Open Pit Mining
Capital-intensive extraction and processing programs where safety, regulation, and supply chain complexity define execution.
This interactive experience is the shipped product itself — the same application code customers run in production, mounted read-only in your browser over a real sample journey. Not a video, not a mockup: because the demo and the product are one codebase, it can never drift from the real thing.
Inside this journey
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Outcome Discovery
Align on production targets, safety expectations, geology and commodity constraints, stakeholders, and measurable success signals.
Discovery Questions
Start with the outcomes you must hit
- Tell me which commodity this engagement covers and the current steady‑state monthly production target you are being asked to meet
- How long is the contract window you are planning for, and do you view this as a short campaign or a life‑of‑mine scope?
- Describe the production cadence you need day to day, for example tonnes per shift, cycles per hour, or bench‑level targets
- Who on your leadership team ultimately signs off on production guarantees and contract milestones, and who runs day to day production oversight?
- If production falls short of the monthly target by more than 10%, who needs to be notified and what immediate action would you expect from the contractor?
Where the current plan already frustrates you
- When production misses happen today, what downstream cost or operational failure hurts you the most?
- Tell me about the last time a contractor or internal fleet failed to hit availability guarantees, what went wrong and how you recovered
- How often have safety incidents forced production pauses in the past 12 months, and what was the typical production impact per event?
- Which single operational failure would make you stop onboarding a contractor immediately?
- How does an availability shortfall translate into dollar impact for your site per month, and who carries that cost in your current model
Assumptions that often go unchecked
- Which common operational assumption do you see contractors make that later proves incorrect on site?
- How many days of spare parts and consumables does your site target to hold on site during mobilization?
- Describe the most likely geological surprise for this deposit and the operational consequence if it is encountered during ramp up
- Which integration point between your team and a contractor typically causes the most delays, for example grade control handover, fuel supply, or reporting cadence?
- If a single constraint required you to delay mobilization, which one would it be and why
The other options you are actively considering
- Which alternatives to an external contract miner are you evaluating right now
- What would have to be true about your current approach for you to cancel the sourcing process and keep it as is?
- Has anyone internally proposed solving the need without an external partner, and if so, who is driving that plan?
- Which vendor capability would make you rule a competitor out immediately, for example missing safety credentials or no heavy equipment spares plan?
- If your incumbent offered a short pilot that met your key KPI within 30 days, would that shorten your decision timeline?
Readiness facts that typically stop mobilization
- Which single readiness gap would prevent you from accepting mobilization inside your target window
- What is the current status of site access and permits required for contractor mobilization
- Who owns fuel and bulk consumables logistics today, and are commercial fuel contracts in place for the mobilization period
- Do you have a named site operations owner and a single point of contact who can approve mobilization milestones?
- Are there any local regulatory or community approvals that could legally block the start date
- How many dedicated owner staff will be available to support contractor integration during the first 90 days
How safety and culture will be judged from day one
- What safety performance threshold must the contractor meet before you will allow autonomous operations on site
- Describe the joint governance you expect between your safety team and contractor safety leads during ramp up
- Which safety outcome would force you to pause work with a contractor immediately
- How important is contractor workforce retention and operator skill level to your decision, and what minimum retention rate would you find acceptable
- Do you require evidence of local workforce development or specific training certifications before mobilization
Commercial levers that speed or stall a deal
- If a pilot proved contracted availability and cost per tonne within your targets, what internal roadblock would still keep you from signing immediately
- What maximum cost per tonne delta from your owner‑operated benchmark would you accept to go with a contractor
- Which commercial term would kill the deal for you, such as open ended liability, no availability guarantees, or unacceptable penalty structure
- Who owns budget approval for this scope and what is the fastest realistic signoff window from budget holder approval to contract execution
- Would you consider guarantees tied to production or mechanical availability as part of the contract, and if yes which model do you prefer
Technical integrations and data readiness
- Which owner systems must the contractor integrate with for operations and reporting, for example fleet telematics, grade control, or ERP
- Are APIs or data export feeds available for those systems and who on your team can authorize them
- Describe the quality of the operational data you will share for performance reporting, for example do you have validated tonnage reconciliation and shift‑by‑shift logs
