often drafted by people who have now left the company, so it’s important to conduct regular reviews of all SLAs and contracts to understand what agreement is in place on both sides, and to ensure the terms are still beneficial in changed market environments. 

If the terms are no longer relevant or suitable, then it’s time for a change! If they are, ensure they’re actually being adhered to, measured and rewarded when achieved.

There’s no point in having great, structured KPIs if they're not then measured and acknowledged.

2.       Where applicable, using end to end category management to derive more value from your supplier expenditure – utilising market experts to drive ongoing savings without an “end point” in sight, can help extract significantly more from your suppliers.

The sustainable results it can deliver actually go beyond simple cost savings, and can extend into additional value, opportunities and upgrades for organisations. 

E2E category management can also be used to better design the supply model and improve inventory management.

3.       Shortlisting vendors across all services and categories – having a permanent short list that you can review on an annual, or less frequent basis, can reduce a lot of wastage time for more transactional purchases. 

A clear list of requirements helps whittle down the applicants quickly, and safety standards should be top of this list in the majority of categories.

4.       Understanding your suppliers’ delivery cycles and inventory to minimise stockpiles and revenue sunk in assets – whilst the temptation is often to have excess inventory and equipment on site (rather have too much than risk too little and have production ground to a halt), this can end up in vast amounts of money sitting around in the form of assets. 

That revenue is very valuable to the GM of a Mine if it can be freed up.

5.       Involve your suppliers early in any system or project overhauls – bringing suppliers to the table early when there are any significant changes to your company workings is usually beneficial for all parties. 

As with any stakeholders, early involvement usually means more engagement in any changes. 

Bringing long-standing suppliers in early can also help with their expertise and ability to identify any problems or opportunities with system or project shifts.

Click Here To Download The .PDF Document For Mining Procurement & Supply APAC 2014.! Or View & Download Below.

Mining Procurement & Supply APAC 2014.!.

Hi Mining Extra Feature!

Hi Strategic Sourcing in Mining – What Skills and Characteristics Should Your Strategic Sourcing Expert Possess?

Strategic sourcing and end-to-end category management have both increased in popularity significantly over the last 6 – 18 months in the mining sector, due to the current pressures being place on procurement departments by the state of the industry.

Whilst historically procurement has been a financial qualifications driven department however, many are finding that some of the best category managers and strategic sourcing experts come from an operational background.

So what really makes the ideal candidate for a strategic sourcing role? We've got the views of many experienced procurement managers across the mining sector and compiled their input into a top skills and characteristics list:

1.       A hands-on understanding of the product/category they are responsible for. This doesn't have to directly come from working in an operational job at the coal face, but if their background is purely financial they should strive to work closely with operations, or the relevant department, to understand less tangible implications of purchasing decisions they will be making for that category. This can include aspects such as product quality, life cycle cost, customer service quality of the providers in the market, integration issues, or staff knowledge of different systems/products.

2.      They should have strong analytical skills and an ability to translate data into commercially applicable strategies for purchasing within their remit. 

This can stem from a deep market insight and knowledge, but it can also be an inherent trait that will only sharpen with an increased knowledge of the sector, players and products.

3.       Their ability to negotiate, influence and engage with suppliers should be advanced. 

The person can have the best product and market knowledge possible, but if they are not able to use this to influence results with suppliers (in terms of contract, cost, support etc. ), then it is rendered fairly useless. Finding someone who can be strong in both analytical and interpersonal skills can often be a challenge, so understanding which is more important for the particular category can be the critical difference.

4.       Intertwined with this, they should also be able to apply these skills internally, within the business, to get buy in and work closely with the key departments they will be engaging with. 

Being trusted by other departments to make the right purchasing decisions is incredibly important, and obviously this trust can be built quicker by people with the ability to approach, listen to and collaborate with other functions. 

This can also be achieved better by those with intrinsic leadership qualities, but that’s not mandatory. An ability to inspire is more useful here.

5.       For a contracting firm, rather than a mining company, position(e.g. an OEM, or a major contractor, or EPCM), an understanding of the client’s requirements and expectations is another important factor to be taken into consideration. 

