MINING SOFTWARE
MST Global ’ s Mark Palmer says : “ Our software platform , HELIX , brings the application side of the solution to life , allowing us to provide the mine with the solution that best meets their needs , wherever in the mine ’ s lifecycle they sit ”
can build actionable work plans to improve the productivity of day-to-day work .
“ We think the biggest improvement opportunity in the resources industry is found in coordinating the day-to-day work of frontline teams so that all the departments can work together to improve the productivity of their operations ,” Paul Moynagh , CEO of Commit Works , said . “ Our software brings the silos of data together ( by integrating with mine planning , ERP , HR , safety and project tools ) so that the right work can be planned and executed by the right people with the right machines , each and every shift . It ’ s been our experience ( over more than 25 implementations ) that sites who use our software improve their productivity by over 20 % within weeks of go live .”
The Commit Works suite of integrated work management and short interval control software is designed to replace the disconnected cluster of manual whiteboards , paper and spreadsheets used in managing day-to-day operations . In replacing these tools , the company helps clients to implement a “ Frontline Commitment System ” that enables teams of people to commit to and execute the right work , at
the right time , right across the site , it says . “ People are using our software to facilitate the human process ,” Moynagh said . He talks through that process : “ There is a human process of engineers thinking through what work needs to be done this week to move the mine forward at the rate needed . Our system helps teams to collaborate with colleagues by putting together a plan that respects the work they have in ERP systems but also respects the reality at the mine face .”
The principle of such a tool is quite simple , but the influx of manual management operating systems , short interval control options and fleet management and planning platforms , to name a few inputs , has made things complex for frontline teams over the last few decades , meaning practical operating plans and instructions struggle to filter down to the frontline people with the ability to affect the outcome . This causes waste through avoidable coordination and organisation problems every shift .
“ Our Frontline Commitment System takes this cluster of spreadsheets and manual whiteboards into an easy to use and sustainable digital world ,” Moynagh said .
“ At the same time as helping the team collaborate and get the right ‘ plan-do-check-act ’ behaviours in place , we are making sure the data from the face is visible to all and can be used to carry out the required short interval control associated with the work as it happens .”
It is this type of digital implementation that can set operations up for further valueenhancing activities down the line , according to Moynagh . “ The really practical act of organising the frontline work so it can happen each shift means teams can reliably go to work with a plan that makes sense ,” he said . “ This helps them deliver results within weeks of implementing . “ Getting control of day-to-day operational work with a commitment system like ours can pay for any number of other digital transformation projects you might do down the track .”
There are several examples of where the company ’ s implementations have significantly improved operations within weeks . For instance , the former Rio Tintoowned Kestrel underground coal operation achieved a 51 % increase in operational hours within 12 weeks of ‘ go live ’, while the team at a Canadian gold mine saw a 35 % increase in gold output within 14 weeks of implementation .
“ The industry is under pressure as resources become more scarce , harder to mine and less productive ,” Moynagh said . “ Mines are doing everything they can to improve productivity ; once our software has been implemented , operational teams are delivering 20 %-plus improvements in production within weeks .
“ That is not because they have purchased new capital equipment or tried new mining methods , it is simply that teams are able to coordinate their current people and equipment resources more effectively . A lot of the waste in the process starts to disappear . More of the plan gets done more often , increasing production , decreasing cost , improving compliance to plan and making operations safer .
“ We see operations struggling with the inherent variability that comes with the reality of mining . In our view , sites should work on removing the causes of this variability through better coordination of frontline work before they spend significant capital on automation .”
Moynagh , here , referenced words from David Balkin , former Senior Director of McKinsey in Australia and New Zealand , who said : “ There are very few , zero capital cost initiatives that have such a rapid and significant impact on the productivity of resource
FEBRUARY 2021 | International Mining