Australasia Outlook / Issue 14 (v2)

austral asia

issue 14 | www.AUSTRALASIAoutlook.coM

safe

cracking Bis Industries: zero harm, maximum production

LIKE A

BOSS also this issue

bluestar global logistics

Connecting you with the ideal candidate. ????????????

We are offering an unprecedented

100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE We're so confident that we’ll find the right person, that if they leave within the initial 3 months, it’s your money back.*

FIND OUT MORE:

(08) 9481 8111 www.sense-it.com.au *Terms & conditions apply

2

Editorial

Editor Alex Harmon Writers Ian Armitage Hugh Radojev

Business

Welcome Hi there and welcome to another jam-packed edition of Australasia Outlook. There’s a bit of a logistics flavour this month as we delve behind the scenes of two of the country’s biggest ‘movers and shakers’.

Advertising Sales Sandra Parr

Bis Industries process, handle, haul and support

Accounts

Australia and they share with us their unique story

Financial controller Suzanne Welsh

Production & Design Magazine design & production Lisa Ferron

millions of tonnes of mining materials across which began with a young apprentice and his dream of creating a company where employees feel safe at all times. This dream led the way for a company policy which makes sure there are zero injuries, zero

Images: Getty, Thinkstock News: AAP

environmental damage and zero equipment damage.

digital & IT

We also look at Bluestar Global Logistics, a transport

Hamit Saka

TNT Publishing CEO David Alstin Chairman Kevin Ellis Publisher TNT Multimedia Limited TNT Multimedia Limited, 126 Abercrombie Street, Chippendale, Sydney, NSW, 2008

Enquiries & SUBSCRIPTIONS

company which began as a family business 25 years ago with six brothers and their trucks. Even today, four of the brothers are still with the company and their CEO tells us how they’re going from strength to strength.

We’ve also got all the latest in business news as well as a feature on horrible bosses. We’ve all had one, maybe you’ve even still got one. We thought we’d let you know that you’re not the only one.

Thanks for reading.

Telephone: 0061 (0)28 332 7500 sandra@tntdownunder.com

www.australasiaoutlook.com

Alex Harmon Editor

Contents

12

14

16

14 ???????

???????????

16 4

Focus Career

Horrible Bosses How to tell if you have a really bad manager

Girly games Why female-targeted games are big business

Focus Gaming

12

News

T a k i ng C a r e of Bis Bis Industries’ CEO talks company growth and the zero harm policy

Cover Story

06

28

Gold Star How a band of brothers created Bluestar Global Logistics

Focus Logistics

contents

28

5

News T o u r i s m

SA to send koalas to Hong Kong

Eight koalas have been chosen as South Australia’s newest tourism ambassadors in Hong Kong.

Ocean Park in Hong Kong is developing a $5 million enclosure with its own 13-hectare eucalypt forest for the koalas, which will be transferred in August next year.

Premier Jay Weatherill said the deal would help the state attract more tourists from China.

“Through this arrangement the attractions of South Australia will be on display to the many millions of annual visitors to Ocean Park,” Weatherill said.

Staff from Adelaide’s Cleland Wildlife Park are working with Ocean Park, including training zoo keepers, vets and other staff, advising on the enclosure and facilities and on the planting and care of eucalyptus trees.

Tourism Minister Leon Bignell said the agreement to send the koalas to Hong Kong would promote bilateral relations between South Australia and China.

6

b u s i n e s s

Australia lags behind in promoting women Australia lags behind much of the world when it comes to the number of women in business leadership positions.

The Randstad Workmonitor Report shows that only 38 per cent of Australians surveyed said that female employees make up at least half of the leadership positions at their current employer.

This compared to 63 per cent in India, 54 per cent in Hong Kong, 48 per cent in the US and China and 43 per cent in the United Kingdom.

Almost two thirds (65 per cent) of the Australians surveyed also said it was more difficult for women to be promoted to leadership positions.

Randstad managing director Asia Pacific Deb Loveridge says Australian business leaders need to ensure there are legitimate career paths for both men and women.

“While we have traditionally embraced diverse working environments, in an increasingly global marketplace it’s vital Australia doesn’t fall behind the rest of the world when it comes to having balanced leadership teams,” she said.

But it was not all bad news for Australia with 73 per cent saying their company actively encouraged female employees to pursue leadership roles, compared to 57 per cent globally.

Australians remained cautious on the merits of management quota with only 55 per cent believing it was an effective way to propel more women to senior positions.

Younger workers were greater believers in quotas than older employees, with 65 per cent of those aged 18 to 34 saying they were useful compared to only 45 per cent of those over 55.

More than half of the Australians surveyed (57 per cent) also said that working part-time hinders career progression, compared to 54 per cent globally.

Younger workers were the most wary about the impact of part-time working arrangements on their career, with 61 per cent believing it would hinder their progression.

Randstad’s Workmonitor surveyed over 13,000 employees, aged 18 to 65 and working a minimum of 24 hours a week in paid employment, across 32 countries during January.

The survey was conducted via an online questionnaire.

T e chn o l o g y

Lingerie with GPS invented by Indians Three Indian students have invented lingerie to help defend against sexual assault.

The underwear is equipped to disclose the wearer’s location, send out emergency SMS calls and inflict electrical shocks on an attacker.

“The legislators need forever to come up with just laws - and even then, women are still not safe,” the three students at a university in Chennai said about

their invention - Society Harnessing Equipment (SHE) - submitted for the Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Award 2013.

Amid the controversy over rape in India, many women fear falling victim to sexual assault.

The inventors call their idea a “simple solution” with the lingerie containing global positioning system (GPS) and global system for mobile communications (GSM)

modules and also pressureactivated sensors to trigger shock waves.

