If we wouldn’t have engaged PVA we most likely wouldn’t be talking about it today.
Greg Booth
President & CEO
PVA’s intervention enabled us to deploy a performance management system for all our Managers in Quebec and Ontario. We surpassed the anticipated benefits. Two years later, the system is still being utilized daily.
Christian Roy
Vice President
We hired PVA for 2 reasons - for cost savings and to change people's attitudes. On both fronts they accomplished the targets.
Senior Vice President
We engaged PVA based on positive feedback we received from some of their previous clients. We achieved the promised savings and have seen a significant positive impact to business results.
Paul Flaherty
President & CEO
The big win was increasing the active supervision and re-defining the role of the Supervisor. This contributed to the results which are (currently) tracking to the targets.
Director
Operations
I am pleased to say that we have now successfully implemented a weekly work plan, bi-weekly KPI’s, an opportunity-based Steering Committee, held multiple Supervisor coaching sessions, and significantly reduced overtime.
Our client has interest in 10 operating surface coal mines. The mines produce high-value coal using two (2) core mining techniques: truck/shovel mining, and dragline mining. They also operate coal-processing plants that prepare the coal to meet the exacting requirements of overseas customers. Most of the metallurgic coal produced is sold to steel makers in the Pacific Rim, South America, United States and Europe. Thermal coal is sold to major electricity generators in the Pacific Rim and to industrial customers and electricity generators in Canada.
Training and development of Managers and Supervisors about their Roles and Responsibilities.
Scheduling of equipment and crewing to standards by departments to reduce non-productive time and maximize labor cost effectiveness.
Reducing equipment downtime and rework levels by identifying the major causes of downtime and developing action plans to address.
Developing and installing reasonable standard and time expectations with employees.
Assessment Findings
The daily mining schedule was not reflective of the engineering mine plan.
The Mine Operations management team was using their best judgment in planning and scheduling mining activities.
Poor planning, scheduling and utilization of resources (tools, equipment, materials, and labor).
Parts are not available when needed.
Poor inventory control/compliance in the shops.
Scheduling conflicts between mine and maintenance.
Poor shift start-up and shift transition in mine operations.
The trucks are not properly scheduled or sequenced during the mine operations process.
In the Plant Maintenance Department, no estimates are given to complete work activities nor are expectations communicated.
No tracking of % complete for PM's, nor % of emergency work required.
In the Plant Operations, the Control Room operators determine feed rate versus running to capacity.
Supervisor's tour (management by walking/driving around) with no specific action plans.
The Supervisors lack the necessary management tools that would allow them to follow-up on meaningful expectations and objectives for work attainment.
There are no formal training plans in place by department to improve employee skills.
Standards or estimates are not used to determine proper crewing levels.
There was no system in place to identify major reasons for downtime and assist management in developing action plans to eliminate variances in both Plant and Mine operations.
PVA's Response
Developed and installed enhanced mine planning processes.
Provided training and individual performance coaching for all levels of management focused on:
Proactive supervision of the employees (miners and mechanics).
Improving inter and intra-departmental communications.
Identification and resolution of variances through action plans.
Employee involvement and engagement in the success of the project.
Coaching on how to handle difficult situations.
Enhanced blast procedures for better rock fragmentation.
Developed performance standards to provide specific production targets to the mine, maintenance, and plant personnel.
Improved shift transitions and communications.
Implemented supervisory compliance and quality score programs.
Installed labor and equipment resource allocation models (master schedules) to balance the resource capacity to workload requirements.
Developed and implemented a Preventive Maintenance program focused on equipment availability and utilization.
Improvement in Supervisory Activities
Mining Open Pit Supervisory Activities
PRE-PROJECT
3%0%44%6%47%
POST-PROJECT
45%5%30%0%20%
Active Supervision
Training
Administration
Manual Work
Available
The Results
Hover over graphs for more information
Some significant results obtained from our consulting services by our Client included:
Improved communication and attainment of health and safety requirements.
Increased production throughput levels averaging more than 28%.
Improved Managers proactive management levels and communication between departments.
Improved the levels of proactive supervision by the Supervisors/Shifters.
Improved equipment availability for mining and milling operations.
Mine and Plant Savings
Hover for more information
Long Term Work Continuation
A client Coordinator was trained and certified during the PVA engagement.
A quarterly audit program of the new Management Operating System was developed for the Coordinator.
PVA conducted audits over 18 months to ensure compliance to the continued utilization of the Management Operating Systems. These audits resulted in recommendations and action plans for recovering additional opportunities for improving the client’s operation.
$1.16
+ BILLION SAVED
AVERAGE ROI
YEARS
+ ENGAGEMENTS
228
+ CLIENTS
CONTACT US
Our clients are well established mining organizations with world wide operations (both underground and open-pit). In their Canadian operations, PVA assisted them in improving their development and production cycle time, while addressing issues such as: historical cultures, poor communication and engagement of the workforce, mismanaged work practices, skilled worker availabilities, and poor inter-departmental communication and coordination.
Mining Consultants Management Case Study: Underground Mining
Developing a new mine two kilometers away from another production mine also owned by this company. Their objective was to start production mining in early 2013.
To develop and implement a uniform Management Operating Systems with common metrics and key performance indicators (KPI’s) while improving the levels of active management at all organizational levels. This would result in increased ownership and accountability driving the attainment of the operational improvements and a culture of continuous improvement.