- Do you have a dedicated IT or analytics resource to support contractor onboarding and dashboards during the first 90 days
- Which data gap would prevent accurate KPI measurement and therefore delay acceptance testing
How your acceptance criteria will be defined
- What measurable signals will you require to accept operational handover, for example availability percentage, ramp rate, or safety metrics
- How soon after mobilization must the contractor hit initial acceptance milestones in your plan
- Which single acceptance metric would you use as the go/no go for final billing
- Who signs the final acceptance and what legal or operational approvals are required before final payment
- If the contractor meets KPIs but you still have unresolved integration issues, would you delay final acceptance
Decision makers, timeline, and deal accelerants
- If a pilot proves the numbers tomorrow, what internal approvals would still block signing and who holds those approvals
- Which stakeholders must be engaged before you can execute, for example finance, legal, community relations, or maintenance
- What is your ideal contract start date and how firm is that window
- Which single piece of evidence would move you from interest to a signed agreement this quarter, for example a reference visit that validates availability, a trial campaign, or an independently audited KPI report
- Are there any board or investor timing constraints that could change your decision window unexpectedly
Evidence and next steps to reduce your risk
- Which due diligence items would you prioritize in the next 30 days to de‑risk a selection
- What operational dashboard or report would you need to see weekly during ramp up to feel comfortable
- Who should own the first joint mobilization checkpoint and what date would you set for it
- How soon would you be willing to start a short pilot or prove‑out phase under contract if readiness requirements are met
- Which final question, if answered now, would most accelerate your internal decision making
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Operational Experience
Translate the buyer's operational context into realistic scenarios showing how contract mining services deliver production, safety, and cost-per-tonne outcomes.
Solution Experience
- Operational Experience Session
- Confirm the current state and what it is costing you
- You confirm the demonstrated scenarios show whether a contracted fleet can meet your monthly production and availability targets.
- Seller to deliver a scenario workbook with fleet assumptions, availability schedules, safety KPI assumptions, and sensitivity analysis within five business days.
- Align on operational inputs and constraints
- You accept the presented LTIFR/TRIFR assumptions and safety risk trade-offs as the basis for guarantees or mitigations.
- Buyer to provide the month-1 to month-12 target tonnage, latest pit schedule, and ore/waste blending rules for final scenario refinement.
- Run the base scenario: contracted fleet delivering against your month-1 to month-12 plan
- Seller to include reference case studies showing historic truck-shovel productivity and TRIFR performance in similar geology as part of the deliverable.
- You agree on the specific evidence and sensitivity analyses required to proceed to Contract Scope and mobilization planning.
- Buyer to confirm which stakeholders must sign off on the scenario outputs before Contract Scope can begin.
- Show sensitivity scenarios for availability, fuel/consumable cost, and crew turnover
- Validate the scenario outputs with the team
- Agree on remaining evidence to commit
- Operational Experience Session
- Operational Experience Deck
- Operational Experience Brief
- meeting
- slides
- document
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Contract Scope
Define mobilization scope, fleet composition and condition, service modules, KPI targets (LTIFR/TRIFR, availability), responsibilities, and measurable deliverables.
Scope Configuration
- Mobilize ultra-class haul truck fleet
- Operate hydraulic excavators for overburden removal
- Execute rotary blasthole drilling campaigns
- Perform drill-and-blast execution and charging
- Provide fleet management and real-time dispatch
- Deliver grade control sampling and site mapping
- Provide on-site production management and shift supervision
- Supply trained operators and crew rotation
- Provide fleet maintenance and on-site repairs
- Supply fuel, tires, and consumables
- Operate ROM handling and crusher-feed interface
- Manage camp, site logistics, and remote services
- Offer equipment lease and financing options
Scope Questions
Mobilize ultra-class haul truck fleet
- How many ultra-class haul trucks (300–400 tonne class) do you require on peak production days?
- What is your targeted mechanical availability percentage for haul trucks (measured as available operating hours divided by scheduled hours)?
- Specify the hour-meter baseline or OEM service hour threshold we should use to assess the condition of candidate trucks (e.g., less than 30,000 hours, 30k-60k hours)
- Which acceptance documents will you require with each delivered truck (select all that apply)?
- Where will the trucks be staged for initial mobilization (name the nearest port, contractor yard, or site staging area and provide coordinates or yard address)?
- Do you have spare-parts or tire staging at site already for ultra-class trucks, or should the scope include spares for first 90 days?
Operate hydraulic excavators for overburden removal
- What excavator bucket class and number of units do you expect for overburden benches (e.g., 40–70 tonne class, 2 units)?