B u s i n e s s

Singapore Airlines lifts stake in Virgin Singapore Airlines has lifted its stake in domestic airline Virgin Australia to 19.9 per cent, from 10 per cent.

Singapore Airlines said it had acquired 255.5 million shares in Virgin Australia from the Virgin Group at 48 Australian cents per share, for a total of $A122.6 million.

“Increasing our stake in Virgin Australia is another example of Singapore Airlines’ deep commitment to the important Australian market,” Singapore Airlines chief executive Goh Choon Phong said on Wednesday.

“It also demonstrates our support for the ongoing transformation of Virgin Australia, which has created a more competitive aviation market in Australia.”

Singapore Airlines acquired 10 per cent of Virgin Australia in late 2012 through an injection of funds in Virgin Australia.

The two airlines entered into a long-term partnership in 2011, encompassing codesharing, reciprocal frequent-flyer program benefits and lounge access, co-ordinated schedules, and joint sales, marketing and distribution activities.

The purchase of the additional shares in Virgin Australia is subject to approval from Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board.

Shares in Virgin Australia were one cent higher

at 46.5 cents at 1506 AEST. The move by Singapore Airlines comes a day after Australia’s consumer watchdog approved Virgin Australia’s proposed acquisition of a 60 per cent stake in budget carrier Tiger Airways Australia.

Kimber Capital head of research Greg Fraser said Singapore Airlines wants to have a bigger say in how Virgin Australia develops.

“They (Singapore Airlines) clearly have more confidence in the way the company (Virgin Australia) is shaping up, now that they (Virgin Australia) have got Tiger in their end,” Mr Fraser said.

Air New Zealand holds a stake of about 19 per cent in Virgin Australia, and Etihad Airways has about 10 per cent.

Mr Fraser said Singapore Airlines wanted to ensure that a large amount of international travellers going between Australia and Asian destinations travel via the Singapore Airlines/ Virgin Australia Alliance.

Mr Fraser said that if Virgin Australia completes the acquisition of a 60 per cent stake in Tiger Australia, Virgin Australia will be able to focus on competing with Qantas in the business travel market.

Tiger Australia will compete with Jetstar in the budget travel market.

7

News S C IE N C E

Reef predator fish uses sign language The roving coral grouper, a predator fish of the tropical reef, uses sign language to advise fellow hunters of hiding prey, according to a new study.

It is the first time that a fish has been known to make “referential gestures”, or specific signs that alert a partner to an object of mutual interest, it said.

Reporting in the journal Nature Communications, a trio of biologists at Switzerland’s University of Neuchatel and Cambridge University in England studied how the coral grouper works with two hunting pals.

Previous research has shed light on the unusual relationship between the coral grouper (Plectropomus pessuliferus marisrubri), the giant moray eel (Gymnothorax javanicus) and the Napoleon wrasse (Chelinus undulatus).

By co-operating, the three species maximise their chances of getting dinner.

The grouper has “burst speed” to capture prey in open water, while the eel can slide into crevices where small fish lurk and the wrasse has powerful extendable jaws that can suck out prey from a hole or smash the reef around it.

The grouper has two signals it uses in these hunts, according to the paper.

The first is a “high frequency shimmy”, or a kind of body shake, that it performs in front of the moray as a general invitation to join it in a chase.

The second is specific, or “referential”.

It is a headstand, which the grouper performs vertically and head-down, indicating to the moray or the wrasse where a prey is hiding or where it was last seen.

The team carried out 187 hours of observations of groupers in the wild, in reefs off Australia or Egypt.

They recorded 34 occurrences of the headstand. In 31 of the cases, either a moray or a wrasse rushed to inspect the location to which the grouper pointed. In five cases, the outcome was capture of the prey.

“In the animal world, postures or referential gestures have until now only been seen among great apes and ravens,” said Neuchatel researcher Redouan Bshary.

8

H EAL T H

Cannabis pill better than smoking for pain

Marijuana provides greater pain relief when taken in pill form than when it is smoked, according to a study that touches on a controversial medical issue.

Cancer and multiple sclerosis doctors are looking more and more closely at cannabis for patients seeking relief from pain, and some jurisdictions allow the medical use of the drug for this purpose.

But marijuana smoke also carries health risks, for it carries carcinogens and respiratory irritants and users tend to inhale deeply and hold their breath to gain maximum effect.

Neuroscientists in the United States have now carried out what they say is the first scientific study to compare pain relief between smoked marijuana and pills with tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which is the active ingredient in the drug.

A team led by Ziva Cooper and Margaret Haney of Columbia University in New York asked 15 male and 15 female volunteers, all of them daily cannabis smokers, to carry out a pain test after having smoked marijuana, taken a pill or a dummy look-a-like called a placebo.

The experiment entailed a “cold pressor test”, in which the participants immersed a hand into a bath of extremely cold water for up to two minutes, during which they reported on the sensation of pain.

Both smoked marijuana and the THC decreased pain sensitivity and boosted tolerance to pain compared to the placebo.

But the pill beat marijuana for long-lasting decreases in pain.

The findings are promising for medical uses of the THC pill, but more work is needed to determine its impact on individuals who do not smoke marijuana, say the investigators.

The study appears in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

FOOD

Instant noodle sales hit 100 billion units Global sales of instant noodles have topped 100 billion units annually, more than one monthly serving of the portable meal for every person on the planet.

Five decades after the easyto-cook food’s launch, sales climbed again last year with China, Indonesia and Japan rounding out the world’s top three consumers, according to the Japan-based World Instant Noodles Association.

“The results show that instant noodles have become a global standard dish,” said Norio Sakurai, an official with the Osaka-based association.

“We think global sales will continue growing particularly in some developing nations.”

