CASE STUDY

Capacitating operational leaders

Having heard about the successful implementation of OIM’s Supervisory Development Programme (SDP) at other mining houses, the GM of a major coal producer approached us in August 2023 about increasing efficiency through capacitating their operational leadership teams. It was decided to run a pilot with some 33 supervisors in the Plant Processing and Stockyard sections, which had become an unintended bottleneck in the value chain. 

Focused on driving profitability through the development of first-line leaders and process optimisation, the pilot included the following aspects:

People

  • Improve the competencies and role execution of front-line leaders and their teams through training and rigorous on-the-floor coaching
  • Drive team cohesion, teamwork and cross-functional collaboration through the supervisor
  • Implement coaching as a management style

Operational Excellence / Practice

  • Design & implement MOS tools to support integrated management
  • Deploy one-on-one operational coaching focused on improving discipline, consistent adherence to standards, and quality of work
  • Establish operational war rooms (Mining, Plant & Stockyard, and Senior Managers
  • Solidify standardised structured team meetings
  • Implement visual management centres and data-driven, fact-based decision making
  • Set up effective problem-solving & continuous improvement tracking

Performance

  • Equip supervisors and their line managers with the relevant toolsets, skillsets and mindsets to ensure sustainability going forward
  • Mature operational leaders to drive continuous improvement initiatives & support MOS
  • Implement action tracking across core functions

Outcomes

Within 8 weeks improvements began to realise and within the first four assessment months the following successes were recorded:

  • 25% increase in plant run time
  • >300% increase in DOH consistency (direct operating hours)
  • 14% increase in plant tons processed
  • 16% increase in sales tons delivered (attributed to improved supervisory performance)
  • 20% increase in sales tons delivered (attributed to improved supervisory performance)

Given the success of the pilot the client approved a 2nd project phase, rolling out our SDP to the Mining function – taking more than 60 supervisors on OIM’s developmental coaching journey toward operational excellence

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