- What bench heights and overburden thicknesses must excavators work to on day one of mobilization (provide typical bench height in meters and max overburden thickness)?
- Specify the expected swing-angle and bucket fill-factor constraints you require for productivity modeling (e.g., 0.85 fill factor on 10 m benches).
- List any geotechnical constraints that affect excavator placement or bench access (e.g., slope batter, inter-ramp slope, water table depth, soft clay seams) and attach the geotech report reference.
- Which acceptance evidence will confirm excavator readiness at handover (choose up to two)?
- Do you require excavator operator certification levels or site-specific induction credentials to be met before operations begin?
Execute rotary blasthole drilling campaigns
- How many drill rigs and what nominal hole diameter and depth ranges are required for the campaign (provide holes per bench and average depth in meters)?
- What bit inventory and bit consumption rate do you expect (bits per 100 m drilled) for the primary geology described in the mine plan?
- Specify collar and deviation tolerances for drill pattern acceptance (e.g., collar position ±0.1 m, deviation < 1% of depth).
- Which rig telemetry or survey integration must the campaign deliver (pick all that apply)?
- When do you expect the drilling campaign to start relative to mobilization (choose an option or provide target date)?
- Are there site permits or blasting exclusion zones that will limit drilling hours or require daytime-only operations?
Perform drill-and-blast execution and charging
- What explosive types and bulk emulsion handling facilities must be included in the scope (e.g., bulk emulsion magazines, packaging units, ANFO handling)?
- How many blast patterns per week should the plan assume at target production (provide average holes per pattern and patterns/week)?
- Specify the maximum allowed vibration and airblast limits by receiver point you must meet (attach applicable site vibration standard or regulatory limit).
- Which safety and handling documents must be delivered with each blast (select all that apply)?
- What charging and stemming acceptance criteria will confirm a blast is ready to fire (for example, magazine reconciliation, stemming depths verified, exclusion zone clearance)?
- Do you require pre-blast community notification or regulator liaison as part of the scope?
Provide fleet management and real-time dispatch
- What real-time KPI dashboard metrics must be visible from day one (choose up to three)?
- Which telematics data streams must integrate with your mine operations center (MOC) — e.g., GPS, CAN-bus, fuel flow, hour meters?
- Specify the target dispatch loop time for real-time assignments (for example, <30 seconds for cycle changes).
- How will you validate that the fleet management system is configured correctly for your pit geometry (choose one)?
- Which integration endpoints must be supported for dispatch data export (select all that apply)?
- What service hours do you require for 24/7 dispatch support or analytics (select one)?
Deliver grade control sampling and site mapping
- What grade control sampling density and method do you require (e.g., channel samples every 5 m, blast-hole sampling at 1 in 5 holes)?
- What file formats and deliverables must mapping provide to your geology team (for example: survey CSV, XYZ, block model deltas, shapefiles)?
- Specify the turnaround time required for sample assay results to inform grade control decisions (e.g., 48 hours, 72 hours).
- Which survey control standard should be used for mapping and dump locational accuracy (for example, site control network with RTK GPS accuracy ±0.02 m)?
- How will you assess that grade control outputs meet your acceptance threshold (select evidence type)?
- Do you require mapping integration with your existing block model or mill reconciliation system?
Provide on-site production management and shift supervision
- How many full-time supervisors and production managers should be included per shift for the expected fleet size?
- What shift patterns and hours do you operate (e.g., 2×12h day/night, 3×8h) and should be assumed for roster planning?
- Which production reporting cadence do you require (choose one)?
- Identify the KPIs to be included in supervisor reports (pick up to three).
- Who will approve production variances and change requests on site (name the role or position required to sign off)?
- Are there governance gates where we must pause ramp activities pending your approval (for example, safety induction completion, mechanical availability threshold)?
Supply trained operators and crew rotation
- What minimum operator certification levels and endorsements do you require for haul truck and excavator operators (for example, high-capacity haul truck license, heavy equipment ticket)?
- How many back-up operators must be provided per primary operator to cover leave and rotation for the planned roster?
- What crew rotation and local-hire ratio do you prefer (for example, 70% local hire, 30% fly-in fly-out)?
- Which training artifacts must be provided during mobilization (pick all that apply)?
- When do you expect operators to complete site-specific induction relative to crew arrival (for example, before arrival, within first 48 hours)?