Of the 101.4 billion units sold worldwide last year, China, including Hong Kong, accounted for 44.0 billion servings, followed by Indonesia with 14.1 billion units, Japan at 5.4 billion units and Vietnam close behind with 5.1 billion units.

Instant noodles, which come dried or pre-cooked and can be boiled quickly with accompanying flavour packets, were invented in Japan by Momofuku Ando, founder of major noodle maker Nissin Foods, in 1958.

T E C H N OLO G Y

Samsung S4 aims to bite chunk of Apple Samsung’s latest flagship Galaxy smartphone goes on sale this week, as the South Korean giant seeks to cement its lead over faltering rival Apple in an increasingly saturated market.

The Galaxy S4, armed with eye motion control technology that will pause a video when the user looks away, comes with a faster chip and is thinner and lighter than the previous S3 model.

Unveiled last month at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, the touchscreen device goes on sale in South Korea on Friday and will roll out globally over the weekend.

The release of the Galaxy S4 comes as Samsung finds itself at something of a crossroads in a market that was once dominated

by Apple’s iPhone.

After years of following and refining the iPhone’s pioneering innovations - a strategy that resulted in bitter patent battles with Apple - Samsung has dethroned its California-based rival to become the world’s top smartphone maker.

With that title has come increasing pressure for Samsung to shed its copycat label and come up with its own game-changing innovations.

“Samsung has entered territory that it hasn’t been in before, and sales of the S4 will show if can sustain its newfound status in the market,” said James Song, analyst at KDB Daewoo Securities.

Recent smartphone launches have lost something of the glamour and excitement that surrounded the early iPhone releases, in part because they are seen as offering incremental

technology upgrades rather than breaking new ground.

The S4’s features include a high-definition, 12.7cm screen, enhanced picture-taking capabilities and the capacity to translate to and from nine languages.

Its release has been preceded by a massive promotional campaign - from the glitzy launch in New York to lighting up the sails of Sydney’s iconic opera house on Tuesday night with images shot by ordinary Australians.

Samsung - the world’s largest technology firm by value and also the top handset maker - has boasted stellar sales growth, setting new records for operating profit in every single quarter of last year.

First quarter results due Friday are expected to show a 53 per cent surge in operating profit from a year ago to 8.7 trillion won ($A7.53 billion), largely fuelled by smartphone sales.

Samsung is estimated to have shipped 65 million smartphones globally in the first three months of 2013, for a market share of around 30 per cent, according to Taiwanese analyst firm DRAMeXchange.

9

News S P OR T

Waugh backing unfancied Ashes tourists Steve Waugh is backing Australia’s unfancied Ashes tourists to repeat the heroic feats of his 1989 “worst-ever” comrades and return home from England with Test cricket’s famous urn.

Chief selector John Inverarity on Wednesday named a 16-man Australian squad that bookmakers swiftly dismissed as the biggest Ashes outsiders in memory.

Selectors turned to veteran wicketkeeper Brad Haddin to be Michael Clarke’s deputy, relegating Matthew Wade to second-string gloveman, and recalled fellow 35-year-old Chris Rogers to bolster Australia’s under-performing top order.

Waugh had no problem with the “change of direction” and was equally unconcerned about Australia’s recent 4-0 defeat in India, insisting history could repeat during the five-Test series starting at Trent Bridge on July 10.

Under Allan Border in 1989, Waugh, opener Mark Taylor and swing expert Terry Alderman inspired Australia’s memorable 4-0 series whitewash of England after the tourists had been similarly written off.

“We went away and they all said it’s the worst team to tour England,” Waugh said on Wednesday.

“We had a lot of inexperience and players who were trying to prove themselves, including myself, and all of a sudden we just clicked.

“We won that first Test out of nowhere at Headingley, got our confidence.

“It was a four-month tour, we got to know each other very well touring on the bus together and got this great camaraderie going and, all of a sudden, we became this really strong force.

“We won 4-0. We would have won 6-0 except for the rain, so it can turn pretty quickly - but the first Test is obviously very important.

“There is certainly enough talent there for this team to be successful.”

The former Test captain said carrying the underdog tag could work in Australia’s favour, providing the team itself believed it could win and not merely compete.

But he stressed an improved batting 10

performance was “definitely” the key against an English outfit hungry to bounce back from their recent drawn series in New Zealand.

“We’ve got the bowlers to take 20 wickets,” Waugh said.

“We can beat any team in the world and we proved that, almost, last year when we nearly beat South Africa, who are the No.1 team.

“So we’re not that far away. It’s a matter of the top six getting some consistency, getting some confidence.

“England have themselves been very inconsistent over the past 12, 18 months.”

Inverarity admitted the vast experience of Haddin and Rogers was a major factor in their selections, especially following the retirements of greats Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey.

Rogers, currently captaining Middlesex in English county cricket, was the second-highest runscorer in the Sheffield Shield last season, behind Ponting, with 742 runs at 49.47.

Haddin’s appointment means he is set to go into the first Test as wicketkeeper ahead of Wade, the incumbent.

“The firm intention at this stage is that Brad is the preferred keeper for the Ashes,” Inverarity said.

Selectors also included Tasmanian bowling allrounder James Faulkner among a six-man pace battery featuring comeback quick Ryan Harris, alongside Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Jackson Bird and left-armer Mitchell Starc.

With Nathan Lyon the only spinner selected, young West Australian left-armer Ashton Agar could bowl himself into Ashes Test contention by impressing in Australia A’s three tour matches in the UK beforehand.

The inclusion of Harris, who only returned from shoulder surgery a couple of months ago, and Faulkner’s late-season domestic form meant Mitchell Johnson was jettisoned after being part of the squad whitewashed in India recently.