This will obviously come partly from the client’s briefing, but an ongoing collaboration between the strategic sourcing executive and the client will ensure a higher level of client satisfaction throughout and at the end of the contract.

Hi Industry Challenge.! Mining Discussions, Events, Webinars, Whitepapers & Much More!

Hi Industry Challenge.!
Mining Discussions, Events, Webinars, Whitepapers & Much More!

This Industry Challenge Shifts Focus On The Mining Sector & Introduces Utilising Data Analytics in Mining as the scope on mining ventilation is broadened to cover other aspects in the mining sector.

Hi Discussion Focus On; Utilising Data Analytics in Mining;

On Day One of Mining IQ’s Mine Automation and Communication conference taking place in Brisbane, Australia in April 2014, an interactive discussion was organised around the highly relevant topic of data. 

Inevitably with the growth in automated projects and operations, the volume and variety of data being collected by mining companies has significantly increased. However, with this comes the inevitable increase of challenges surrounding data collection, analysis and utilisation at a strategic level.

The attendees therefore were tasked with debating the following:

It’s all in the Data – Collecting Usable Data for Smarter Business Decisions

Data can often become redundant if it doesn’t reflect the most critical components and systems of your operation.

Furthermore, if information isn't captured at the right time, or in the right format, its value to the business is virtually diminished.

•             How you can ensure that the data you’re collecting is usable? What quality control measures should you have in place?
•             Quantity vs. Quality – which should be prioritised in automated operations?
•             Who is responsible in the organisation, or automation project, for data collection and analysis? The project manager, data scientist, engineer, or someone else?

In response to the first question, most were agreed that agreeing upon what you're trying to achieve and working back from there was imperative. 

You can then ascertain if the data you have is enabling you to make the correct decisions and achieve the results you set out for.

Heavily connected into deciding what you're trying to achieve, is who can get benefit from it? An important tip on this front was that you might need to take a more holistic view beyond just your own departmental needs to the wider organisation’s needs, even if it does end up with one other specific department, such as engineering.

The majority of the ensuing discussion focused around the second question and the quantity vs. quality challenge. The room was divided over how to take on this challenge, but formed into three quite distinct groups:

1. You shouldn't prioritise; you should focus equally on quality and quantity, and ensure you have a method in place to address both. 

Quantity is easier to manage in this relationship though, so long as you have the correct data collection and analytics systems in place that are appropriate for your individual business’ needs.

For managing quality, you should start with a clear requirement in mind that can drive the project forward. 

On this front you need to make sure the content of the data is appropriate for your site or project. 

This is relatively easy when looking at one particular function, such as production control, or drill and blast, but can become more demanding when you move towards applying it on a commercial or strategic level.

A particular mention was made here about the different challenges facing brownfield vs. greenfield sites. 

With greenfield sites it is easier to set a strategy and parameters from the get go, whereas this is inherently harder in a brownfield operation. 

This is particularly true in relation to suppliers, who will be used to working in a certain way with your operation.

2. Quality should come first – without quality, there is no point in gathering vast amounts of data. 

To improve quality, ensure you’re monitoring the way data is recorded. 

Once you are satisfied with the results of your smaller sample, you can start to increase the volume of data collection and analysis.

3. The final grouping felt that you should find quantity drives the quality.

Particular projects will finds that larger volumes of data can be far more useful than a small amount of highly accurate data.

Often to diagnose faults in equipment, or processes, you need a high frequency of data to be able to do this swiftly.

As you ramp up your data management strategy, and bring your equipment manufacturers and suppliers into the equation, you have to figure out how you can improve the quality of your data management, from the perspective of during collection, but also in terms of the analysis done on it. 

However, until you’re reaching large quantities of data on any operation, there’s not too much point in worrying about the quality. It’s only once you reach larger quantities that you have the potential of using it to improve production, or drive efficiencies in any real capacity.

Importantly when discussing quantity – bear in mind the more you start collecting, the more storage and backup requirements you will require – more is not always best!

