When Lau Sorum Jnr boarded a plane for China, he was not only going for an ordinary duty trip, he was going for a corporate show representing Ramu NiCo in Papua New Guinea on a big stage.
Sorum is a hard-working Human Resource Supervisor at the Ramu NiCo’s Kurumbukari’s mine site which is the only Nickel and Cobalt mine in Papua New Guinea and the largest Chinese Investment in the South Pacific.
He was one of only five Papua New Guineans selected by Ramu NiCo to compete against other mining workers from 13 countries at the prestigious 2026 China Copper Cup Competition.
For a man who is used to his way of management in his confine office space in the heart of the KBK mine site, standing shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world was challenging and inspiring.
“It was not just about winning a cup,” Sorum says quietly, with a smile.
“It was about learning how the world works and how we in PNG can work better, too,” he said.
The competition wasn’t about who could dig the fastest or lift the heaviest, it was about doing it safe, doing it better and doing it right.
Sorum said the Lean Management comprising the ‘5S’, a simple but powerful Japanese standard philosophy that is changing mines and factories around the world was one of the management skills the team have learnt from the China Copper Cup Competition.
At the core of the philosophy is a lesson everyone should understand, a clean, organized house is a safe, happy house. They call it the 5S. Sort-throw out what you don’t need, Set in Order – put everything in its right place, Shine – clean every day, so you can see problems early, Standardize – make it a rule for everyone and Sustain – keep doing it, every day, until it becomes part of you.
Sorum said the “5S taught him that safety, respect, and efficiency starting with a simple object like the broom in his office to start sweeping his work place before every other job for the day.
In China, he watched workers from different languages and cultures use the same five simple rules to transform their workplaces.
Less waste, fewer accidents, higher morale and better work.
Sorum returned to Papua New Guinea after spending 13 days in China with something more valuable and it is a new vision in his work management.
“I am so pleased with what I have learnt,” Sorum said.
“My wish now is that all our front liners at Ramu NiCo, all the young men and women coming up in Basamuk and Kurumbukari get this same chance to learn what I have learned,” he said.
“If we upholds lean management concept, we can produce the best maximum results for Ramu NiCo. And thank Ramu NiCo for giving me this chance to improve ourselves and we also experienced charming Chinese culture and Chinese delicious food. I hope more PNG employees will have such chance to see China,” Sorum said.
