As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, several of Outliers Mining Solutions’ operational assessments had to be completed remotely due to travel restrictions. In one such assessment, completed in 2020, the work scope included an operations assessment covering Mine Operations, including loading, hauling and drilling fleets, and the site’s fleet management system.

If you were to ask any member of the OMS team their favourite aspects of the work we do, chances are being on-site and working ‘in the field’ would rank at the top. It gives us the chance to work closely with our clients and better understand the challenges they face daily.

In 2016 Outliers initiated a work scope with Ferrexpo to improve the productivity and efficiency of load and haul fleet at Poltava and Yerestovo mines. This scope included the deployment of the Outliers Performance Management tools such as the Short Interval Control tool and the rehabilitation and effective use of the Wenco Fleet Management System to deliver improved truck allocation.

Our clients will tell us they know they should be hot-seating; they know that there is an opportunity, but it hasn’t been implemented.

Of course, it would be ideal to have a true hot-seat, one where trucks roll up to an elevated platform, one operator walks off, the other walks on, and the truck cycle is barely interrupted.

In 2016, Outliers Mining Solutions delivered a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt program at a partner Gold Mining Operation in Canada. The program, conducted over a 6-month period, included two waves of 12 attendees across all aspects of the operation, including mine operation, geology, human resources, finance, and safety departments.

During an engagement at an Underground Base Metal Mine in Western Canada, it was found the operation had limited daily reporting on critical measures, which resulted in a lack of understanding of how the mine, crews, and individual operators were performing. The operation also had limited data collection capacity, which meant the operations team was unable to effectively make data-based decisions.