Allrounders Moises Henriques, Glenn Maxwell and Steve Smith also paid the price for the India debacle.

Inverarity confirmed Shane Watson, who stood down from the vice-captaincy, would tour as a batting allrounder despite his history of breaking down with injuries.

s p o r t

NRL’s Bulldogs not in crisis: Ennis The boss is jumping ship and rumours of player unrest refuse to die, but Canterbury skipper Michael Ennis is adamant the last-placed Bulldogs are not in crisis.

News of chief executive Todd Greenberg’s impending departure to be the NRL’s new head of football could not have come at a worse time - last year’s minor premiers with just one win from their first six games.

It’s not much better off the field - the standing down of star fullback Ben Barba to deal with personal issues followed by a rash of rumours suggesting he and several other players wanted out of Belmore.

Ennis however is buying none of it and insisted some wins would quickly end all the speculation.

“Absolutely not, no,” Ennis said when asked if the NRL club was in crisis. “... (to) hear some of the things that people have spoken about certain players wanting to go to different clubs or whatever - everyone in our playing group is happy.

“The friendships that are in amongst this team, people don’t understand that externally.

“I know first-hand that these players in our playing group want to be here and they want to play for the Bulldogs.”

“We just need some results on the field and we’ll move forward.”

Barba, who has been a shadow of the player who took the NRL by storm in 2012, has been linked with a move to Brisbane.

Asked if he had confronted the troubled No.1 over the rumours, Ennis said: “I don’t need to.

“I know Ben and I know Ben’s really appreciative of what the club’s done for him over the last few months.

“He’s never shown any sign of wanting to play anywhere else ... I dont need to front him.”

Centre Josh Morris rejected speculation he’d asked the club for a release to return to his junior club St George Illawarra.

“Never, ever have I once asked for a release,” Morris said. “I’ve been getting texts left, right and centre from my mates coming up with the most ridiculous rumours possible.

“These rumours have all come about while we’ve been in this losing patch.

“We need to get a win this weekend and hopefully those rumours start to go away.”

With Greenberg’s dominant persona soon to be transferred to Rugby League Central, much of the leadership vacuum will no doubt fall on the shoulders of coach Des Hasler.

Even those two couldn’t escape the gossip-mongers, with suggestions they were involved in a power struggle at the club.

Hasler admitted the loss of Greenberg - considered the game’s leading club administrator - would leave a big hole to fill.

“Losing someone of the calibre of Todd is probably the biggest disappointment for the club,” Hasler said.

“But they’ll find someone and life’s got to go on, so it shouldn’t affect the football.”

Of the rumours threatening to destabilise his club, Hasler said: “It’s rumours - it’s just that.

“I’m not on the social Twitter and I don’t profess to be an expert in that but I guess in the social media that’s where a lot of it comes from.

“It’s certainly not what goes on here, so I haven’t got time nor the energy to buy into the rumour mill.”

En v i r o n m e nt

Bob Irwin launches reef campaign The father of the late crocodile hunter Steve Irwin is the face of a multi-million dollar advertising campaign to save the Great Barrier Reef from industry.

Bob Irwin launched the three-week campaign, which includes TV, radio, online and newspaper advertisements that take a swipe at the Queensland government for “fast-tracking” port and industrial developments along the reef’s coast.

Mr Irwin warns in the television ad that people if they don’t act now, the reef “will be ruined.”

“It’s your reef, but you’re going to have to fight for it”, he said.

“The reef belongs to all of us, not to big industry to use as a dredge dumping ground and shipping superhighway,” Mr Irwin said in a written statement.

The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) and WWF-Australia are behind the campaign which is being bankrolled by Australian philanthropist David Thomas.

11

THEBADBOSS Th i n g s o n ly ba d ma n a g e r s s a y a n d d o

M

anagers are busy people. Every day brings new challenges and not enough hours to accomplish what they need to do. But no matter how busy they are, the best make time for their people and they make sure they WATCH WHAT THEY SAY. What a manager says and does and their style figures more heavily than anything else in keeping employees productive, loyal and happy. Often, when an employee quits their job, they do so because of problems with their bosses. Who many times have you heard a friend say, “I’d still be there even for that pittance of a salary if it weren’t for that awful boss”? You’ve probably even said it.

The following list will set the good bosses from the god-awful ones.

1. Embarrass employees in public At some point, nearly everyone has observed someone being ridiculed in public at work. I can remember a time when I was chastised almost daily in front of my team for not understanding a set of new instructions. And my partner Clare left her job because her manager would yell criticisms at her in front of long lines of people at the checkout.

Managers, take note!

12

2. Don’t follow up on employee ideas Employees thrive on providing ideas and feedback, but if mistrust is part of the set-up, they won’t commit to results. And there is nothing more frustrating than putting your efforts into planning initiatives for the future of a company only to discover that you wasted your time as directors had already put together a list of ideas. The result is unprepared, uninterested staff. Due to lack of interest, actions are often ignored and never mentioned again. “I don’t pay you to think” is what a bad manager says when an employee offers an idea he doesn’t like.

3. If you don’t want this job, I’ll find someone who does Most of us have heard this in the workplace at some point of another. Great leaders understand the importance of not saying something like this and know that to get and keep great people, they have to let people own their jobs. Good leaders give people responsibilities and let them know that their contributions have value. BAD managers though love to remind employees that “You work for me.” They never fail to remind you that someone else would take the job if you ever got sick of it or let the lousy manager down in some way.

job skills

5. I’ll take it under advisement There are certain words that we never use in real life—only in business and only in ways that let us know that the speaker is somehow better than us. “I’ll take it under advisement” means “Go away, I don’t care AND don’t speak to me again unless I ask you to.” It definitely hasn’t been taken onboard.

