Your mining operations are falling behind. What can you do to get ahead?

Confirm that the plan has no fundamental errors and is still applicable. Assess your bottlenecks and problem areas relative to your plan/forecasts. Take decisive action to deal with the identified constraints- thus may result in people changes, adjustments to work processes, capital equipment. Develop your recovery program and manage this on short interval controls.

Check the plan and actively track execution. Generally a lot of time and effort is put into planning and when things fail everyone wants to recheck the plan. Plans don't fail, execution does.

The first thing is to acknowledge and accept that sometimes things don't go as planned. Get back to the drawing board, assess how significant the predicament is in the grand scheme of things and evaluate the impact it's going to have on the business before jumping into crisis mode. Evaluate the cause of the setback and immediately start putting out a plan on what actions should be taken to get back to plan. Ensure that the plan is very clear on deliverables, responsible persons who are assisned to drive each action and make sure that actions have a due date. Communicate the plan so that everyone is on the same page. Tracking and reviewing the progress and communicating the progress to eveyone is key to the success of your turnaround.

The alignment around the processes provide transparency and support to reduce downtime, quick turnaround on communication/decision, and ensure that the face miner has clear plan experience. My experience at site, with clear understanding of technical and operational limits and simplify those with the workforce made difference. Challenge the status-quo in a reasonable buy-in with cross-functional team and challenging all to deliver with measurable results was key. Also. We introduce the use of digital tools, like ipad, ST/LT plan integration, maintenance and communication platform to our miners easily pushed the increase in efficiency.

First, look at your entire operation, from mining and extracting, processing, logistics, support services and find out which one is most inefficient and prioritise them in order of urgency to fix. Then dive deep into each operation, identify weaknesses and strengths and then proceed to resolve the issue. By the time you have done with each one, you will have to go back to first one beacuse, at some stage, each got affected by the changes in the next. It is simple, continuous improvement process. It will take time to go through whole operation so by the time you are finish, new ideas, technology or process will appear which you can apply again by going through the CIP and keep your mining process from failing.

As a leader you must perform root cause analysis with your team. Identify where the problems are in the different processes and find solutions. By finding solutions, there must be a team accountability. Everyone who has direct role of impact must be held accountable. Leaders must lead in solving problems and must lead by example. In addition the team must identify KPIs to help perform and all targets set must be agreed by the team. There must also be a change culture which drives results and this may be difficult but the direction of the team must change. Leading a change culture is not simple but it must be implemented.

Begin by figuring out why are the operations falling behind - root causes. The reason could be different from the apparent issues and could be multi-faceted. Prioritize based on potential impact. Assess them against cost and change management issues.

GEMBA: Embark on a ground floor fact finding mission, and ensure front line workers are empowered and they have full buy in your vision. Once root causes of sub optimal output are identified, sustainable measures are put in place, and rewards are put in place to make sure good performance is incentivized. Alignment on all levels of the operation is key to make sure everyone is rowing in the same direction. In many cases, processing plant uptime is the bottleneck. Preventative and predictive maintenance programs are solutions. After plant uptime, availability of suitable ore can cause substandard mine production. The most sustainable foundation on which to build excellence are the people. The right people ought to be on the bus.

Every mine is a particular situation and culture. Innovation is a crucial factor. Innovation is like being in shape and healthy; everyone knows that being in form is good, but it is hard to break the sedentary routine. I suggest finding a common problem for one area or more. The problem should look easy to resolve. On the road, you are going to see many obstacles. Look for a leader with a lot of motivation, communication, and well respect for everyone. After resolving the problem and everyone feels good, go for a more complicated issue. The idea is to create an innovation culture to move forward and keep the company in "shape." Remember to ask for extra help; we are happy to collaborate as providers.

Mining is simple - you break rock at point A and take to point B , being the Mill. In between is the process which makes each mine site unique . KPI and reconciliation report gives you clues on what are the bottlenecks in your operation. The 5 departments: Mill , Mine operation , Safety (health and environmental ) , Administrative (accounting, legal and human resources) and Technical Services (engineering , survey and geology) needs to come together and make a fist against any issues . There always be challenges but the critical element is communication between departments in solving any problems. Trust , transparency, accountability, respect and a team culture needs to be build by the leadership team in order for a successful project.

In my experience mining processes have started to embrace this process change … but we are only .. by my estimation 20% along the journey !

