Start Here: A Quick Snapshot of Your Operation

• Who are you on this project and how do you want us to address you during discovery? Options: Mine Manager, Underground Superintendent, Project Executive, Ventilation Engineer, Geotechnical Engineer, Procurement/Commercial, Other
• Tell us the mine name, deposit type (gold/copper/nickel/zinc/other), and the primary mining method in use today.
• What are your current monthly production and development targets (m/day, t/month)? Please include typical seasonal or shift-related variances if any.
• Which parts of your operation are you considering external contractor support for? Options: Decline development, Production stoping, Backfill (paste/cemented), Ventilation management, Raise-boring/raises, Ground support/shotcrete, Full equipment & crew supply, Other
• If you already work with contractors, what has been the single best outcome they delivered—and why did it matter to you?

Is Your Current Plan Hiding a Bigger Risk?

• What makes you confident your stated advance rates and tonnage targets are realistic under current ground and ventilation constraints? Options: Detailed mine plan modelling, Historical performance data, Conservative buffer built in, External consultant validation, Not confident
• Where have your plan assumptions broken down in the past 12–24 months—be specific about locations, headings, or shifts.
• How do missed meters or tonnes typically manifest for you: schedule slippage, cost overruns, safety slowdowns, or regulatory impacts? Options: Schedule slippage, Cost overruns, Increased safety incidents, Regulatory/non-compliance delays, Production shortfall only, Other
• When a heading falls behind, what internal actions usually follow and how long before corrective measures take effect? Options: Reallocate crews, Add shifts, Redesign support plan, Bring in contractor help, No consistent response
• What would it look like to you if the next 3 months consistently met 120% of your current targets—what changes across teams, equipment, and safety would be required?

What's Painfully Slower Than It Should Be?

• Which part of your underground workflow causes the most invisible drag on productivity? Options: Ventilation restrictions, Ground support installs, Equipment availability, Blast-muck cycle times, Ore handling/haulage, Access/portal constraints, Workforce availability
• How often do equipment breakdowns translate into more than one lost shift for a heading? Options: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Rarely, Never tracked
• Share a recent example where coordination between owner operations and a contractor (or internal crews) caused a sequencing delay—what happened and what feeling did it create in the team?
• Which interfaces with owner operations are the most friction-prone (choose top three)? Options: Ventilation scheduling, Backfill supply timing, Overlapping work-front access, Shotcrete/ground support sign-off, Fleet sharing (LHDs/trucks), Power/ventilation services
• If you could remove one recurring bottleneck tomorrow, which would it be and why would that change matter financially or operationally?

When Ground Changes, Does Your Plan Bend or Break?

• How often does unexpected ground behavior (squeezing, faulting, water ingress) force you to revise support designs or sequence plans? Options: Every heading, Many times a month, Occasionally, Rarely
• What early warning signs do you monitor for changing ground conditions and how are those signals communicated to shift crews and planners? Options: Deformation readings, Seismic events, Water inflow rates, Support hook-back loads, Visual inspections, Other
• Describe the last time a geotechnical surprise required an out-of-scope support solution—what did it cost (time, materials, safety) and what was the human impact?
• Who signs off on emergency ground support design changes underground, and how quickly can that approval be enacted (hours/days)? Options: Mine Manager, Geotechnical Engineer, Operations Superintendent, Joint owner-contractor panel, No formal approval path
• If we brought pre-qualified rapid-response crews and alternate support systems, what concerns would you have about integrating them mid-shift?

Who Really Calls the Shots Underground?

• Who are the decision-makers we must align with for scope, safety, and acceptance—list roles and typical response time for approvals?
• How are responsibilities divided today between owner teams and contractors for the following: scope definition, quality acceptance, safety oversight, and shift-level decisions? Options: Owner: all, Owner: scope/acceptance; Contractor: execution, Contractor: full delivery under owner spec, Mixed/responsibility matrix exists, Unclear/not codified
• Have you experienced delays because of unclear escalation paths? Tell us about one incident and how it affected morale or costs.
• Which approvals typically take the longest and why—technical sign-off, safety permits, vent integration, or commercial acceptance? Options: Technical sign-off, Safety permits, Ventilation integration, Commercial acceptance, Other
• If we proposed a single point of contact embedded with your planning team, what would you want that person empowered to decide immediately?

