Estimating mine planning software utilization for decision-making strategies in the South African gold mining sector
B Genc, C Musingwini, T Celik
This paper discusses a new methodology for defining and measuring
mine planning software utilization in the South African gold mining
sector within an evolving data-set framework. An initial data-set
showing the mine planning software providers, their corresponding
software solutions, as well as the software capabilities and information
on the number of licences was collected and compiled in 2012 in an
online database for software utilized in the South African mining
industry. Details of the database development and implementation were
published in the Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and
Metallurgy in 2013. In 2014 the data-set was updated with additional
and new information.
Using the 2012 and 2014 timestamps, a methodology for estimating
the software utilization was developed. In this methodology, the three
variables of commodity, functionality, and time factor were used to
define and measure the software utilization in order to ultimately inform
decision-making strategies for optimal software utilization. Using six
different functionalities, namely Geological Data Management,
Geological Modelling and Resource Estimation, Design and Layout,
Scheduling, Financial Valuation, and Optimization, utilization in the
gold sector was measured. This paper presents the methodology
employed for measuring the mine planning software utilization. The
methodology is useful for stakeholders reviewing existing software
combinations or intending to purchase new software in the near future
and who want to estimate the comparative attractiveness of a certain
software package. These stakeholders include mining companies,
consulting companies, educational institutions, and software providers.
The work presented in this paper is part of a PhD research study in the
School of Mining Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Keywords: gold sector, mine planning software, software utilization, database,
South African mining industry.