The Deloitte's Sixth Annual Global Mining Report 2014 has sounded a call to mines to implement radical new innovations to curb rising operation costs and sustainably increase production by integrating modern technology. This is no different at Mopani Copper Mines (MCM). With its head offices in Kitwe Copperbelt, it is the largest integrated copper- and cobalt-producing mine in Zambia and one of the largest mines in the world.
As early as 2010, MCM conducted a review of its business systems on how to best embrace modern ICT. The mine acknowledged that communication technologies have a fundamental role to play in delivering good results within its finance, supply and production business processes. As a result, MCM implemented the SYSPRO ERP system in June 2011 to streamline each of these processes.
To keep a close eye on expenditure, the next step was to ensure meticulous control of stocks and materials moving through the mine's warehouses. A solution that includes end-to-end consulting, implementation, training and user support services was needed.
"AfriSoft Africa was tasked to deploy our warehouse management software, TransLution, to assist store managers to accurately control and report back on all stores' processes in real-time, at all times," says AfriSoft Africa Director Russell Kleyn.
Connecting a spider's web of warehouses
Lionel Chetty, who implemented the system, says it is especially challenging at MCM with its spider's web of warehouses spread out over a vast area spanning a 100km radius. "It is incredibly tough to keep track of the stock and consumables the mine needs to cost-effectively run in an area this remote. This becomes a real headache for operational managers, who are required to do a daily cycle count of all stock in order to stay within strict compliance guidelines," he says.
Kleyn explains the mine needed a bar coding solution to keep track of every item entering and leaving warehouses. But this meant bridging the vast geographical gap between remote sites in a challenging communications environment. The mine firstly required a solution that would be easy to use by employees themselves to reduce the time it takes to make important business decisions, and secondly, needed to dovetail the current SYSPRO ERP workflow system.
"Implementation commenced by first mapping out each and every mining warehouse and store, then connecting the dots to configure the software so that it seamlessly and securely integrates with existing processes and software," says Kleyn.
The solution further benefits operations in the mine's remote location as data can be captured with 'offline' mobile devices, then updated to the database whenever the scanner is brought back onto the network.
Simplicity is king
"Training of employees to manage the solution following the handover was a fairly easy exercise. An existing mining employee was promoted to oversee the quality control function. What makes the rolling-out of the solution unique is that the system is equally simple to implement and is designed to dovetail already existing stock controlling systems. Implementation was rapidly concluded - six months to fully deploy from implementation to handover to the MCM," says Chetty.
"The simplicity of the project above ground means that bar coding and validation can just as easily be replicated in the underground stores in due course," says Kleyn.
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