Ventilation: Safety Cost or Production Enabler?

• How closely are ventilation constraints tied to your production limits, and when did ventilation last force a planned cutback? Options: Directly limiting production, Occasionally limiting, Rarely limiting, Never tracked
• What ventilation metrics do you monitor daily (e.g., airflow at face, CO/NOx, temp, dust) and how are exceptions handled? Options: Airflow, Gas levels (CO/NOx), Temperature, Dust/Particulates, Pressure differentials, Not monitored closely
• Have you had to redesign sequence or stoping method because of ventilation limits? Describe the trade-off you accepted.
• How integrated are contractor ventilation plans with owner mine ventilation modelling and what data sharing would be required to synchronize efforts? Options: Fully integrated, Partially shared, Separate plans with manual coordination, No integration
• What would worry you most about a contractor controlling temporary ventilation infrastructure: safety compliance, sequencing conflicts, cost, or documentation? Options: Safety compliance, Sequencing conflicts, Cost, Documentation/traceability, Other

Equipment & Crew: Ready, or Just Hopeful?

• If we committed to meet your rostered meters and tonnes, what equipment and certification minimums must our crews meet on day one?
• Which of the following crew certifications and qualifications are mandatory for your site? Options: Underground induction, Confined space rescue, First aid/medevac, Shotcrete certification, Blasting/charging tickets, Mobile equipment licensing
• How do you currently validate contractor equipment condition and maintenance history prior to mobilization? Options: Detailed maintenance logs, Inspection at site, Third-party audit, Trust/no formal checks
• Describe a time when crew turnover or fatigue materially affected output—what caused it and how was it addressed?
• What spare-parts or downtime tolerance do you expect per critical machine (e.g., drills, LHDs) before production is at risk? Options: <1 shift, 1–2 shifts, 3–5 shifts, >5 shifts, Not defined

What Would Count as Measurable Success?

• Which KPIs matter most to you for contractor performance and acceptance (pick top four)? Options: m/day advance, t/month processed, Safety incidents per 1,000 hrs, Downtime hours, Compliance with support specs, Cost per metre/tonne
• How do you prefer performance to be measured and validated—real-time telemetry, weekly reports, third-party audits, or joint inspections? Options: Real-time telemetry, Daily shift logs, Weekly consolidated reports, Third-party verification, Joint owner-contractor inspections
• What acceptance criteria would trigger release of payment or sign-off for a delivered development or stoping block? Options: Measured meters at spec, Ground support installed to spec, Ventilation levels compliant, Safety sign-offs complete, All of the above
• Are there incentive structures you find motivating (bonus for outperformance) or problematic (penalties that damage partnership)? Tell us which and why.
• How soon after mobilization would you expect to see validated baseline KPIs (e.g., stable advance rate, safety observations)? Options: Immediately (within days), 2–4 weeks, 1–3 months, Longer than 3 months

If We Committed Tomorrow, What Could Trip Us Up?

• What access permits, regulatory steps, or owner approvals typically cause the longest mobilization delays for contractors? Options: Site access permits, Environmental approvals, Ventilation integration permits, Induction/medical clearance, Other
• Do you have any existing commercial or contractual constraints that would limit scope, crew numbers, or equipment types a contractor could bring? Options: Yes—list exists, Some restrictions, No constraints, Unsure
• Where do logistics fail most often for new mobilizations: road/port delivery, in-country customs, shaft/portal acceptance, or underground commissioning? Options: Road/port delivery, Customs/clearance, Portal acceptance, Underground commissioning, Other
• What are your non-negotiable safety governance items (e.g., permit-to-work, emergency response, medical evacuation) that a contractor must comply with on day one?
• If we proposed a short pilot (4–8 weeks) to prove capability, what single outcome would make you comfortable to expand scope?

