Page 26 - EngineerIT November 2022

TRANSFORMATION IN MINING

technology can bring to the sector. By accelerating digital transformation, metals and mining
players can boost throughput, simplify processes, lower costs, improve metal recovery and
yield, and reduce supply chain complexity. There are also additional benefits to be gained.
We have already seen that when our mining clients have implemented user-friendly digital
tools such as the hiDocs document management solution, this accelerates the compliance
management of critical health and safety documents, while removing the risks of non-
compliance in the form of significant financial penalties and potential mine closures.
But it is not a case of blindly pursuing transformation efforts. Instead, a mine needs a
digital roadmap to provide guidance on modernisation efforts. With this in place, it can
identify where the gaps exist in terms of any compliance concerns the mine might have.
Transformation through automation
A key enabler in this regard is automation. Despite concerns that this technology will
replace human operators, the opposite is true. The value of automation lies in how
it augments people’s skills and leverages their experience to inject a new level of
productivity into the workforce.
A practical example is how automated workflows, centralised data bases, automated
notifications and alerts integrated with a user-friendly interface, can streamline the Wilhelm Greeff
creation, maintenance and control of documents essential for compliance. This reduces
time spent searching for documentation while ensuring that the different stakeholders while offline. Other technologies to
are operating with the latest and up to standard compliance documentation. take note of include robotic process
Innovative solutions can facilitate the generation, review and management of automation (RPA) and low code
documentation that includes policies, procedures, agreements, templates and others application development.
relevant to the Mine Health & Safety Act.
The mining competitive
Productivity drivers in mining advantage
While machine learning and artificial intelligence are widely recognised as components The golden thread running through all
of automation, there is more to the technology, for instance augmented reality (AR) and this is that these technologies empower
edge machine learning (EML). a mining company to be competitive
AR is being used to train people working in specific environments such as the military, in the digital world. Without these
or workers in mines needing to fix equipment while underground. Mimicking those technologies in place, businesses will
scenarios using AR has progressed significantly in recent years thanks to the pandemic start losing relevance in rapidly evolving
forcing people to doing more things remotely. markets. As the technology matures and
For its part, EML has emerged from the need to solve the big data problem. Having people become accustomed to it, so too
Internet of Things (IoT) devices being able to process data at the edge and not having will the use cases diversify. Invariably,
to send it to the cloud first, can save time and resources as well as process information this will result in more companies
wanting to adopt these technologies.
However, mines must transform
in ways that are relevant to them.
There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach
when it comes to implementing
digital initiatives. By putting the
basics in place and starting with a
digital transformation plan, decision-
makers will be able to guide strategy
accordingly. The compliance journey
is a key part of this with document
management becoming a critical
stepping stone for digital success. n

To find out more about our
document management solution for
mining visit hiDocs
To find out more about how we’ve
helped mines click here.

EngineerIT | November 2022 | 26