6. Who gave you permission to do that?

People who obsess about hierarchy and permission ARE THE DEVIL! All bad managers, without

exception ask this question. These are the people you’d be better off avoiding, especially in relationships that give them power over your life and career.

7. Make unrealistic demands My point here is that good managers enforce rules and regulations. Poor managers enforce unrealistic rules that cause employees to feel like children.

I worked under a boss once who, upset at being left out of staff chitchat and general conversation, proclaimed that, thenceforth, there was to be no talking, joking or laughter in the office, as it was unprofessional. I’m not joking.

Focus Career

4. I won’t have you on Facebook while you’re supposed to be working The fact is even the best workers need a mental break and sites like this are the perfect opportunity for them to get them. Telling your employees that they’re banned from the Internet while they’re on “work time” is one of the most costly mistakes bosses make. If good workers want a mental break during the day, they should be able to go on Facebook.com, or whatever, without fear of managerial reprisal. They’re not robots. They need to stop and shake off the corporate cobwebs every now and then. After all, they could be on the verge of your next million-dollar product idea, so don’t upset them!

8. Ignore professional growth needs This is the worst mistake a manager or boss can make. When employees take steps for selfdevelopment, it’s important for you to be their biggest cheerleaders. Adult learning research repeatedly shows that management reinforcement of training is what makes it stick; yet too often trainers have heard managers’ last minute excuses to not attend a training initiative. How many of you reading have been denied a professional development opportunity because your own manager said that it would take too much time away from work? Be honest!

13

Money doesn’t buy happiness, but it might foster gender equality in the video game industry.

By Maria Sciullo

Can women gamers

curb sexism?

14

G

about hard-core (games), it’s been young guys making games for other young guys,” said Drew Davidson, director of Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Centre.

Pratchett has been doing the press tour for the new Tomb Raider, a prequel that takes protagonist Lara Croft back to her former, pre-Angelina Jolie form.

Instead of pairing a stretchy top over pneumatic breasts with hot pants, this Lara is wearing layered camisoles any young woman might wear at the mall, and cargo pants. She has been purposefully redesigned to embrace the elements appealing to both male and female players.

Lara Croft had a pretty good female following when they first released Tomb Raider and the they kind of got “silly,” says Sheri Graner Ray, senior design adviser for Schell Games and author of the book, Gender Inclusive Game Design: Expanding the Market.

“So they went back to her roots, which is good for her and certainly for them (Crystal Dynamics), monetarily,” says Ray. The latest Entertainment Software Association poll of gamer demographics indicates that 47 per cent of those who play games in the US are female, and that women 18 or older (30%) represent a larger part of the market than boys 17 and younger (18%).

Women tend to play online, rather than platform games. Of these online games, the most popular (representing 42%) are puzzles, board games, game show, trivia and card games.

That same makeup represents 47% of the kind of games players of both sexes enjoy on mobile devices.

Inequities are reflected in women’s paychecks as well. Game Developer magazine conducts an annual survey among the industry, and in 2012, male programrs (making up 97% responding to the survey) made an average of $US93,000 - almost $US10,000 higher than their female counterparts.

Among artists (87%), the difference was about $US79,000 to $US53,000.

At the highest levels, it’s still a man’s world.

Focus Gaming

ames are big business.

Despite declining retail numbers in the past two years, they still accounted for $US13.26 billion ($A12.97 billion) in US sales in 2012. That takes into account the huge growth on mobile platforms, where games such as Angry Birds, Words With Friends and Temple Run appeal to the many players who are not young men.

And this might be why, ultimately, inroads will be made.

Last autumn, when women were asked to respond to charges of sexism in the video-game industry, the Twitter hashtag 1ReasonWhy blew up.

They told stories of being harassed, of being excluded from the creative process at work, of being mistaken for the office receptionist.

Rhianna Pratchett, lead writer on the new Tomb Raider game, created the hashtag so people could discuss issues rarely adressed in the business.

It should come as no surprise that the history of video games includes a pattern of heroines with beach-ball breasts, skimpy outfits and the general objectification of women. Many of the most popular games of the past decade focused on sports, sex and violence, and if there was a strong story line it usually had a strong hero at the centre.

Just as women weren’t welcome to report from NFL locker rooms, or to occupy the CEOs suites of Fortune 500 companies years ago, the times are slowly changing - especially now when women make up almost 50 per cent of gamers. Women in the video game industry say it’s possible to break down doors.

“Historically, when you’re talking

gaming industry

15

safety first

16

Bis Industries

A

By Hugh Radojev

Focus Logistics

The mining sector has long been the pillar on which much of the Australian economy has stood, propped up by the bountiful natural resources trapped under the rock and the hard work of the men and women who labour to extract it. The high Australia dollar and volatile commodity prices though have seen some in the mining sector falter, both at home and abroad, but as Ian Lynass, CEO of Perth based Bis Industries explains; if you look after your employees then they will look after you and then the profits will look after themselves.

s a young apprentice, Ian Lynass suffered an injury whilst working. Despite the serious, debilitating nature of his injury, Lynass’ employers at the time were not the least bit sympathetic or indeed even concerned for their young charge. Instead they threatened him, saying that if he didn’t return to work immediately then his job would be on the line. Rather than let himself be pushed around or rushed back into a situation where he had already injured himself, the young Ian Lynass simply quit. While in hindsight, Lynass’ decision has been vindicated a thousand fold, no doubt at the time it was a huge decision for a young apprentice.

He also made a vow to himself: that he would never treat his future employees the way he had been treated, that he would never make them feel the way he had felt. That vow has proven to be no empty sentiment, no mere noble gesture, for in his role as Bis Industries CEO; Lynass has been pivotal in the implementation of the Zero Harm policy.

