Operational Readiness (OR) ensures the right people, processes and systems are in place to assume full operational ownership of a new asset at commissioning or cutover – and to sustain efficient operations throughout the asset’s lifecycle. OR helps shorten startup times, reduces downtime, enhances efficiency and lowers maintenance costs. Maintenance Readiness (MR) on the other hand, focuses on minimizing downtown and extending asset life. OR and MR strategies should be integrated to reduce operational disruptions, increase profitability and ensure long-term performance. We believe that OR and MR are central to project success.
OR and MR are not new concepts in the mining sector. In simple terms, it’s about making sure that the people, processes and systems in place work effectively under real-world conditions and continue operating effectively. It allows companies to assume full operational ownership of a new asset with no surprises and achieve sustained operation of that asset.
Getting it right the first time
Experienced mine owners and operators are aware of the risks and challenges that can occur at commissioning and cutover. They know that inadequate preparation can lead to inefficiencies, increased risk during the transition to full operations, and potential challenges to ongoing support and maintenance during ongoing operations. They understand that robust OR and MR strategies can help enhance productivity, profitability and the long-term sustainability of operations.
While the benefits of OR and MR may be clear, few mine owners have the in-house capabilities to conduct robust strategies across all their developments. Larger mining companies with dedicated OR and/or MR teams often find themselves stretched too thin to apply their expertise across the portfolio. Many mining companies engage engineering firms that lack the holistic perspective to fully assess challenges – let alone deliver robust plans for remediating them.
At Ausenco, we believe mine owners need to take a structured approach that integrates both operational and maintenance readiness from the start. Our team analyses multiple areas when developing our strategy, including logistics, engineering, technical services, people, health & safety and community and environment. More than just a document that sits on a shelf, a good OR and MR strategy delivers clear operational workflows that establish maintenance plans based on detailed criticality assessments. It incorporates resource optimisation to ensure people are equipped with the right tools, expertise and resources to provide ongoing support. It also involves robust testing and failure mode analysis to deliver preventative and corrective maintenance strategies.
A case in point
We recently helped a large, diversified mining client effectively implement operational and maintenance readiness processes at a new site in Latin America. While the client has a strong in-house operations team, their corporate OR professionals were too limited in number to effectively implement OR and MR processes for tailings filtration, as the operation prepared to move to much larger volumes. The client engaged our team to reinforce their capabilities and provide additional support. Together, our work will extend the useful life of the tailings dam to accommodate the planned upgrades.
Ausenco is taking a structured approach on the project, providing clear workflows, robust testing and resource optimisation. We helped streamline and improve both the general planning and contract management programs by conducting weekly monitoring and creating dashboards with key KPIs to track the percentage of contracts resolved on time. In addition, our analysis showed that the client could postpone hiring new personnel for specific positions, resulting in savings of over $770k USD. Delivering enhanced workflows and improved maintenance strategies, we also minimised operational disruptions and addressed potential risks before they materialised.
The value that our approach delivered is significant. With reduced maintenance costs, enhanced productivity, and sustained long-term performance, we helped the client achieve faster realisation of business value and better prepared them for future challenges, ensuring ongoing operational excellence and profitability. The project is currently ahead of schedule, with actual progress at 54% compared to the expected 47%.
A better way to start operations
Ausenco takes a multidiscipline and holistic approach to helping our clients solve their operational and maintenance readiness challenges. With extensive global experience, and more than 150 professionals dedicated to OR, MR and asset management, we help mine owners and developers move effectively from planning through to execution and achieve the full value of their assets throughout their lifecycle.
Here are three key considerations to drive value from your OR and MR strategies:
- Start early: The best OR and MR plans are those that start taking shape at the beginning of the project – when the cost and complexity of mitigating OR and MR risks is lower and the ability to influence profitability is at its highest.
- Think holistically: Take a multidiscipline view of your OR strategy that goes beyond engineering and technical services to include asset management, health and safety, community and environment, site management, human resources, commercial and logistics considerations.
- Implement an integrated strategy: Plans and strategies only deliver value if they are implemented well. Make sure your OR and MR strategies are integrated, with clear operational workflows, robust documentation and optimised resource allocation.
Contact our team to find out how we can help you plan, develop, integrate, and implement OR and MR strategies that effectively bridge the gap between a project and its operations, and ensure your operations remain efficient, profitable and safe.