A collaborative project that is transforming underground mining operations has won the 2017 METS Ignited Collaboration Award. Brisbane-based mining equipment, technology and services (METS) company Commit Works are working with mining company Anglo American on a real-time platform for managing frontline work plans.
The Award was presented to Anglo American Executive Head of Underground Operations for Moranbah and Grosvenor Glen Britton and Commit Works CEO Paul Moynagh at a gala industry dinner in Melbourne on 1 November 2017.
METS Ignited CEO Ric Gros said the submission by Anglo American and Commit Works was outstanding.
“Congratulations to our winners Anglo American and Commit Works. I would also like to recognise the work of our two finalists—South32, AMC Consultants and JKTech, and Rio Tinto Iron Ore, AMOG and The University of Newcastle,” Gros said. “We received an exponential number of applications for the METS Ignited Collaboration Award this year. This reflects the growing number of collaborations across the mining ecosystem, helping to improve the competitiveness and productivity of the Australian METS sector. Our panel of judges, which comprised senior mining and METS leaders in Australia and overseas, all remarked on the collaborative nature of the projects and the enormous benefits to the sector.”
Commit Works CEO Paul Moynagh said the award was recognition for years of hard work developing innovative real-time platforms for managing frontline work plans that deliver safer and more productive mining operations for clients. “Our job is to make software tools that ensure people go to work every day with a plan,” Moynagh said.
“Planned work is much safer and far more productive than unplanned work, and that has been reflected in the results that Anglo has seen over the last five years. The team at Anglo’s Moranbah North have just won 2017 Australian Mine of the Year and Coal Mine of the Year having sustained extraordinary results”.
“The sites that use our short-term planning and scheduling system quickly get to the point where they can actually rely on their shift plans to lead their teams and track results in short intervals. Visual Ops makes this even more powerful by making it possible for everyone on site to clearly see any hazards alongside the people, equipment and work that is being done, all in one very visual platform on phones, tablets or big screens all over site.”
Anglo American and Commit Works co-designed and implemented the unique visual management system that provides real-time operations mapping to monitor the progress of work onsite. The system, entitled Visual Ops, provides supervisors and crew with context-rich awareness of the location of hazards, people, equipment and tasks, assisting to improve safety and productivity.
Anglo American Executive Head of Underground Operations for Moranbah and Grosvenor Glen Britton said this initiative has been achieved through an effective partnership between Anglo American and Commit Works. “The story of our collaboration began by identifying a clear gap in work management capabilities that no solution on the market could fill. Together, we’ve pioneered a series of unique innovations – Fewzion and Visual Ops. Both have delivered results beyond expectations,” Britton said.
The Award, in its second year, acknowledges and recognises organisations that contribute to a culture of collaboration within the mining innovation ecosystem and achieve mutual business gains as a result of successful collaboration.