While adopting new technologies can be beneficial, more often than not, I see them fail, either because the tech didn't live up to claims/expectations or it was deployed improperly. I have visited too many operations that had forgotten how to execute the basics of mining. Our roles are simple - make little rocks from big rocks at the lowest cost point possible in the safest way possible at the least expense/damage to the environment. Getting back to basics and breaking down the entire process from stripping to reclamation into individual - but connected - unit operations is key to understanding where shortfalls are occurring. Begin addressing individual issues before attempting to tackle larger, interconnected issues.

Whilst in the process of adopting new technology, which is a good thing. I personally have found that in most cases Mining doesn't need to that sophisticated, sometimes you just have to go back to.the basics, do them correct and you are good to go. But where need arise, that new technology must be implemented, ensure that wherever you observed the great outcomes of that new technology, the environmental factors there have high resemblance to your operation's environmental factors. Again, ensure you have proper buy-in of the people who will be using such technology, to avoid yourself bringing in something that will cost your operation instead of delivering.

Beyond "adopting new technologies," the real question is how to navigate the adoption chasm. Perhaps we need a hybrid approach: 1. Start small, scale smart: Pilot projects with high ROI potential & measurable outcomes. 2. Focus on interoperability: Ensure new tech seamlessly integrates with existing systems. 3. Empower champions: Identify & support internal advocates to drive user buy-in. 4. Data-driven decisions: Track adoption metrics & adapt strategies based on real-time insights. 5. Continuous learning: Foster a culture of upskilling & reskilling to bridge the tech gap. Technology adoption is a journey, not a destination. Let's choose the right tools and pave the path to success, together.

Es importante buscar de acuerdo a las posibilidades de la empresa tecnología de punta, así como una buena capacitación constante al personal, rodearse de personas con experiencia y una buena estrategia planeada para lograr los objetivos planeados y mejor mejorarlos

Digital technologies, such as information (IT), operation (OT) and communication (CT), can play a key role in improving mining operations. These technologies enable the convergence of the physical and digital worlds, which in turn can drive security, productivity and operational efficiency. By replacing manual operations with connected, automated and autonomous systems, continuous improvement in mining operations can be achieved

Tecnologías 1. Deben de ser tecnologías q aporten deberás, y si es tiempo real q te soluciones problemas mejor no debemos saturarnos de tantas tecnologías q pensemos q esto es la solución total, en muchas ocasiones por mucha tecnologías que tengamos el último movimiento es factor humano 2. Las tecnologías aportan bastante y ayudan a velocidades que como seres humanos nunca llegaremos pero debe estar equilibrado la tecnología/humano mientras no seamos una mina autónoma

Dip into the pool of people that has experience. Get a Old timer to assist. If you have ticked all the boxes it will then boil down to execution and that is where experience comes into the equation.

É importante aprender a solucionar problemas. Se não conhece o software, aprenda. Se não sabe a resposta, pergunte e pesquise. Aprenda inglês e espanhol. Pra ontem!

Es importante ir de la mano o a la par con los cambios en el mercado y la tecnología de punta, buscar la capacitación constante para buscar una mejora tanto en los costos como en la producción

Mines that I work with have implemented digital solutions that take the lid off the mine and help the mine operations become more transparent. Mines see in real-time; personnel, equipment and assets, real-time data from the mine on production, delays, and utilization. Mine management is equipped to make real-time decisions and redeploy assets to areas of the mine to save the shift. They also have actuals versus planned data to see deviation to mine plans quickly. The result mines are achieving with mine digitalization are up to 25% increase in production, up to 65% increase in utilization and a 40% decrease in lost time of logistics. Most mines realize a 1 year or less payback on mine digital solutions.

Training and skills development are important aspects of improving mining operations. Companies can invest in training programs for their employees, allowing them to acquire new skills and knowledge relevant to modern mining operations. This may include training in digital technologies, workplace safety, and efficient resource management.

Capacitación 1. Capacitación 2. Capacitacion 3. El personal mantenerlo comprometido y q se sientan respaldados por su empresa

4. Engagement Avail yourself as a leader to your followers, engage find out what are the challenges (within your area of control - input). Simplify what could happen should the situation not change. Involve other service departments, share concerns from the workforce relating to such departments. Best solutions comes from the floor, look for quick gains. Motivate and hold accountable to plan. Celebrate small wins 🏆. Continously engage and give feedback, create a winning culture mentality 👏.

Nothing beats the 'leading from the front' principle. 1. When senior leaders do the odd night shifts, spent time on the bench/face. 2. Physically walking through all the mining cycles (prep, drill, charge, blast, load and haul, crush) provides much better insights than cold and filtered production reports. 3. This engagement should not be from a Boss-to-worker situtation, but rather 'what can we do as a team to improve production?' 4. Solve at least 1 problem per week for the lowest level of workers in different sections. 5. Open, clear and transparent communication. Open door and open face will allow any worker to approach leaders to highlight real burning issues.

