Written by Callum Rideout, Technical Account Manager for Pitram Australia
MICROMINE Australia’s Pitram Team with Diversco and Tech Me Out have connected an Accuweigh Weighbridge into EMR Capital’s Mine Control System. Payload data is now assigned to the truck cycle in Pitram when the truck traverses the weighbridge. This piece improves tonnage accuracy at surface stockpiles, strengthens Pitram’s position as a single source of operational truth, and creates a foundation for other improvement projects.
The challenge was first raised as a bespoke development piece in 2017 and initially viewed as an isolated software task. Our approach resulted in a robust but complex solution which accommodated existing complexities and removed the need to engage 3rd party vendors on-site. While this was a viable solution, costs increased due to the added complexity. This work was approached again in 2019 and 2020 with similar outcomes.
Shortly after the revision in 2020, Pitram’s Commercial Team reframed the problem as a process and collaboration challenge instead of a technical one. Reframing this challenge beyond software expanded the stakeholders from two (2) discrete groups (vendor and client) to six (6) organisations in total. There was now added requirements around stakeholder management, but significantly reduced technical complexity. Coordination and collaboration between these organisations delivered an out-of-the-box solution, at a reduced cost, while simplifying the operation’s existing process.
Expanding the stakeholder list and reviewing existing procedures can become problematic. However, a set of minor process and system updates can substantially reduce the technical complexity of a solution. In this instance, proactive collaboration enabled Australia’s Pitram team to achieve:
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The weighbridge management system was updated to include a SQL Driver;
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Truck RFID tags were standardised.
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Change procedures were documented.
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Responsibilities were assigned.
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Troubleshooting documentation was created.
These minor updates across a series of processes enabled an elegant solution, with a very-low likelihood of requiring ongoing technical support, at a fraction of the initial price-tag.
MICROMINE Australia’s Pitram team appreciate the efforts of EMR Golden Grove’s IT team, Diversco (Supplier of Accuweigh Weighbridges in Australia), Byrnecut’s maintenance team at Golden Grove, and Tech Me Out for providing technical services. The collaboration between these teams was crucial to enable the success of this technology project.
