Operational Readiness
The handover from construction to commissioning is an important transition in the project lifecycle. By this stage, a large quantity of knowledge has been developed about the orebody, the assets and the supply chain as a system. A key objective of any Operational Readiness program is to effectively capture this body of knowledge and translate and deploy it to the operations team. This generally involves a focus on the people, processes and systems that collectively define the operational capability.
The use of simulation modelling and associated scenario planning is a rich method for developing and testing contingency plans when a process interuption occurs. This allows the operations team to safely test alternative responses to determine the optimal way to return to production. In this way, commissioning is fast-tracked and the operation can reach nameplate capacity sooner than it would have otherwise. This approach also provides a safe virtual environment for operations to train and learn and reduces the chances of loss during the demanding commissioning phase.
Optika works with our clients during the design and construction phase to architect and define the systems and processes required for the end operational state. By defining the business processes to be performed, operations are attended to in a consistent, safe and repeatable manner. Likewise, by building operational management systems to support specific business processes, it is possible to dramatically reduce operator error and build a intelligence platform that underpins the analytics required by operational excellence programs. Collectively, by working with the end state in mind, our clients enjoy safer, shorter ramp-up periods and associated earlier revenues.