To say that the welfare of his people is high on Lynass’ priority list would be something of an understatement.

“Another focus that is close to me is improving safety as we strive towards Zero Harm – that is zero injuries, zero environmental damage, and zero equipment damage,” said Mr Lynass when asked about his focuses for 2013. “Safety is a fundamentally core aspect of Bis Industries and we have made significant achievements in establishing ourselves as a market leader, including operating sites that have had ten years LTI (lost time injury) free.”

“It’s in our DNA – we look out for each other and take responsibility for the things we do to strive for Zero Harm. It’s something that’s firmly ingrained in all our people and operating culture.”

Indeed one gets the feeling talking to Ian Lynass that his absolute and genuine concern for the safety and welfare of his employees is his paramount concern, more so than any other aspect of the business. This is a rare and wonderful thing to find in the CEO of a company who work in mining, logistics and heavy haulage, all industries well known for their (at times) ruthless pursuit of profits.

17

Bis Industries

Truckline keeping BIS Industries moving

Our Brand IdentIty

What ever the commodity, above ground or under ground, we always ensure BIS The FOX brand is comprised of three main elements; The FOX Brand type, the FOXIndustries has the right part element & the Division Typography. to keep them moving. With over 50 years in the transport industry, Truckline supports BIS Industries by delivering quality parts and products for their varied transport fleet.

With over 30,000 products in FOX Brand Typography our growing range, Truckline’s Indeed Lynass seems convinced we continue to innovate and experienced team source specialised products from that the safety of his work ensure we are at the leading edge leading suppliers to handle force and high profit yields go of being able to deliver services to Australasia’s unique climate Our Brand IdentIty hand in hand. Or, as Mr Lynass clients in a safe and cost effective and driving conditions. Being puts it himself “safety first and manner,” he said, before adding Australia’s leading distributor production will follow.”

“We will do this through our key of aftermarket truck and trailer Brand Components parts allows us to provide BIS “Through providing innovative focus of investing in our most Industries what they need solutions to our clients, we have important asset – our people.”

The FOX brand is comprised of three main elements; The FOX Brand type, the FOXwhen they need it.

Brand Components

continued to meet our targets Bis Industries was formally FOX Element element & the Division Typography. and achieve sales growth. The known as Brambles, a company challenge though is making sure that is still going strong 137

FOX Brand Typography

...a leading service provider Division Typography

FOX Element

OUR BRAND IDENTITY

3

Fox Mining & Engineering are proud to be associated with BIS Industries in the servicing & repairs of their underground plant & equipment. Located in the Newcastle suburb of Gateshead, Fox is a Recognised Service Facility (RSF) for explosion protected diesel engine systems and has recently acquired LJH Electrical Mining to conduct electrical repairs on underground mining equipment.

Division Typography

1766 Bulls Garden Road, Gateshead NSW 2290 Australia ph. +61 (0)2 4904 9900 l Fax. +61 (0)2 4942 4756

www.foxmining.com.au 3 OUR BRAND IDENTITY

18

ACCESSORIES

BRAKE VALVES

DRIVELINE

HYDRAULICS

STEERING

AIRLINES & FITTINGS

CHEMICALS

ELECTRICAL

LANDING LEGS

TRAILER COUPLINGS

AXLES

CLUTCH

EXHAUST & INTAKE

LOAD RESTRAINT

TRAILER SUSPENSION

BEARINGS & SEALS

COOLING SYSTEM

FILTERS

LUBRICANTS

TRANSMISSIONS & PARTS

BRAKE COMPONENTS

DIFFERENTIALS & PARTS

GUARDS & MUDFLAPS

MIRRORS

TRANSPORT SIGNAGE

HUBS, DRUMS & COMPONENTS

SEATS

TRUCK SUSPENSION

E NWID O I T A N ORK

TL733_BI

NETW

23 WITNHCHES BRA

QLD Rocklea, Geebung, Caboolture, Toowoomba, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville, Gladstone SA Wingfield NSW Wetherill Park, Botany, Tamworth, Gosford, Newcastle VIC Hallam, Brooklyn WA Welshpool, Midvale, Spearwood, Albany, Bunbury, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie

Contact 1300 552 525 or www.truckline.com.au

Bis Industries

20

Focus Logistics

21

Bis????????????

Industries

PPM PPM and BIS have a long standing relationship, with PPM providing project management services to BIS for the past 7 years. These services have included project delivery, project engineering, commissioning and construction support, consulting services, due diligence and performance reviews. Some of these roles have included the management of entire projects on behalf of BIS, through to the provision of site management on small projects. PPM is proud to have provided project and engineering support to BIS over the years and will continue to support BIS wherever possible into the future.

years after it was founded in 1876. Brambles has been working in Australia since the early 20th century, when it helped BHP reclaim land bought in 1912 for its first steelworks in Newcastle. In the hundred years that followed, the branch of Brambles that would go on to become Bis Industries in 2010 began working in the transportation of raw materials, heavy haulage and earth moving equipment for other companies working in construction, mining and road building.

Such a long history of working in the industry has translated across the six years that Bis Industries has stood apart, with many of the long term working relationships forged there coming across.

“The company has a strong track record in investing significant capital in our people and the business to develop technologies that provide market-leading and market-changing opportunities – and we will continue to do so.”

As with any good company, innovation of products and a focus on personalized solutions for individual clients has ensured that Bis Industries has maintained its gold standard reputation amongst its clientele and the industry as a whole. Specific new innovations in haulage by Bis Industries include its dual powered road trains, or DRPTs, a huge part of hauling large earth moving equipment thousands of kilometers.

