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The Confidence Test – are you reconciliation ready? Part 3 of “Mine it Right, Report it Right” blog series.

August 12, 2025

Guest article by Rayleen Hargreaves – Product Owner, Reconcilor | Vela Industries Group

How do you really know whether your reconciliation process is working?

Not whether it’s “good enough to get the report out.” But whether it’s robust, trusted, and audit-ready.

Here’s a simple diagnostic I use with clients – I call it The Confidence Test.

Ask Yourself These 3 Questions:

Can you confidently explain where your end-of-month numbers came from?
If someone asked you to show your data flow, from mine plan to production to reporting, could you walk them through it step-by-step?
Do planning, geology, and processing teams trust each other’s data?
Or are they working off separate spreadsheets, making their own “adjustments,” and disagreeing at the reporting table?
Would you be audit-ready today?
Could an external auditor trace your reported figures back to their source, with a clear, documented trail?

If you didn’t answer yes to all three… then your reconciliation process might be putting your decisions, your compliance, and your team’s credibility at risk.

What Good Looks Like

Let me give you a real-world example. At one large gold mine, end-of-month reports were unreliable. Haulage data was coming in from 5 different sources. Adjustments were undocumented. Teams didn’t trust each other’s numbers.

After implementing Reconcilor:

Material movements were integrated, along with stockpile surveys
Each data source was categorised: Reliable, Resolved, or Adjusted
Moisture and density were traceable, not debated
The site became audit-ready, and the teams aligned on one version of the truth

They didn’t just change the process, they transformed the culture of trust.

You Can Do This Too

In Part 4, I’ll walk you through how Reconcilor supports this shift, from patchwork and patch-ups to proactive, trusted reconciliation.

Still unsure how your site scores on the Confidence Test? Let’s talk: Rayleen.Hargreaves@dataminesoftware.com

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

What This Series Covers
Part 1 was a walk through how we can shift from patchwork to confidence in our reconciliation approach.
Link to blog article: https://snowdenoptiro.com/mine-it-right-report-it-right-blog-series/
Part 2: The Triangle of Trust
Was a framework for understanding why reconciliation matters more than ever — to regulators, investors, and operations. Link to blog article: https://snowdenoptiro.com/the-triangle-of-trust-part-2-of-the-mine-it-right-report-it-right-blog-series/
Part 3: The Confidence Test – current blog:
Three simple questions to assess your reconciliation health (and a case study to show what good looks like).
Part 4: From Patchwork to Proactive
How Reconcilor helps operations build traceable, auditable, and aligned reconciliation workflows.

One Last Thought – You’re not alone!
If your team is struggling to reconcile what was planned, mined, and reported – you’re not alone. But the longer we rely on workarounds, the more we lose: not just time, but trust.
Reconciliation shouldn’t be a chore – it’s the foundation of your data integrity, team trust, and reporting credibility.

Rayleen.Hargreaves@dataminesoftware.com contact@snowdenoptiro.com

See you in Part 4!

Snowden Optiro is a resources consulting and advisory group that provides independent advice, consulting and training to mining and exploration companies, their advisors and investors.

We help mine developers to advance their projects, mining companies to improve their operations and their professionals, and investors to de-risk their investments by the provision of quality advice, training and software in the field of Mineral Resources and Mineral/Ore Reserves.

contact@snowdenoptiro.com