Operations
underused talent . A study conducted , titled ‘ Implementing Lean Principles in Mining Industry Issues and Challenges ’ states that lean processes can significantly help mining companies eliminate waste and improve processes because of a shared common view with the automotive sector . According to the study :
• Both rely if effective business processes ;
• Both rely on efficiency within the value stream ;
• Both strive to maximize operational efficiency ;
• Both rely on an extensive supply chain ;
• Both sectors have a ruthless focus on safety .
These similarities bring an opportunity to successfully apply lean principles into the mining industry .
The process of formalizing improvement efforts comes down to the employees . Barrick sets annual performance commitments for its entire senior staff down to the general manager and their leadership teams . Measurements include everything from improvement coaches to creating value targets of the company to reach .
By creating a starting point , companies can focus on adding value to the end product and eliminating waste . Seven types of commonly identified waste include : waiting ; over production ; repair ; motion ; processing ; inventory ; and transportation . In order to make mines leaner it ’ s important to map every single process ( no matter how small or seemingly insignificant ) and streamline it .
These steps can be paramount to a mining company ’ s success .
Improving from within To ensure various operations maintain their success and improve operations , Barrick Gold employs over 80 full-time business improvement ( BI ) coaches . Cultivated from management positions , the coaches take their posts for approximately two years . During that time , the coaches are responsible for “ engaging the site leadership teams and the employees and identifying improvement opportunities , putting teams together , and facilitating those improvement projects through to completion .” The coaches then generally return to their previous areas – usually at a higher level of
10 A ugust 2014