“These massive trucks provide an off-road load

22

“Another focus that is close to me is improving safety as we strive towards Zero Harm – that is zero injuries, zero environmental damage, and zero equipment damage”

SYDNEY Level 26,44 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 P: 02 9089 8934 PERTH Level 3,165 Adelaide Tce East Perth WA 6004 P: 08 9325 8296 WOLLONGONG Cnr Kembla and Beach Sts Wollongong NSW 2520 P: 02 4225 3466

PPM provides professional project services to the industrial and mining sectors throughout Australia. PPM specialises in project management, mechanical and electrical engineering, construction and commissioning management, site supervision and safety management.

PPM’s strengths are vested in its ability to successfully manage projects to achieve the client’s desired outcomes through: Assigning the right team Effective responsibility and accountability Project management systems and processes Accurate definition of scope Detailed programme development Comprehensive project reporting Value management and problem solving Risk management Critical review and control of variations PPM’s highly experienced staff can provide the client with total project management solutions, or specialist services as required.

These services may include: Peer Reviews Operational Improvement Studies Scope Definition Prefeasibility and Feasibility Studies Risk Management Processes Tendering Procedures Consultant Team Selection Project Monitoring and Auditing

www.ppm.com.au

Bis Industries

Powertrans Powertrans is a privately owned and operated Australian company that designs and manufactures a diverse range of innovative haulage systems that offer the mining industry lower cost, higher-productivity alternatives to conventional large mining trucks particularly where there is a requirement for long distance haulage from pit to processing facilities.

With more than 10 years of equipment supply, Powertrans understands the challenges faced by operators in remote areas and designs equipment to operate in the toughest conditions.

Powertrans has a long term supplier relationship with BIS Industries supplying primarily off-road haulage solutions along with aftermarket parts and product support.

and haul solution for bulk commodities that is almost non-existent elsewhere. DPRTs transport commodities, primarily iron ore and coal, from satellite pits that cannot be economically serviced by dump trucks – being roughly more than five kilometres – but are too lower volumes to be viable for conveyor or rail,” said Mr Lynass, before adding that the DPRTs have proven so successful that Bis Industries has begun to “secure contracts by invitation, not tender, which is testament to the innovative solution DRPTs provide.”

Despite the challenges facing the resources sector with the high Australian dollar and the volatility of commodity prices on the international market, Bis Industries’ commitment to long term project development has helped them avoid being negatively affected. Bis Industries has, in one way or another, been producing consistent growth in its earnings since the company’s inception, a fact that Mr Lynass and the company as a whole are obviously proud of.

“For example, our revenues have grown from around $380 million to more than $900 million. Even in the challenges of the Global Financial Crisis, Bis Industries was resilient and grew its earnings. By being exposed to the production cycle and having long-term contracts with blue chip clients operating low cost mines, we are largely 24

“The company has a strong track record in investing significant capital in our people and the business to develop technologies that provide marketleading and market-changing opportunities – and we will continue to do so”

Australian-owned Powertrans custom designs and manufactures a range of innovative underground and surface haulage systems, safety-oriented alternatives to conventional large mining trucks.

Built for the toughest conditions, proven in the toughest haulage environments.

Bis Industries

insulated from the commodity cycle.”

But, as he has throughout the interview, Mr Lynass returns to his main priority – his employees. Saying “to ensure employees understand our expectations and vision, I provide a weekly video to update all Bis Industries staff… As long as we start with our people, look after them, and inform them, they will look after the business.”

With an in house university, an industry-leading indigenous worker development program and a focus on encouraging employees not just to work for the company, but to build a career there, it isn’t hard to see why Bis Industries has proven so successful. As they say on their website, it really does appear to be a company that ‘gives a damn’ about things other than its profit margins. It also gives a damn about its clients and, most of all, its employees welfare, happiness and development.

Ian Lynass

“Through providing innovative solutions to our clients, we have continued to meet our targets and achieve sales growth.

The challenge though is making sure we continue to innovate and ensure we are at the leading edge of being able to deliver services to clients in a safe and cost effective manner” 26

Focus Logistics

CJD Equipment Pty Ltd Proudly Supporting BIS CJD Equipment Pty. Ltd. Albany / Albury / Brisbane / Bunbury / Dandenong / Geraldton / Hobart Kalgoorlie / Launceston / Mackay / Melbourne / Newcastle Perth / Port Hedland / Sydney

National Toll Free: 1300 139 804

CJD Equipment are proudly the Western Australian and Tasmanian Dealer for Kenworth and DAF trucks

Web: www.cjdvolvo.com.au

Kenworth DAF W.A. 787 Abernethy Rd, Forrestfield WA Phone: (08) 9359 7400

Web: www.kenworthdafwa.com.au

Since 1974

27

family Keeping it

28

in the

bluestar global logistics

In 1987, six brothers started a local logistics and delivery company in Melbourne’s north with an annual turnover of just $400,000. 25 years later, Bluestar Global Logistics has grown into a powerhouse in their industry, not just in Australia, but also around the world.

By Hugh Radojev

A

Focus Logistics

nyone who has ever tried to grow a business will know that it takes commitment, loyalty, honesty, hard work, a definitive vision and quite often a very thick skin to make a success of it. When you go into business with your family, all of these qualities are often twice as important.

CEO Muzi Eideh and his five brothers recalls when they had little more than a dream and a handful of trucks for local deliveries. By building on customer relationships and responding to their needs, the boys’ small-scale logistics firm has blossomed into a worldwide industry giant, the company now brings in an annual revenue stream of $120 million, more than 300 times what it was generating when the company began. So obviously they’ve been doing something right. This is not a company who are content to rest on their laurels, though, Muzi Eideh and his kin want to more than double their annual revenue again to $300 million a year in the next decade.

Now in 2013, Bluestar Global Logistics is still very much a family business, with four of the six founding brothers still actively working at the company.

