Smart data management is enabling new levels of efficiency in modern mining operations.

But it’s not the data itself that holds the key to efficiency in your operation. It’s how you collect, analyse and action that data.

This is where short interval control is a game changer.

With accurate real-time data and a short interval control process tailored to your operations, you’ll see improvements in productivity, safety, accuracy and cost control.

The following guide will:

·         Define Short Interval Control (“SIC”);

·         Outline the benefits of short interval control in mining;

·         Illustrate how it could look in your mining operations, and,

·         Provide tips for smoother SIC implementation       [MR1] 

What is Short Interval Control in Mining?

Short Interval Control is a structured process of real-time monitoring and immediate feedback.

The goal is to inform decision-making and continually improve productivity in mining operations by evaluating performance in short cycles.

Rather than waiting for daily shift reports, your frontline teams review operational data every two to four hours. They’re looking for inefficiencies that add up to significant losses.

For example, let’s say your haul cycles were 3% slower from one hour to the next. That might not sound like much, but a sustained 3% decline quickly compounds into significant lost output. Using a SIC process, supervisors or dispatchers can address all the factors contributing to that 3% loss.

SIC also works to improve productivity in mining operations.

Frequently reviewing and comparing data enables your team to make informed decisions and monitor the outcomes in real-time, speeding up the continuous improvement cycle.

The Core Principles of SIC in Mining

Data-driven Decisions:  Real-time data informs frequent decisions and optimisations, leading to more efficient operations.

Focus on Improvement:  You’re not simply tracking metrics but looking for opportunities to enhance performance throughout the shift.

Rapid Learning:  You can see the outcome of your decisions and optimise future actions, fostering continuous improvement.

Actionable Immediately:  Good short interval control systems are built for end users (dispatchers, supervisors and operators), providing tangible insights throughout a shift.

Naturally, none of this works without good data management. The whole system hinges on consistent, accurate data from a wide range of mining processes, including:

Real-time productivity

Equipment status

Vehicle location and condition

Operator availability

Weather and environmental conditions

Consumables

Shift changes     [MR2] 

Without good information, optimisation becomes trial and error.

The Benefits of SIC in Mining

Short interval control delivers several benefits for mining operations. These go beyond the obvious, reversing productivity dips or gaining marginal improvements.

Meet Your Targets

By monitoring operations in real time so you can rectify issues promptly, SIC helps to maintain steady production rates and minimise downtime.

Look After Your Team

Early detection of potential hazards allows for preventive measures. This reduces accident risks and creates a safer work environment.

Manage Your Costs

Optimised resource allocation and minimised inefficiencies translate to significant cost reductions.

Make Better Decisions

With accurate, real-time data at their fingertips, your team can make confident decisions based on the latest information. As well as improving short-term outcomes, this enhances planning and overall performance.

Implementing SIC in Modern Mining Operations

There are lots of versions of short interval control in mining. You might have previously worked with a supervisor who came into the office throughout the shift to write a number on a board.  It’s also possible that your supervisors monitor TKMs throughout a shift and aim for more tonnage in the next shift.  What’s missing from these ‘semi-SIC’ processes is the ability to identify opportunities to improve, detect changes in utilisation and performance and optimise in real time.

As a result, SIC gets a bad rap for being ineffective. In reality, the lack of an action-focused process is letting your team down.  (Similar experiences can help to explain why people in your team might resist re-starting or digitising short interval control.)       [MR3] 

The key to an effective and reliable SIC system is following the above principles. As a reminder, they are:

Use good data

Improve, don’t just measure

Monitor outcomes and adjust

Make the process and systems accessible to frontline staff

Here’s how to put those principles into practice.

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Tips for a Smooth SIC Implementation

SIC has traditionally been paper-based.  Manual SIC can still work if the data is accurate, holistic and frequent. However, collecting and analysing all that information is incredibly labour-intensive, not to mention the risk of human error.

Technology offers a more efficient and accurate approach.  Transitioning to digital SIC enhances the accuracy, reliability, speed and volume of data at your disposal. In turn, you can make more informed decisions that improve safety and productivity with no trade-off.

Adopt the Right Technology

Tools like LiveMine’s digital solutions enable real-time data collection and analysis.

As well as replacing traditional paper PLODs, PDF printouts and shift sheets with streamlined digital workflows, LiveMine provides a wealth of real-time data in one central location.

Refine Processes

Establish clear procedures for data collection, analysis and feedback.

Ensure that all team members understand their roles in the SIC process and are equipped to carry out their responsibilities efficiently.

Train Personnel

Provide comprehensive training so all team members understand the importance of SIC in mining and are confident using the new digital tools.

We can get your team up to speed with LiveMine in less than one day.

Continuously Improve

Efficiency is a never-ending process. Once you have a SIC process in place, challenge your team to identify opportunities and make small changes.

Improving 1% might not sound impressive, but repeated 1% gains – multiplied across your mining operation – make a significant difference even throughout one swing.

Embracing the future of mining operations with digitised short interval control processes

Intelligent mining operations are driven by smart data management.

LiveMine enables this intelligence with innovative software solutions that transform how you see your operation.  Our software provides in-depth insights and seamless real-time data flow so that better decisions can be made in complex mining operations.  In short, we enable best-in-class SIC in mining.

By embracing digital operations on-site, you’ll make better strategic decisions, spend less time on admin tasks and see improvements in all the metrics that matter.

Schedule a demo and take the first step towards a paperless future.

[BOOK A DEMO]

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