Let’s Make This Practical: Data, Timelines, and Next Steps

• What site data would you be comfortable sharing to validate our assumptions (mine plans, ventilation model, recent geotech logs, telemetry)? Options: Full mine plans, Ventilation models, Geotechnical logs, Historical production/run sheets, Prefer high-level only, Other
• Realistically, when could you provide that data and who is the best contact for delivery? Options: Immediately, Within 1–2 weeks, Within a month, Longer than a month
• What would make you decide to proceed to a commercial discussion after discovery—clear mobilization timeline, fixed price for pilot, performance guarantees, or safety assurance? Options: Clear timeline, Fixed price pilot, Performance guarantees, Safety certification records, Other
• Who else should be part of our next conversation to ensure swift alignment (names and roles preferred)?
• What concerns should we address first in our proposal to make you feel this is worth pursuing?

• Current State & Consequence Alignment
• Mine Plan Walkthrough — Select Real Scenarios
• Operational Proof — Productivity & Ventilation Modelling
• Risk, Ground Support & Safety Validation Workshop
• Solution Validation & Move-to-Scope Decision

• Identify any certification or training gaps and assign remediation owners.
• Customer to upload scenario-specific geotechnical logs, ventilation cross-sections, and current schedule slices.
• Recap Assumptions & Validation Criteria
• Produce clear, quantitative proofs that projected m/day and t/month meet or explain gaps against targets.
• Demonstrate ventilation performance is within acceptable limits for each scenario.
• Identify and prioritize the top failure modes that would prevent achieving the KPIs.
• Obtain verbal validation on whether the outputs reflect the customer's operational reality.
• Deliver a modelling pack with graphs, assumptions, and sensitivity tables for each scenario.
• Produce a ranked list of mitigations for the top 3 failure modes identified.
• Propose an equipment and crew roster aligned to the proven advance/production rates.
• Ground Support Design Linked to Scenarios
• Agree ground-support scope and how it enables the modelled advance/production rates.
• Confirm safety and ventilation governance responsibilities and monitoring plans.
• Define explicit acceptance tests and handover criteria tied to KPIs.
• Introductions & Meeting Objectives
• Produce scenario-specific ground-support design memos with estimated installation rates and costs.
• Compile safety permit and induction requirements and identify missing certifications in the crew roster.
• Define the acceptance-test checklist and schedule initial underground validation shifts.
• Concise Recap: Current State, Consequence, Future State
• Obtain explicit customer validation that the solution achieves the defined KPIs for the agreed scenarios.
• Secure approval to progress to Solution Scope with the defined scope boundaries and outstanding items.
• Create a prioritized list of remaining data/decisions required for commercial proposal and mobilization planning.
• Customer provides written confirmation (email or signed note) of validation for the selected scenarios and KPIs.
• Contractor to issue the Solution Experience report (modelling outputs, mitigations, ground-support designs) within agreed timeline.
• Schedule Solution Scope kickoff and circulate the list of outstanding items required for pricing and mobilization.
• Agree a single, explicit current-state sentence that all parties accept.
• Quantify the key consequences (cost/time/risk) tied to the current state.
• Define clear future-state outcome sentences and the KPIs to validate them.
• Establish data gaps and assign owners for pre-work required to run scenario proofs.
• Customer supplies baseline mine plans, ventilation maps, geotechnical logs, and recent production/advance data.
• Customer provides quantified examples of schedule or cost impacts from recent underperformance incidents.
• Draft and circulate the single-sentence current-state and future-state statements for confirmation.
• Contractor to produce a scenario checklist and modelling assumptions document.
• Schedule the Operational Proof modelling workshop with the agreed timeline.
• Review Provided Mine Plans & Assumptions
• Select 3–5 concrete, customer-approved scenarios for modelling and proof.
• Map each scenario to ground conditions, ventilation and operational constraints.
• Agree required data inputs and the validation criteria for each scenario.
• Set timelines and owners for modelling deliverables.
• Decline Development Proofs
• Safety & Confined-Space Controls
• Review Proof Artifacts & Key Findings
• Identify Representative Scenarios
• One-Sentence Current State
• Ventilation Controls & Monitoring
• Consequence Quantification
• Stoping & Backfill Production Proofs
• Map Ground Conditions to Scenarios
• Validation Checkpoints (Forced Confirmation)
• Ventilation Integration Results
• Equipment Reliability & Maintenance Assumptions
• Outstanding Risks, Commercial & Mobilization Implications
• Interface Constraints (Ventilation / Access / Production)
• Define Future-State Outcomes
• Decision Roles & Success Signals
• Next Steps & Move-to-Solution-Scope
• Sensitivity & Failure Mode Analysis
• Data Gaps & Validation Criteria
• Acceptance Tests & Handover Criteria
• Tie Outputs Back to KPIs & Proof Statements