When it came to the third question, this was decidedly difficult to get a definitive response from the room! The general consensus was that it depended upon the maturity of the operation, as there can be many stakeholders, champions, and project owners, and can be based both on site and in the office.

Hi Attend Focus Highlight; By Webinar Event 

Registration & Information:

*Register Your Participation in the Webinar Hosted by Mining IQ Held On Monday May 5, 2014 Highlighting Topic Of Big Data Analytics in Mining - Driving Results in your Business;

Click Here Or Image Above To Register For Webinar Event On May 5th 2014 Hosted By IQ Mining.

This online, free event will address the following shared industry challenges:

• Where to begin? How do you kick off your big data strategy and what’s really important to drive it.
• How you can facilitate faster and more responsive business decisions based on business analytics and predictive analytics.
• How to overcome stumbling blocks such as legacy systems, IP and privacy aspects as well as storage and security challenges.
• Understanding how to best define rules around how data gets procured, stored, maintained and used to achieve the best business outcomes.

View The Latest Mining Content, Event Details, Videos, Whitepapers & Alternative Webinars & Much More Mining Related Content, Visit Mining IQ By Clicking The Image Above Or The Link Available By Clicking Here.

Hi Added Focus Event; Mining and Quarrying Oman 2014

Visit the event official homepage For Further Event Details by clicking the link here.

Oman’s 700 km long and 150km wide mountains contain the best exposed ophiolite suite of rocks, which are favorable for copper, gold, silver, chromite, lead, nickel, manganese and zinc. 

Significant growth is expected over the next five years to help diversify the Sultanate's economy and create jobs for Omani nationals.

High set-up and operational costs mean Producers seek technologies, equipment and methods to increase production capacity, reduce downtime and optimise material flow to achieve higher profits. Drill and blast technologies can reduce processing costs and requirements whilst extending the lifecycle of the site. 

In addition, effective equipment selection and management can eliminate downtime and achieve higher material flow.

The recent requirement to add value to raw materials prior to export, has led to Producers seeking investment and partnerships to develop beneficiation plants and is likely to result in the development of a downstream industry.

3 reasons to invest in Oman's mining and quarrying industries:

• 1A. Expansion of existing mine and quarry sites to increase production capacity, output and profits.
• 2B. Development of processing facilities to add value to raw materials and support Oman's downstream industries for job creation.
• 3C. Eight large non-metallic mineral reserves were located in 2012/13 which are demanded by every industry - particularly with the limestone and gabbro required for the Dubai Expo 2020 and the Qatar 2022 Fifa World Cup. 
• 
  
• Download  Mining and Quarrying Oman 2014 Brochure by clicking the link here or view it below;

• *With such a high demand, prices for primary materials are expected to increase considerably.

What delegates say about Mining and Quarrying Oman:

"It was a very well organised event. The efforts are much appreciated and it was a great event for meeting similar industries and operators from the mining industry, where ideas and skills are exchangeable."

Director – Technical Services, Saudi Arabian Mining Company, Maaden.

Hi Continuum Topic Whitepaper; Aurizon presentation: Integrating Disparate SCADA Systems and How Virtualisation Can Help;

At IQPC's SCADA Australia conference in October 2013, Kanwar Cheema, Design Manager - Control Systems from Aurizon joined us to share with us Aurizon's experience of integrating disparate SCADA systems and how virtualisation can be instrumental in driving that successfully. Kanwar's presentation covered:

• Hurdles in integrating disparate SCADA systems.

• Benefits that can be achieved in efficiency and safety.

• Is virtualisation a solution that can contribute to integration?

• Could there be a “template system” that can be created?

Aurizon are joining us again this year for SCADA Australia , discussing practical methods for upgrading SCADA communication systems and networks to ensure reliability and speed. 

This year's SCADA event will focus on increasing SCADA departments' strategic value to the business. 

To achieve this they are looking to improve their communication systems and drive integration to enable them to use the extracted data across the organisation as a valuable source of information.

