optimising performance; management
expectations that are rarely met; the
constraints constantly shifting from one
place to another; and chronic conflicts
between people representing different
parts of the truck-and-loader process, to
name a few. Once the barriers that block
those parts fromworking together as an
integrated system are removed,
significant and sustainable improvement
in the output from the truck and loader
fleet can be expected.
Delays within the circuit arise from a
number of issues: e.g. allocation of trucks,
the slowest truck, wet roads and in-pit
conditions, etc. Figure 3 demonstrates
how constraints in the system increase
waiting times for both loaders and trucks
and reduce the performance. This figure
shows that the system apparently has
enough trucks – but that something is
causing the trucks to arrive at the loader
in short succession and then remain
queued until the loader loads them. The
trucks are then all away and the loader
sits idle. This may be because the trucks
are queuing behind a slow truck or slow
loading (larger?) truck – or any number
of other causes of system constraint
found in mines.
An absurd situation
I have made the case as to why
optimising truck-and-loader operations is
strategically important and why it is
difficult in the field. I have also provided
information that shows that strategy is
not being well executed and that the
constraints within the operations are still
reducing output.
The use of fleet management systems
to optimise strategy seems to be an
obvious answer. They can be set up to
deliver a particular mine strategy and
they can help alleviate the constraints
which occur on the ground. So, I return to
my initial three questions with the
answers frommy audience:
n
n
Question 1:
How many people have
fleet management systems in place?
Answer: Most. A red flag goes up
immediately. These systems have
been sold on the basis of enhancing
productivity – most mines have them
– and productivity across the board is
going down!
n
n
Question 2:
How many are using the
automated dispatching part of the
systems? Answer: Very few. Again,
mines have acquired the automated
dispatching systems but most have
them switched off. This in itself
does not cause the issues in strategy
and execution – but having them
switched off certainly will not help.
n
n
Question 3:
Why not? Answer: We
don’t trust it. Herein is the crux of
the problem. Mines need to be more
efficient and they have acquired a
system that could help them. But
they don’t have it turned on! Make
no mistake: some of these systems
have not been optimised in the past.
But in 2014, they all look pretty good
to me.
The blame for this situation is, I
think, to be shared between the
suppliers and the mines. Suppliers
because they believed that their systems
would “just work” and the mines
because they have not invested enough
in “making the system work”.
As I explained to a representative of
one of the key fleet management
system suppliers in Colorado, they
have to be prepared to over-service
the system when commissioned. To
get a system such as this to work
optimally requires time and
commitment. The suppliers got it
wrong when they thought the mines
had the commitment.
For the mines, when they could not
understand an aspect of the system –
and there was no support person from
the supplier readily available – they just
took the line of least resistance and
reverted to using the systems as
glorified data generators.
Now let me say on this point, the
data they collect is fantastic for
post‑analysis and can be used to add
value. However, a central tenet of the
systems is real-time optimisation of the
truck‑and‑loader operation. On this
point, most have failed.
An opportunitymissed
This is why the use of fleet management
systems is not one of my ten best
practice actions for delivering best
practice – although it should be! Fleet
management systems should be one of
the most important tools for delivering
efficiency. But too many of them are
simply not being used to their full
potential. Getting fleet management
systems working to their potential
should be a priority but I don't think it is
and I am not confident that the
commitment will be made
en masse
to
change this situation.
The industry has a strategic need; the
industry has an operational need. Both
of these feed from the need to optimise
costs. Fleet management systems can
help. But to allow them to fulfil their
potential, it will require time and
financial commitment from the mines to
pay for ongoing support to embed the
systems in their operations and it needs
the suppliers to commit to
over‑servicing their systems.
Figure 3.
Number of trucks queuing
–
sample.
Source: PwC’s Equipment Productivity and Reliability Database.
28
|
World Coal
|
September 2014
