RPMGlobal has developed a mine planning solution that’s revolutionising operational understanding and decision-making. Introducing XECUTE.
“XECUTE was designed with the vision of being a live, multi-user, mine planning environment that updates as changes were made, so it is very different to anything seen before.”
RPMGlobal’s (RPM) XECUTE product manager James Kennon provides insight into the development and creation of the ASX-listed company’s short-term mine planning and execution solution.
“We were looking to create something completely new that integrated all the systems on a mine site and updated in real-time,” Kennon told Australian Resources & Investment.
“We wanted planners to have their ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems, maintenance and fleet management systems and geological data update in real-time, so users have full visibility of live changes.
“That’s where XECUTE stemmed from and started – that multi-user experience where planners can see changes on the fly and can plan from any location. This is really important for our users.”
XECUTE is a short-term planning and execution solution used globally, supporting mining operations to achieve their short-term planning objectives and streamline their processes to ultimately achieve more tonnage and ship more ore
It is used around the world to plan the movement of more than 11 million tonnes each day and supports more than $91 billion of shipped product each year. The solution is used across 12 different commodities.
So, apart from having a live game-like experience with a multi-user approach, why is XECUTE so popular?
According to Kennon, a key driver of its success is the fact the solution provides operational teams specific, real-time instructions to achieve their objectives.
“XECUTE does this by providing the planning team with a more accurate and faster method of communicating that information,” he said. “The software integrates directly with other enterprise solutions and uses relevant information to provide decision support and context to the mine planner who’s making those decisions.
“And with the rich graphics engine and integration capabilities XECUTE has, we can provide visualisation which is easy for the operations team to understand. They can see where they need to go, understand what they’re doing and understand the interactions between different machines.”
An example is XECUTE’s ability to transfer information from the platform to dispatch and fleet-management systems, enabling information to appear in an operator’s cab.
Plan compliance is critical in the modern mine and XECUTE provides a plan to guide operators on where they’re supposed to be and what they’re supposed to be doing at any point in time. This comes from the integration of key systems.
“Everything from maintenance activities to how much material a train is carrying on its way to port can be instantly updated in XECUTE from the single source of truth,” Kennon said.
“This way the planners are working with the most up-to-date accurate information all the time.
“We can project how much material will be at the stockyard in a week’s time and indicate in real-time whether you are on-track to meet the target.”
XECUTE provides the right information at the right time to enable short-term planners and the operations team to understand how the mine site is performing at any given time.
And the real-time nature of XECUTE means if operator performance is down, short-term decisions can be made to rectify the situation.
RPMGlobal solutions executive Chet Fong said XECUTE was being extended from short-term planning into operational planning.
“There are very few, if any, other companies in that operational planning space,” Fong told Australian Resources & Investment.
“This is now down to half hourly, hourly, daily shift-level planning where other companies traditionally use Excel.
“Because XECUTE can react quickly to changes and offers the visibility of the corresponding impacts, it can also be utilised in operational planning. None of the other short-term planning tools out there can react quickly enough to do this.
“That’s a key differentiator for us when it comes to XECUTE.”
In operational mine planning, companies are trying to anticipate what will happen in the next 24 hours rather than the coming week or beyond. Planners can only make decisions if they have current and accurate information in order to understand what the impact of that potential decision might be.
Kennon said accelerated decision-making enables operational teams to meet their targets and key performance indicators.
“By pursuing a more dynamic approach, operations begin to understand the value of tackling problems as they come up, rather than delaying challenges until they become more difficult to manage,” he said.
“And if you can shorten the cycle between understanding there is divergence and trying to rectify the situation, the more likely you are to get back on track by strategically allowing more time to process potential decision paths.
“This is key to XECUTE. By being able to bring in that real-time information we can support the ability to replan within the shift. Even without an immediate action, the planner is made aware of updates, enabling them to adjust their plans accordingly for the next shift or the shift after.”
mining value chain (XECUTE fits into short-term scheduling).
Fong said more and more organisations are looking to manage the operational planning with digital solutions.
“It makes no sense to put all of the effort into sophisticated short-term planning only to hand off to whiteboards and paper-based systems for the next week,” he said.
“In that context, XECUTE is continuously updating the plan as the reality of the situation changes.
“For example, if you were to lose the main shovel for a shift you can quickly replan upcoming activities knowing the impact that will have on the shift, the day, the week. And then you can instantly communicate the plan with the entire workforce, enabling full visibility.
“Ultimately, we are providing a solution for the people that are making decisions, enabling them to make better decisions more quickly, more accurately, and more often.”
This feature appeared in the October issue of Australian Resources & Investment.
