Ndzhaka Khosa

I’m sharing some of the knowledge I’ve recently gained from my studies at Wits Business School in the Strategy module. Mining is one of the most complex industries, where technical precision must align with strong leadership to achieve sustainable outcomes. The framework of Strategic Leadership, built on four pillars; Strategy, Culture, Operations, and People, offers a powerful way to think about leadership in mining (Timothy Tiryaki’s 4 Focus Areas of Strategic Leadership). For mine planning engineers, these pillars provide a guide for turning designs into practical results. Strategy: Shaping the Mine’s Future For mine planning engineers, strategy means more than hitting monthly tonnage. It’s about aligning short-term schedules with the mine’s long-term vision. For example, sequencing blocks today must not only feed the plant consistently but also create space for future drilling and development. Culture: The Glue That Holds It Together As my lecture Mzoxolo Gulwa like to say: “Culture will eat strategy for breakfast.” In mining, culture defines how teams respond when conditions change. A planning engineer who fosters collaboration between geologists, drill & blast teams, geotechnical engineers and operators ensures challenges are tackled collectively, maintaining both safety and production momentum. Operations: Turning Plans into Action A great plan means nothing without disciplined execution. Operations leadership for a planner is about ensuring schedule compliance, monitoring equipment utilization, and optimizing designs for efficiency. For example, when longer haul distances slow down trucks, redesigning routes or adjusting cut layouts or even running Load and Haul Simulations that ensure effective truck allocation and route selection can immediately restore productivity and reduce costs. People: Building the Workforce of Tomorrow Mining is powered by people, not machines. Strategic leaders invest in developing their teams. A planner who mentors juniors in software like Deswik, Datamine or Alastri builds capability that strengthens not just today’s schedule, but the mine’s long-term resilience and talent pipeline. The North Star in Mining The intersection of these four pillars is the North Star, the balance between thinking and feeling, macro and micro perspectives. A mine planning engineer who applies this balance doesn’t just deliver schedules; they create value, foster innovation, and ensure the mine thrives sustainably.

=> Introduction In open-pit mining, effective short-term planning is crucial for maintaining operational efficiency, meeting production targets, and ensuring a steady ore supply to the processing plant. Unlike long-term mine planning, which focuses on strategic resource extraction over years or decades, short-term planning deals with the immediate execution of mining activities, typically within a 0-3 months’ timeframe. This process requires careful coordination between different departments – Mine Planning Engineers (Short-term), Geology, Geotechnical Engineers, Drilling & Blasting (Operations and Technical), Bench Preparation, Load & Haul, Engineering and others such as hydrologists etc. The role of these stakeholders is to ensure that daily and weekly targets align with broader operational goals. A well-structured short-term plan not only optimises equipment utilisation but also improves cost efficiency and minimizes operational disruptions. => Key Components of Short-Term Planning 1. Production Scheduling A well-defined production schedule is the backbone of short-term planning. It ensures that sufficient ore is available to meet milling requirements while balancing stripping ratios and waste handling. The schedule should be realistic, considering equipment availability & utilisation, labor, and weather conditions. 2. Drilling & Blasting Coordination Drilling and blasting are critical to maintaining a smooth mining sequence. Poor planning can lead to bottlenecks, such as a lack of available drilling space for rigs, which can delay subsequent operations like loading and hauling. Effective short-term planning ensures: • Proper fragmentation to optimise downstream loading and hauling efficiency. • Strategic blast timing to minimise operational downtime. • Safe and efficient utilisation of drill rigs. 3. Loading & Hauling Optimisation The efficiency of loading and hauling operations directly impacts productivity. Inadequate planning can result in excessive idle time, congestion, or inefficient material movement. Short-term planners must: • Optimise fleet allocation to minimise truck queuing. • Ensure smooth haul road conditions to maintain cycle times. • Balance ore and waste movement to keep stockpiles at optimal levels. 4. Stockpile Management Stockpiles play a vital role in ensuring consistent ore feed to the mill. Short-term planners (Engineers and Geologists) must manage stockpile blending to maintain ore quality, prevent fluctuations in plant performance, and ensure a steady supply of material that meets metallurgical requirements. => Challenges in Short-Term Planning Despite its importance, short-term planning comes with several challenges: 1. Geotechnical factors – The occurrence of geotechnical factors such as slope stability issues and pit wall failures, rock mass variability and uncertainty and ground water can impact short-term mining schedules. 2. Geological Variability – Unexpected changes in orebody characteristics can affect blending and processing. A good example would be an occurrence of oxidized material within the fresh ore material. 3. Equipment Availability – Mechanical failures and maintenance schedules can disrupt the execution of the plan. 4. External Disruptions – Weather conditions, regulatory changes, and workforce availability can all impact short-term mining schedules. 5. People factor (Not following the plan due to issues such as communication breakdown, not understanding the plan, lack of motivation etc. => Strategies for Effective Short-Term Planning To overcome these challenges, mining companies can adopt the following strategies: · Utilising Mining Technology: Software solutions like Micromine Alastri, Studio OP & EPS and Deswik integrate geological, scheduling, and operational data to improve decision-making. By using real-time data, planners can adjust schedules dynamically to reflect actual conditions. · Flexible Scheduling: Building contingency plans allows operations to adapt quickly to unforeseen circumstances without significantly impacting production targets. · Collaboration Between Departments: Regular communication between geologists, mine planners, geotechnical engineers and operations teams ensures alignment and proactive problem-solving. · Continuous Monitoring & Adjustments: Frequent plan reviews allow planners to refine schedules, optimise resource allocation, and respond to challenges as they arise. · Effective change management process: A well-structured change management process in mine planning ensures that operational adjustments are strategic, efficient and minimally disruptive. => Case Study: Investigating Production Targets with Reduced Equipment Using Short-Term Planning and Deswik An open-pit mining operation recently investigated how to maintain production targets while reducing equipment usage to manage operational costs more effectively. The mine faced increasing fuel and maintenance expenses, prompting a review of its short-term planning strategies. By leveraging Deswik.Sched, planners analysed different sequencing scenarios to determine if production targets could be met with fewer loading units, optimising fleet efficiency without disrupting ore supply to the mill. Through detailed scheduling and block reconfiguration, the investigation focused on improving drilling, blasting, and loading sequences to minimise delays and idle time. Deswik’s advanced scheduling tools allowed planners to simulate scenarios where fewer excavators were deployed, ensuring that material availability remained consistent. By prioritizing strategic extraction and reducing unnecessary rehandling, the mine found that it could optimise truck cycles and loading efficiency, leading to lower fuel consumption and maintenance costs. The results of the investigation confirmed that a reduction in active equipment did not impact production targets when an optimised short-term plan was implemented. Instead, the mine achieved greater cost efficiency, reducing operating expenses while maintaining steady ore output. This study demonstrated that data-driven short-term planning with Deswik can help mines streamline operations, optimise fleet utilisation, and enhance overall profitability, making it a valuable approach for cost-conscious mining operations. => Conclusion Short-term planning in open-pit mining is a dynamic and complex process that requires a balance between strategic execution and operational flexibility. By focusing on key planning components, addressing common challenges, and leveraging technology, mining operations can optimise productivity and achieve their production goals.