• Excavate Decline Development Meters
• Longhole Open-Stope Production Mining
• Sublevel Stoping Production Mining
• Cut-and-Fill Stoping Ore Extraction
• Drill-and-Blast Production Rounds
• LHD Mucking and Underground Haulage
• Shotcrete Application and Curing
• Rock Bolting and Mesh Ground Support
• Raisebore Drilling and Reaming
• Paste Backfill Plant, Pipeline, and Placement
• Ventilation Installation and Fan Commissioning
• Underground Dewatering and Pumping
• Operated Jumbo, LHD, and Truck Services
• Emergency Rescue and Standby Response Team

Excavate Decline Development Meters

• Is decline development required as part of the scope? Options: Yes, No
• What is the total planned decline development length? Options: Less than 500 m, 500-2,000 m, 2,000-5,000 m, More than 5,000 m, Other (specify)
• What decline geometry/cross-section is required? Options: Single-lane decline (small equipment), Double-lane decline (two-way), Ramp profile, Box-cut and portal only, Other (specify)
• Describe known ground conditions and variability that affect excavation (rock type, faults, water inflows).
• Who supplies drill & blast and primary excavation equipment? Options: Contractor to supply, Owner to supply, Hybrid / to be agreed
• What target advance rate (m/day) and acceptance criteria (profile, grade, support installed) should be used to measure success?

Longhole Open-Stope Production Mining

• Is longhole open-stope the intended mining method for the targeted stopes? Options: Yes, No, Partial/Some stopes only
• What are the planned production tonnes per month from longhole stopes? Options: Less than 5,000 t/month, 5,000-20,000 t/month, 20,000-50,000 t/month, More than 50,000 t/month, Other (specify)
• Are detailed stope drawpoint layouts and production blasthole patterns available for validation? Options: Yes, detailed plans provided, Preliminary plans only, No - require assistance to develop
• What constraints or interfaces with owner operations (e.g., shared haul roads, hoisting) must be observed?
• Specify required KPIs for this module (e.g., m/day per ring, t/day, dilution limits).
• What acceptance criteria define successful stope completion (free-face exposure, muck quality, ground support installed)?

Sublevel Stoping Production Mining

• Will sublevel stoping be used for the targeted ore zones? Options: Yes, No, Mix of methods
• What sublevel spacing and planned production tonnage per sublevel are expected? Options: Specify spacing & tonnage, Unknown - require design assistance
• Are ring-drilling patterns, blasting designs and ventilation plans for sublevels available? Options: Yes, Partial, No
• What ground support (rockbolts, shotcrete, mesh) standards are required for sublevels? Options: Owner standard, Contractor standard (to propose), Hybrid / to be defined
• List certifications or crew competencies required to perform sublevel stoping work.
• What KPI targets (m/day, t/month, safety metrics) and handover acceptance criteria apply to completed sublevels?

Cut-and-Fill Stoping Ore Extraction

• Is cut-and-fill the chosen method for the production areas in scope? Options: Yes, No, Selective areas only
• What fill type is planned (dry waste, cemented, paste) and who will supply the fill material? Options: Waste rock (owner/contractor), Cemented fill (owner/contractor), Paste fill (requires plant), Unknown - require recommendation
• What are expected cycle times (cut, muck, support, fill) or production tonnages per cycle?
• Are detailed stope sequencing, backfill placement tolerances and QA requirements defined? Options: Yes, Partially, No - need sequencing support
• What ground support, curing and QA acceptance criteria are required before filling or subsequent lifts?
• Does the owner require documentation of fill volumes and strength tests (compressive tests)? Options: Yes, No, If paste/ cemented fill used

Drill-and-Blast Production Rounds

• Will the contractor be responsible for drill-and-blast design and execution? Options: Yes - full responsibility, Owner provides design, Hybrid / TBD
• What is the expected round size and intended advance per round (m) or blasthole count? Options: Small rounds (<20 m advance), Medium (20-50 m), Large (>50 m), Other (specify)
• Are there explosive storage, magazine, and transport constraints at site? Options: Yes - constrained, No - standard access, Unknown
• What fragmentation, dilution and vibration limits or acceptance criteria must be met?
• What blast reporting and QA deliverables are required (seismograph, post-blast survey)? Options: Seismograph reports, Fragmentation photos/analysis, Post-blast cavity survey, Other (specify)
• List required licenses, shotfirer certifications and local regulatory constraints for blasting.

