Increasing adherence to mine plan through data integration and process change

This paper focuses on the development of a decision support element to control real-time adherence to mine plan within a control room environment. This system, known as a mine planning screen (MPL), integrates mine planning and production processes. The key inputs are production data tracked by the fleet management system and mine plans entered by mine planners into spreadsheets. The data are integrated with the use of database query languages and MPL charts are displayed in a web environment. The MPL screen displays two types of information: real-time adherence to plan by pit and historical adherence by crews. The objective of the screen is to increase adherence to the overall plan, a key part of a larger real-time blending initiative. This research discusses the technical development of the new tool, its deployment and peer pressure technique for user motivation.