"If you're not positioned to harness the potential of your collected data sets then your attendance at this conference is a must! Learn from expert speakers from APA Group, BlueScope Steel, PanAust, Calibre Global and many more. Check out the website now by clicking the link here Or click the image below."

Click Here To Download The Whitepaper Presentation Or View & Gain Accesses Directly Viewing Below;

Hi Technology Insight; We Talk To Business.

Hi Technology Insight; We Talk To Business.

Liquid cooling start up Iceotope talks about the basics of its business;

Fluids don't always mean death for electronics, as founder Peter Hopton explains.

Iceotope has developed an efficient liquid cooling technology that allows supercomputers and data centers in the UK, and even in hot equatorial regions, to run as efficiently as those based the Arctic Circle. Iceotope's system was modeled using computational fluid dynamics, and eliminates the need for air conditioning units and fans to carry heat away. Wired.co.uk spoke to founder Peter Hopton.

HQ: Sheffield, UK

Founder: Peter Hopton

Launched: 2012

Funding: £2 million ($3.2 million) from Investment Partners of Guernsey. £6.4 million ($10.5 million) Series A funding round with Aster, OMBU and the regional growth fund.

What is your proposition to potential customers?

The company was set up with the objective of making fans and air conditioning units obsolete. Spinning fans that push air over electronics is an incredibly inefficient way of removing heat and liquid cooling has long been seen as a winning alternative. The problem has always been developing a liquid cooling system that actually works and will have big server farm operators willing to use it. I believe we've cracked this nut with Iceotope.

What problem do you solve?

IT generates heat and if this heat is not taken away, electronics will begin to bend, break, and fail. Iceotope's technology removes this heat and it does so much more effectively than traditional cooling methods. It also allows this heat to be recycled in the form of hot water, which can be fed into domestic radiators to reduce heating bills.

On a larger scale, Iceotope helps to solve the biggest problems associated with the rapid growth of the Internet. The global digital footprint is estimated to account for ten percent of energy use worldwide and data centers represent a big part of this. Our technology can halve the energy use of these facilities and therefore has the potential to have a big impact on global energy use as a whole.

How do you plan to make money?

Through shipping equipment, but ultimately we intend to create a product ecosystem around our liquid cooling technology by opening the technology up to other vendors.

Where did you get the idea for the business?

In 2005 I was studying the history of liquid cooling used in old equipment in the 70's and 80's such as the Cray 2 supercomputer. I was interested in making a modern version that met the needs of a modern server user. Immersion cooling has had its issues in the past, whether using lots of energy to pump primary coolant or by degradation during the boiling of coolant in a phase change system. During our experimentation we discovered the convective cell used in Iceotope's technology and filed patents—this eliminates the need for pumping primary coolant and solves problems previously associated with phase change.

What's the biggest misconception about your business?

Most of the liquids people encounter on a daily basis don't mix well with electronics. Everyone's spilled coffee on their laptop or dropped their smartphone down the toilet, probably to disastrous effect.

People can get nervous at the thought of mixing electronics and liquids but fortunately the substance we use doesn't conduct electricity so it's completely safe to do so. I've dunked my phone in the stuff countless times and it still works perfectly.

Can you express in some tangible terms how the business has developed?

18 months ago, all we had was the proprietary technology. Now Iceotope has a commercial product and multiple customers using it daily. We've also had a significant financial boost following the closure of our £6.4m funding round.

What has been the most challenging time for the company?

In late 2011/early 2012, when the company was in flux and we were faced with the mammoth task of making Iceotope's technology into a product. There were lots of new faces in the team (particularly at the management level) and long hours to work, so it's hardly surprising that this was a difficult period.

How did you overcome that?

Hard work and not much sleep. As soon as the new team started to bond, that really helped matters too.

What is the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you?

"Ain't no presentation, without caffeination". I think this stuck with me because it was so well delivered at the time. It's especially true if you've just got off the plane in another time zone and are expected to take a meeting within the hour.

Click link here or image above to view original article source

by Olivia Solon, wired.co.uk Feb 9 2014, 2:07am AUSEDT