- Do you require operator performance guarantees or retention KPIs as part of the crew supply module?
Provide fleet maintenance and on-site repairs
- What preventative maintenance interval do you require to be enforced for haul trucks and excavators (hours-based or calendar-based)?
- Which fixed maintenance capability must be available on site (select all that apply)?
- Specify the spare-parts stocking level you require on site for critical components (e.g., number of engines, transmissions, final drives, tires).
- What mean time to repair (MTTR) targets do you expect for critical fleet failures (for example, MTTR < 48 hours)?
- Which maintenance record formats do you require for handover (for example: digital maintenance management system exports, stamped paper logbooks)?
- Are OEM warranty transfers or OEM-authorized service arrangements required in the maintenance scope?
Supply fuel, tires, and consumables
- Which fuel specification and supply cadence must be met (diesel grade, bulk storage capacity in liters, weekly delivery frequency)?
- How many tire sets and what tire condition baseline do you require on arrival (new, 50% life, remould)?
- What consumables should be included for the first 90 days (filters, hydraulic oil, pins and bushings) — provide a preferred parts list or accept our standard kit?
- Where should fuel and consumables be staged on site (name storage locations or tanks with capacities)?
- Do you require fuel quality testing and documentation on each delivery (for example, water content and cetane number report)?
- Will you accept third-party logistics (3PL) fuel delivery partners or must deliveries route through site-controlled fuel depot?
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Mutual Commit
Finalize commercial and contractual terms, guarantees, payment milestones, governance, and integration responsibilities between the buyer and the seller.
Agreement Modules
- Master Services Agreement (MSA)
- Statement of Work (SOW)
- Performance Guarantee & Availability Schedule
- Payment Milestone Agreement
- Mobilization Milestone Schedule
- Governance & Escalation Plan
- Integration & Site Access Agreement
- Equipment Condition & Acceptance Protocol
- Insurance, Indemnity & Liability Schedule
- Safety & Environmental Compliance Addendum
- Data & Systems Integration Agreement
- Performance Security & Bonds
- Change Order Agreement
- Termination, Handover & Acceptance Terms
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Deployment
Lock readiness facts, configuration details, execution sequencing, and formal acceptance before operations begin.
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Pre-Deployment Readiness
Capture concrete readiness facts the mobilization depends on — site access, permits, fuel and spare supply, local logistics, and named owners.
Pre-Deployment Questions
Environment and site access
- List each site/location this mobilization covers (use the buyer's site name; one site per line).
- Are site access approvals and gate passes issued for the seller's mobilization teams at each listed site? (so we can schedule crew arrival)
- If access is Partial or No, list outstanding access items per site and the expected completion date and owner role.
Permits, compliance, and approvals
- Are all statutory permits and environmental approvals required for mobilization and initial operations in place?
- If Partial/No, list each outstanding permit, the issuing authority, and the named buyer owner responsible (role).
Logistics, supplies, and local services
- Is fuel supply contracted and available for the anticipated fleet at each site for the first 90 days?
- Are spare parts and critical consumables inventories confirmed for mobilization (major items to cover first 90 days)?
- If Partial/No, list the critical spare parts or consumables missing and the named owner responsible for procurement (role).
People, ownership, and timing constraints
- Provide the named owner (full name and role) for each area: site access, permits, fuel supply, spare parts, local logistics, and mobilization schedule — one line per owner.
- Target mobilization start date (YYYY-MM-DD) — the date the seller's crews and equipment must be on site.
- Are there known blackout windows, seasonal constraints, or local holidays that will block mobilization within the next 90 days?
- If Yes, list blackout windows with dates and the constraint owner (role).
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Mobilization Configuration
Lock exact deployment parameters the execution team will use — fleet lists, equipment baselines, spare parts inventory, crew rosters, communication endpoints, and schedule.