Between them they have seen the company’s distribution centres spread to all of the major capital cities plus regional centres such as Albury, Canberra, Newcastle and Wollongong.

Despite the complex and constantly changing dynamics of the logistics industry, Bluestar Global Logistics has continued to grow year by year through a blend of strategic expansions and a commitment to keep their customers satisfied.

While the company started

29

bluestar global logistics

with B2B express deliveries of pallets and parcels, it has incrementally expanded to 3PL warehousing, international freight forwarding and B2C home deliveries. As all four services are integrated through one on-line tracking and invoicing system, they have become a one-stop shop.

New domestic projects currently underway include the construction of a state of the art 40,000-m2 facility in Sydney plus new warehouse expansions in both Brisbane and Melbourne, all of which are needed to house an ever growing fleet of vehicles and staff of dedicated professionals.

Blue Star’s fleet has now grown to number over 160 vehicles which are versatile enough to move everything from cartons to direct drops of full B-double loads .

The number of staff employed in various capacities with the company has also blossomed over the years, particularly since 2010 when the international service commenced for imports, exports and customs clearances..

The global company now boasts worldwide staff of 400, servicing a diverse range of over 2000 individual clients. That equates to some 25,000 consignments a week being delivered to places not just around Australia, but also around the globe.

Across the Tasman, Bluestar has set up a strategic alliance with major New Zealnd logistics company Mainstream.

30

“By building on customer relationships and responding to their needs, the boys’ smallscale logistics firm has blossomed into a worldwide industry giant”

Focus Logistics

A successful business will always look to build strong working ties with other companies and of course Bluestar is no different. Its commitment to personalising and customising its services based on the needs and wants of the customer is a company philosophy that is part of every induction and filters all the way to the drivers at the front line.. Many of Blue Star’s suppliers have been with the company since the beginning, and as a result, have grown alongside them. The loyalty of the customers is mirrored by the loyalty of the staff, with many making a career within the company for over 10 years. Low staff turnover has enabled the company to treat customers as relationships, not as numbers.

Blue Star is also an industry leader in an element

of their business which some competitors haven’t had the courage to address. That is a commitment to addressing an unfortunate byproduct of their business: heavy carbon footprints and the damage that does to the environment. In order to combat these concerns Blue Star have adjusted their processes to reduce negative environmental impact to the best of their abilities. Regular maintenance and monitoring of its vehicles, minimalising the use of plastic wrappings and an extensive program of recycling on-site plastic and wastes are just some of the ways in which Bluestar are working towards a cleaner environment.

The company has grown through minimal marketing but mainly through word of mouth.

It straddles two major imperatives - traditional 31

bluestar global logistics

Hopper Transport “I have worked with Bluestar for over 20 years starting with them as an interstate sub–contractor.

To watch them grow over the period was amazing.

I still work as a contractor for Bluestar and our growth as a company can be reflected in our ongoing business partnership.

I wish the family and the company good luck now and in the future “ Bryan Winkleman Managing Director

IRY started a proud association with BlueStaR in January 2008. We are subcontractored on BlueStaR’s behalf to carry freight from Melbourne to either Brisbane or Sydney, or Sydney to Brisbane. Our strong relationship has grown over the years to a daily departure from Melbourne to Brisbane.

We would like to congratulate BlueStaR on their global success.

E: irepresentyou@bigpond.com

32 32

An efficient transport company based in south Sydney, Hopper Transport Pty. Ltd. operates in two states across Australia whilst meeting the needs of clients Australia wide. Our hard-working, friendly staff fulfill the needs of customers whether it be a small pick-up & delivery or transportation of goods that requires a fleet of vehicles; our goal at Hopper Transport is to provide excellence in service & transport to our customers with efficient delivery of goods on time.

Whatever the job, Hopper Transport are guaranteed to get you there.

5/21 Amour Street, Revsby, 2212, NSW E: enquiries@hoppertransport.com M: 0418 929 448

www.hoppertransport.com 33

bluestar global logistics

loyalty and technological modernity.

After a quarter of a century of progressive growth, the solid foundation looks like it will continue to deliver the results that are part of its ethos: Bluestar is not just about people’s goods – it’s about good people.

From humble beginnings

34

“While the company started with B2B express deliveries of pallets and parcels, it has incrementally expanded to 3PL warehousing, international freight forwarding and B2C home deliveries. As all four services are integrated through one on-line tracking and invoicing system, they have become a one-stop shop.

The company straddles two major imperatives traditional loyalty and technological modernity.

JLS Express JLS Express has had a long standing partnership with BlueStar dating back to 2004. We are proud to work alongside BlueStar; supporting them in their success and watching them grow from strength to strength. Today JLS Express covers the majority of BlueStar’s Country NSW freight and they continue to be one of our major customers.

Jason McHenry, General Manager

Focus Logistics

City Service, Country Values Established in 2004, JLS Express had one vision ~ to bring a metropolitan service to regional areas. This vision has since been realised. Today JLS Express is a strong and competitive country NSW carrier with multiple company run sites.

JLS Express provides a unique, flexible and dynamic approach to meeting customer needs, ensuring customer confidence by utilising an IT system that offers scanning, sign on glass and online proof of delivery. With a large and varied fleet, ranging from vans to B-doubles, JLS Express is able to handle all types of freight requirements from bulk loads through to pallets and parcels.

JLS Express has a well deserved reputation for excellence, achieved through a strong focus on customer service, accountability and timeliness. With a track record of success, the company has built a reputable and trusted service.

jlsexpress.com.au Country nSW Carrier

35

ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE

if we could bottle it, we would.

As leading consulting engineers, we continue to turn our clients’ visions into award winning projects.

www.ndy.com