LHD Mucking and Underground Haulage

• Is contractor responsible for mucking and internal haulage or will owner provide haulage infrastructure? Options: Contractor provides mucking & haulage, Owner provides, Shared / coordinated
• What fleet size and capacity (LHD m3, truck t) are required to meet production targets? Options: Specify fleet requirements, Unknown - request contractor recommendation
• Are there restricted drive heights, ramp grades or turning radii that limit equipment size? Options: Yes (specify), No, Unknown
• What cycle time or KPI for muck removal (t/day or cycles/day) should be used to validate performance?
• Who is responsible for maintenance, fueling and parts logistics for underground fleet? Options: Contractor, Owner, Shared/defined in SOW
• Are operator certifications and training records required for LHD operators? Options: Yes - specify certificates, No, Prefer contractor standard

Shotcrete Application and Curing

• Is shotcrete required as primary or supplementary ground support in scope areas? Options: Primary support, Supplementary support, Not required
• What shotcrete type and mix design is specified (dry-mix, wet-mix, fiber-reinforced)? Options: Dry-mix, Wet-mix, Fiber-reinforced, Other (specify)
• What curing time, strength testing and QA acceptance criteria are required before re-entry or subsequent works?
• Will the contractor supply shotcrete plant and pumps or use owner facilities? Options: Contractor supplies, Owner supplies, Hybrid / to be defined
• Are specialist applicators and certifications required for wet-mix or sprayed concrete operations? Options: Yes - specify, No, Prefer contractor standard
• Describe expected application rates (m2/day or m3/day) and working shifts for shotcrete crews.

Rock Bolting and Mesh Ground Support

• What types of rockbolts and mesh are required (mechanical bolts, resin bolts, cable bolts, welded mesh)? Options: Mechanical bolts, Resin/chemical bolts, Cable bolts, Mesh/shotcrete combo, Other
• What installation rate (bolts/day, m2 of mesh/day) and spacing standards apply?
• Are ground support designs available or should contractor propose a design basis? Options: Owner design provided, Contractor to propose, Hybrid / review required
• Who is responsible for procurement of bolts, mesh, resin and installation consumables? Options: Contractor, Owner, Shared procurement
• What inspection, pull-test and QA documentation is required for installed ground support? Options: Pull-test certificates, Installation logs, Photographic evidence, Other (specify)
• Are special anchoring or long-length cable bolt installations required in high-stress zones? Options: Yes - specify zones, No, Unknown - require assessment

Raisebore Drilling and Reaming

• Is raiseboring required (single raises, pilot holes, or large-diameter raises)? Options: Yes - pilot + ream, Yes - pilot only, No
• What raise diameters and lengths are planned (m diameter, m length)? Options: Small (<2 m dia), Medium (2-4 m), Large (>4 m), Specify exact
• Are there access or vertical clearance constraints at collar or boot locations? Options: Yes (specify), No, Unknown
• Who provides power, flushing water and ventilation for raisebore operations? Options: Contractor, Owner, Shared/defined
• What acceptance criteria apply to raises (plumbness, diameter tolerance, surface finish)?
• Are specialised reaming heads or casing required due to ground conditions? Options: Yes, No, Unknown - need geotech review

Paste Backfill Plant, Pipeline, and Placement

• Is paste backfill part of the scope (plant, pipeline, paste placement)? Options: Full paste plant and placement, Pipeline only, Placement only, Not required
• What paste throughput (t/month or m3/hour) and target strength are required?
• Who supplies tailings/fill material, binders and batching specifications? Options: Owner supplies, Contractor supplies, Hybrid
• Are pipeline routes and underground emplacement access already defined? Options: Yes, defined, Preliminary routing, No - require design
• What QA testing and acceptance (compressive strength, placement volume checks) are required for backfill?
• List any environmental, tailings or regulatory constraints affecting paste operations.

• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Commercial Terms & Pricing Schedule
• Mobilization & Demobilization Schedule
• Safety & Environmental Governance
• Operational Interfaces & Site Access Agreement
• Contractual Acceptance & Handover Criteria
• Equipment Roster & Commissioning Checklist
• Personnel Qualifications & Competency Confirmation
• Insurance, Indemnity & Risk Allocation
• Performance Guarantees, KPIs & Remedies
• Change Order & Variation Control
• Payment Security & Invoicing Terms
• Regulatory Approvals & Permits Confirmation

• Success Review & KPI Verification
• Operational Handover & Contractual Acceptance
• Lessons Learned Retrospective (Cross-Functional)
• Issues, Enhancements & Shared Channel Governance
• Ongoing Performance Review Cadence & Continuous Improvement Roadmap

• Configure the shared channel with templates, tags, and access for agreed participants.
• Create and publish a punch-list with owners and completion dates for any conditional items.
• Coordinate finance to prepare final invoice and retention release per contractual terms.
• Provide emergency contact matrix and escalation procedure document.
• Set context & rules
• Produce a prioritized list of actionable lessons and improvement initiatives.
• Assign owners and timelines for each top initiative to ensure accountability.
• Agree pilot approach for highest-impact improvements and success criteria for validation.
• Publish a consolidated lessons learned report with prioritized initiatives and assigned owners.
• Create a short-term pilot plan for the top 2 improvements including success metrics.
• Add all improvement initiatives to the shared enhancement backlog with tags and due dates.
• Purpose and scope of shared channel
• Establish a single shared channel with clear roles, triage workflow, and SLAs for handling issues and enhancements.
• Agree templates and training to ensure consistent, evidence-backed submissions.
• Define reporting metrics and escalation triggers to keep leadership informed of major issues.
• Welcome & Objectives
• Publish the issue severity matrix and SLA document to all stakeholders.
• Create the triage rota and assign initial triage owners for the first 90 days.
• Schedule a 30-minute training session for users on how to submit complete tickets (evidence, priority, impact).
• Purpose of recurring reviews
• Agree a clear cadence of reviews with owners and deliverables for each frequency.
• Lock down KPI definitions, data owners, and reporting templates to ensure consistent measurement.
• Publish a timebound improvement roadmap with milestones and expected benefits.
• Publish recurring calendar invites and meeting owners for weekly, monthly, and quarterly reviews.
• Build or configure an automated KPI dashboard pulling agreed data sources.
• Assign data-collection owners for each KPI and deliver first report for the next monthly review.
• Publish the 3–6 month improvement roadmap with milestones and responsible owners.
• Confirm which agreed success signals have been met with supporting evidence.
• Document root causes for missed targets and agree corrective action owners and timelines.
• Make a formal acceptance decision or a remedial-verification plan.
• Produce a final KPI reconciliation report linking each success signal to source evidence and variance explanation.
• Prepare and assign corrective action plans for each missed KPI with owners and target completion dates.
• Schedule a follow-up verification meeting and specify required evidence for acceptance.
• Handover checklist review
• Complete transfer of operational responsibility with required documentation in buyer hands.
• Obtain formal contractual acceptance or list conditional acceptance items with remediation timelines.
• Agree commercial close steps and release conditions for financial items tied to acceptance.
• Deliver final handover pack (O&M manuals, certificates, commissioning reports) to the owner.
• What went well
• Issue classification and severity matrix
• Safety and competency validation
• KPI definitions & data owners
• Pre-work validation
• Equipment & warranty transfer
• KPI reconciliation
• What did not go well
• Reporting templates and automation
• Triage workflow and roles
• Deviations & root-cause summary
• Improvement roadmap and milestones
• Root cause mapping
• Enhancement backlog process
• Contractual acceptance and sign-off
• Reporting, dashboards and escalation
• Commercial close items
• Escalation and governance
• Acceptance decision & criteria check
• Improvement ideas & prioritization
• Calendarize cadence and owners
• Assign owners & pilot decisions