Configuration Details
Deployment Snapshot
- Deployment instance name (single short name the execution systems will use; e.g., 'Site-Alpha-Mobilization')
- Operational site code (enter the site's 3–8 character code used in the buyer's systems)
- Committed mobilization start date (format: YYYY-MM-DD — default is 2026-09-01)
Fleet & Equipment Baseline
- Number of haul trucks to deploy (integer)
- Primary excavator model or class (single value — e.g., 'Hydraulic 360t class')
- Minimum mechanical availability guarantee (%) — Default 92 (enter numeric percent, e.g., 92 or 92.5)
Spare Parts & Crew
- Critical spare parts coverage (days) Default 30 (numeric)
- Primary crew roster file location (single URL or file path the execution schedule will read; format: s3://, https://, or /path/to/file)
Communications, Telemetry & Schedule
- Fleet telemetry endpoint type (select one)
- Target ramp-to-rate days after mobilization start (numeric — Default 30)
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Field Mobilization & Execution
Plan and execute mobilization, ramp-up, and production with sequenced tasks, owners, milestones, and operational checkpoints to meet guaranteed availability and production targets.
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Operational Acceptance
Formal go/no-go acceptance: verify safety sign-offs, mechanical availability against guarantees, ramp-rate targets, and handover approvals before final acceptance and billing.
Checklist items
- Obtain written HSE acceptance sign-off from buyer HSE lead
- Confirm LOTO and energization release records for mobilized equipment
- Receive Permission to Operate (PTO) or equivalent from buyer operations
- Mechanical availability verification report provided and reviewed
- Ramp-rate acceptance test completed and accepted
- All safety incidents and corrective actions from mobilization closed and verified
- Operator competency roster and certifications verified
- Critical spares, consumables and fuel inventory confirmed to mobilization baseline
- Communications and emergency endpoints test completed and logged
- Issue final operational handover and acceptance certificate to enable billing
- Commercial billing trigger checklist completed and confirmed
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Success
Monitor outcomes against KPIs, run recurring performance reviews, and maintain a shared channel for issues, safety incidents, and enhancement requests.
Success Reviews
- Go-live Health Check (weeks 1-4)
- First Measurement Review (weeks 4-10)
- Monthly Operational Review (ongoing, monthly)
- Quarterly Performance Review
- Annual Outcomes Review
Issues & Enhancements
- Publish the quarterly variance report with the remediation roadmap and milestone owners within three business days.
- Present first measurement data
- Decision on whether metric trends are acceptable or if a remediation plan is required to meet Contract Scope targets.
- Incumbent wind-down status is documented, with outstanding steps and owners recorded.
- Publish the metric dashboard snapshot and root-cause analysis for off-target KPIs before the Monthly Operational Review.
- Document incumbent decommissioning steps and confirm the migration/archive completion date for legacy data.
- Month-to-date KPI review
- All high-priority operational issues have an assigned remediation action and completion date.
- Month-to-date performance shows a clear plan for trending to Contract Scope targets or has documented barriers requiring escalation.
- Update the issues tracker with current status and publish progress against remediation dates within 48 hours.
- Confirm spare parts reorder quantities and expected delivery dates to avoid availability impacts.
- Quarterly KPI trends and variance analysis
- Clear remediation roadmap with milestones that addresses the top performance gaps and maps to Contract Scope targets.
- Formal record of any contract KPI variances and the agreed path to resolution.
- Reconfirm success criteria and owners
- Schedule targeted technical detailed review workshops for identified root causes within the next 30 days.
- Annual KPI summary
- A documented year-end performance summary that clearly states which Contract Scope targets were met and which require further action.
- Agreement on a timebound resolution plan for the top systemic issues impacting annual outcomes.
- Distribute the annual outcomes report including KPI tables, incident summaries, and the agreed 90-day resolution plan.
- Initiate procurement or workforce measures required to address identified supply or retention risks within the agreed timeline.
- All critical deployment validation items are confirmed or have committed remediation actions with deadlines.
- Immediate operational blockers are owned and scheduled for resolution within the short-term remediation plan.
- Publish the deployment validation checklist with remediation owners and due dates within 24 hours.
- Capture the first-week operational logs and deliver a short exceptions summary before the First Measurement Review.
- Gap diagnosis
- Major incidents and corrective outcomes
- Deployment and systems validation
- Safety and incident review
- Contract KPI reconciliation
- Supply chain and maintenance status
- Early operational signals
- Incumbent system wind-down checkpoint
- Outstanding remediation and continuous improvement backlog
- Root-cause detailed review
- Safety program effectiveness
- Corrective action plan to acceptance readiness
- Risk and resilience assessment
- Open issues burn-down
- Open issues and blockers
- Quarterly remediation roadmap
- Short tactical adjustments
- Data and evidence preparedness
- Short-term remediation plan
- Documented year-end resolution plan