Exploration Drilling Management Software Buying Guide

What happens to our logged data if a tablet loses power or crashes mid-sync?

Tests local storage and sync. Ask whether every logged record stays on the device until the server confirms it, how a half-finished sync is recovered, and how conflicting edits are resolved when the device reconnects, without losing data.

Does your commercial module handle complex drilling contracts, such as variable rates for different ground conditions or depth intervals?

Tests if the software actually understands mining contracts or is just a generic timesheet app. Mining drilling contracts often include tiered pricing by ground type, depth-based rates, standby charges, and consumable recharges that generic tools cannot model.

Do we own our data, and can we export our entire database in an open, non-proprietary format if we choose to leave?

Tests for vendor lock-in and data extraction fees. Geological data outlives any software contract, so confirm you can export all of it in standard formats (for example CSV or database dumps) without exit fees or proprietary encoding.

Who handles support when our night shift encounters a critical error at 2:00 AM?

Tests the SLA and whether support staff know mining. Many exploration programs drill around the clock and across time zones, so ask who answers at night, what response time the SLA commits to, and whether that person understands drilling and geology workflows or only general IT.

Can drillers enter plods and geologists approve them offline at a remote pad, and what happens when the device syncs?

Tests whether offline covers the whole daily workflow or only data entry. Ask which steps (plod entry, geologist approval, sample dispatch) work without signal, how long a device can run before it must sync, and what the system does when two people have edited the same shift.

Can you standardise plod data from several drilling contractors into one format?

Tests whether a multi-contractor program can be compared like for like. Each contractor tends to report metres, downtime and consumables in its own layout, so ask whether the system enforces one set of codes for every rig or leaves someone to rebuild a combined spreadsheet each week.

Can we reconcile the contractor invoice against approved plods and see cost per metre against budget?

Tests whether the commercial side is driven by the same record the geologist signed. The invoice lines for metres, standby, moves and extras should trace back to approved shift reports, and planned against drilled metres and spend should be visible by hole and by week, not only at month-end.

How do collars, downhole surveys and sample data hand over to our geological database?

Tests the handover from the field system to the system of record. Ask for the export format or API, what is validated before data leaves, how sample IDs and QA/QC samples are carried across, and which system owns the collar if the two disagree.