Development of Operational Playbooks for Surface Mining

MTS was engaged by one of the world’s largest gold mining companies to support a transformative initiative focused on operational excellence. The core of this engagement was the consolidation of global best practices into a series of Strategic Operational Playbooks, specifically targeting surface mining Load, Haul, Cycle Time (LHCT) and Payload Management.

The Objectives

The primary objective was to move away from fragmented, site-specific methods and establish a unified, "one-way" corporate standard for load and haul activities. Key goals included:

• Best Practice Consolidation: Identifying and documenting high-performance workflows from various global sites to create a single source of truth for operational excellence.

• Payload Variance Reduction: Narrowing the payload distribution "bell curve" to eliminate underloading (lost productivity) and overloading (accelerated maintenance costs and safety risks).

• Cycle Time Optimisation: Breaking down the haulage cycle into granular components (loading, hauling, dumping, queuing) to identify and eliminate "hidden" bottlenecks.

• Technology Maturity: Increasing the maturity of how onsite teams interacted with FMS data, moving from reactive reporting to proactive, real-time decision-making.

What was Delivered

MTS delivered a comprehensive framework that integrated data engineering with hands-on operational change management:

1. Strategic Operational Playbooks: Detailed, actionable manuals that provided step-by-step guidance for dispatchers, operators, and supervisors. These playbooks focused on the LHCT pillars, providing a standardised "play" for every operational scenario.

2. Advanced Performance Dashboards: A suite of Power BI and custom data visualisations that provided "at-a-glance" insights into payload consistency and cycle time efficiency, allowing management to track progress against the new standards.

3. On-Site Mentoring & Training: A global rollout program where MTS experts worked alongside site personnel to embed the playbook methodologies into daily routines.

4. Payload Distribution Frameworks: Specific technical protocols for loader and shovel operators to ensure consistent load targets of 100–105%, significantly reducing the "spread" of the distribution curve.

The Outcomes

The impact of the Strategic Operational Playbooks was both immediate and sustainable. By standardising LHCT and Payload processes, the client achieved:

• Significant Productivity Uplift: Consistent payload management resulted in an estimated 20% increase in annual tonnes mined at several flagship sites without the need to acquire additional haulage assets.

• Reduced Maintenance Costs: A tighter payload distribution led to a marked decrease in tyre wear, frame stress, and structural fatigue, directly lowering the cost per tonne.

• Fuel and Emissions Efficiency: Optimising the haulage cycle and reducing idle times led to a measurable reduction in litres per tonne, contributing to the client’s broader ESG and decarbonisation targets.

Cultural Alignment: The project successfully fostered a culture of "discipline in the dirt," where data-driven decisions became the standard rather than the exception.