As someone who works with people or a team, it is necessary to know the skills of each person on your team so that when you are in a pressure situation, you can learn to use the most appropriate tools to get out in the best possible way and, of course, communicate with others departments is very important to achieve better productivity

Leadership is being inspirational to once team, being able to motivate them, most importantly to have their buy in to planning, above being just their duties. This will allow the culture of being responsible and accepting accountability, this naturally stimulate interest in career growth 🙌 👏 ✨️

Personal development and interpersonal relationships are essential. To get ahead in mining operations, it is important to invest in one's own growth and development. This involves acquiring new skills and knowledge through training and continuing education. In addition, it is essential to work on developing soft skills, such as effective communication, empathy and leadership, as these skills will facilitate relationships with others. Fostering a collaborative and positive work environment is also crucial.

I fully agree that to achieve significant progress it is necessary to think creatively and venture beyond the conventional. By testing new ideas, methods and solutions, opportunities can be identified to improve mining operations, reduce risks and promote sustainability. Furthermore, it is essential to accept change and adapt to new situations and challenges that may arise in the constantly evolving mining industry.

Ideas nuevas 1. No por que algo ya funcionó y está comprobado quiere decir q una nueva idea no funcionar 2. Abrirse a nuevas ideas 3. Ya lo dijeron siempre pensar fuera de la caja 📦 siempre

The first logical step is to identify the root cause which could be equipment inefficiency, low workforce productivity, unrealistic plans, tougher mining conditions or any other issue. Then deliberate effort should be made to solve the problem. The solution also has to be practicable and realistic. Additionally, mining engineers should always be flexible and adaptable, we should avoid rigid adherence to a single plan. Always be open to change and tailor solutions specifically to each particular problem. Another crucial step is listening to other team members, solutions to operational challenges can come from anyone, including your dump spotter. Collaboration and ensuring that every team member knows their contributions are valued is key.

Lagging behind typically stems from two primary factors: overly positive planning assumptions or sluggish operations. In my experience, it’s invariably a mix of both. To enhance planning assumptions, it’s crucial to gather feedback from operations and maintenance and integrate this into the plan. Following this, it’s necessary to address the issue of low productivity and identify its causes. This could be due to ineffective use of equipment or suboptimal operational setup.

I read this article as saying "if you're drowning then you should take flying lessons or try to grow gills". How about concentrating on swimming instead? Mining tends to be conservative because how we mine now is the result of thousands of years of evolution of skills and practices. If you try something new, and it doesn't work as well as predicted, that doesn't mean you should double-down on change! If you consistently miss plans and targets then re-evaluating your target production rates should be the first step.

It is important to understand your situation and also understand your approach that is “failing” - assuming you’re already doing something. “Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result.” If you’re not getting your expected results, you’re definitely not doing right, trying to find what you’re not doing right is the solution to the problem.

La minería se distancia un poco de cualquier industria debido a su naturaleza ya que normalmente enfrenta riesgos q otra industria no podrá enfrentar, es muy importante siempre uno como líder escuchar comentarios de sus sub alternos, en ocasiones de un muy simple comentario de una Persona operaria puede surgir una muy grande idea o la solución a un problema. En alguna ocasión yo experimenté en persona que al llegar a un lugar de trabajo prácticamente nuevo todos estábamos contentos y comprometidos con el trabajo pero en el transcurso de algunos años como que todos caímos en monotonía y ya no teníamos el ímpetu que mostramos al inicio y me di cuenta que esto repercutió directamente en la producción y eficiencia de nuestro proceso

Knowing the operation process, bottleneck ing happens from time to time. Having a schematic identifying each discipline from exposure to final product delivery will disclose the problem if correctly interpretated. Exposure and maintenance departments should be measured together and be blended in order to achieve common goals. It often happens that these two departments seperates as a result of disputes on the production and maintenance commitments. Meetings should be narrowed down to only the representatives of each discipline and be limited to once a week. Post mortims can then be held and the coming weeks targets be addressed. However the old saying of what you dont know can not be measured remains the moto to go.

It is important to first understand the source of the problem. After identifying the cause of the problem, it is also important to check on alternative solutions that are available. This can done by checking the viability of the solutions in terms of cost, availability and compatibility. Not all solutions are viable for a project. It is thus important to choose a solution that will perfectly solve the problem at hand.