Developing a world class mining operation and culture.
Capturing all recoverable opportunity (process, systems, and behaviors) and instilling efficient and effective mining practices.
Developing proactive supervisory models adapted to the different operational areas.
Providing individual performance coaching for the surface and underground Supervisors/Shifters, Captains, Superintendents and senior management team.
Improving planning, scheduling, follow-up and reporting to ensure effective management of variances across all mining activities (engineering, geology, planning, development, production, maintenance and the mill).
Developing and implementing key operating metrics in all areas.
Ensuring participation in throughput improvement efforts by all levels of the organization through accountability and ownership.
Assessment Findings
Lack of effective use of trucks and scoops: units overloaded with muck falling on the ground causing damage to equipment.
Long periods of waiting for equipment at the maintenance shops resulting in less capacity to haul muck with scoops and trucks.
Inefficient work assignment practices by the Supervisors/Shifters to ensure that all employees have clear expectations about their roles, responsibilities and requirements during the shift.
Supervisors/Shifters not using the appropriate time standards and expectations to establish and coordinate activities between mining crews to achieve increased levels of operational effectiveness.
Supervisors/Shifters not following-up on a set work plan as the shift progresses to ensure that their objectives are being met.
Lack of effective shift transitions by the Supervisors/Shifters results in employees being nonproductive at the start of their shifts (i.e. looking for their equipment: jumbo drills, scoops, and trucks at the start of the shift), headings not being properly mucked out and maintenance not having equipment ready for operations.
When they visit their crews during the shift, Supervisors/Shifters were not documenting problems on the Safety Cards, or initiating and following-up on action plans.
Maintenance areas and preventive maintenance work orders were not effectively planned or managed causing equipment to be unavailable when it was needed in the mining operations, and for emergency work to be excessive.
PVA's Response
PVA responded by offering group training and individual one-on-one coaching for all levels of management in the departments of Development mining, Maintenance (mechanical and electrical), Engineering, Geology, Supply Chain (Warehouse), and mining contractors. The training and coaching that was provided to the managerial group focused on different key components, including:
Developing performance standards to provide specific production targets to the mine, maintenance, and mill personnel.
Training and individual performance coaching for all levels of management in the departments of Development/Production, Maintenance (mechanical and electrical), Engineering, Geology, Supply Chain (Warehouse), Mill, and mining contractors.
Training and performance coaching provided to the managerial group focused on:
Proactive supervision of the employees (miners and mechanics).
Improving inter and intra-departmental communications.
Identification and resolution of variances through action plans.
Employee involvement and engagement in the success of the project.
Coaching on how to handle difficult situations.
Enhancing the roles and responsibilities for personnel in all areas of the mining operations.
Implementing new Management Operating Systems (MOS) to increase ownership and accountability at all management levels.
Increasing equipment availability through pre-op inspection programs ensuring that the mining equipment was properly maintained on a shift basis.
Enhancing weekly reporting from anecdotal to tangible volumes, variances, action plans, and results.
Improving supply chain processes from ordering material to the delivery underground.
Increasing the capacity of the skipping hoists by improving material coordination, handling, and hoist schedules (equipment, materials, and labor).
Better planning and coordination of maintenance activities with the involvement of the mining and mill departments during review meetings.
The Results
Hover over graphs for more information
Some significant results obtained from consulting services by our Client included:
Improved communication and attainment of health/safety requirements.
More than 35% improvement in horizontal development meters per active crew shift.
Increased production throughput levels averaging more than 30%.
Improved managers proactivity and communication between departments through more effective meetings.
Early identification of variances and implementation of action plans that created a climate of continuous improvement.
Clear improvements in the company’s culture and in the employee’s engagement in the success of the company (a notable decrease of more than 50% was observed in the number of grievances per employee).
Attainment of Preventative Maintenance objectives has risen from 25% to 80%, while maintenance time spent on emergencies dropped from 64% to 35%.
Increased motivation of the mine, maintenance, and mill employees through completing pre-op checks and best operating practices.
Clear improvement in the company’s culture and in the employee’s engagement in the success of the company.
Improved levels of proactive management by the Supervisors and Shifters.
Improved equipment availability for mining and milling operations.
Performance Evaluation
Mining Overall Meters Per Week
Improvement in Supervisory Activities
Mining Underground Supervisory Activities
PRE-PROJECT
4%1%45%11%39%
POST-PROJECT
40%10%20%10%20%
Active Supervision
Training
Administration
Travel Time
Available
Improvement in Horizontal Meters
Horizontal Meters Improvement
Improvement in Tonnes of Ore Hoisted
Tonnes of Ore Hoisted / Man-Shift
Long Term Work Continuation
The partnership between PVA and the client continues in other areas of their Mine operations in Quebec, including:
Improving hoisting operations and skipping capacity.
Continuing to enhance current improvements on horizontal development meters.
Ensuring the coordination between the two hoists.
Providing ongoing support and training to the new continuous improvement Coordinator.
Developing and installing a new Management Operating System for construction management.
Providing training to new Shifters, Supervisors, and Managers.
A Client Coordinator was trained and certified during the PVA engagement.
A quarterly audit program of the new Management Operating System was developed for the Coordinator.
PVA conducted audits over 18 months to ensure compliance to the continued utilization of the Management Operating Systems.
These Audits resulted in recommendations and action plans to further identify additional opportunities for improving operations.
