What you will learn
- What production planning covers, from life-of-mine to next shift
- How tonnes, grade and destinations are set for each bench or stope
- How the plan adapts when the mine does not cooperate
- What planners, shift bosses and the plant each get from the plan
- Where planning ends and dispatch begins
What this project is
A mine plan is a sequence: which benches or stopes to mine, in what order, to feed the plant at the right grade and rate. Production planning turns that sequence into executable targets: for each shift, which areas to work, how many tonnes to move, of what material, to which destination. Without that translation, the long-term plan stays a document and the shift works on habit, mining what is convenient rather than what the plan requires.
Planning must handle reality. Ground conditions change, equipment breaks down, and grade varies from the model. A good planning system shows actual versus planned production daily, so deviations are visible while they can still be corrected. If one bench falls behind, the system should show what that means for the week's feed grade and total tonnes, and what catching up would require, rather than leaving the shortfall to be discovered at month end.
Core features
- Plan building from the mine design: benches, stopes, material types and destinations
- Shift and weekly targets for tonnes, grade and destination, by area
- Actual versus planned reporting, updated daily from production data
- What-if views for catching up, deferring an area, or changing the mining sequence
- Plant feed forecasting, showing the grade and tonnes the plant should expect
- Plan versioning, so changes are recorded and the current plan is always clear
How it is built
- Start from the mine design and the long-term sequence, not from a blank spreadsheet
- Build shift target setting and actual-versus-planned reporting first, because that loop is the core value
- Add plant feed forecasting, then what-if views for sequence changes
- Connect production data from fleet and grade systems so actuals arrive without retyping
- Pilot on one pit area or mining block for a month, comparing plan adherence before wider use
Technology considerations
Production data integration is the practical challenge. Actual tonnes, grade and destinations must arrive from fleet, grade and plant systems in a form the planner can use. If actuals are retyped from paper at month end, the planning loop is too slow to correct anything. The plan model also needs to match the mine's real geography: benches, stopes and stockpiles as they are named and worked, not as an abstract grid.
The planning horizon needs thought. A system that only plans the next shift cannot show the effect of today's shortfall on next month's feed. A system that only plans years ahead cannot tell a shift boss what to do tomorrow. The design should support both, with the short-term plan derived from the longer sequence, and changes to the short-term plan visible in their effect on the longer plan.
For the first version, plan one pit area for a month: shift targets from the mine sequence, daily actual-versus-planned reporting, and plant feed forecasting, with plan versions recorded. Planners judge the system on whether deviations are visible while they can still be corrected. A system that does that for one area, with actuals flowing from fleet and grade data, proves the planning loop before it covers the whole mine.
Challenges to plan for
- A bench that cannot be mined as planned because ground conditions changed
- Grade shortfalls that only become visible when the plant feed drops
- Equipment breakdowns that leave a shift target unachievable, with no revised target issued
- Plans that exist in spreadsheets on individual computers, with nobody sure which version is current
Who it is for, and its limits
This suits a mine operator or a mine planning team responsible for production targets. It fits operations where the mining sequence matters for grade and plant feed. It does not fit a small, single-bench operation where the plan is obvious, and it is not a mine design system: it plans production from the design, it does not design the pit or the stopes.
A planning system does not mine the ore. It makes the plan executable and deviations visible early, so corrections are possible while they still help. Costs vary with mine complexity and planning horizons, so confirm with a quote after the planning process is mapped.
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead does the system plan?
Typically from life-of-mine sequence down to shift targets, with the most detail in the near term. The shift plan is derived from the longer sequence, so short-term changes stay consistent with the overall direction.
What if actual production falls behind plan?
The gap shows in daily actual-versus-planned reporting, with its effect on feed grade and total tonnes. Planners can then issue a revised target or a catch-up plan, rather than discovering the shortfall at month end.
Does the system set plant feed grade?
It forecasts the grade and tonnes the plant will receive from the planned mining. The plant uses that forecast to prepare, and the planner uses it to check the plan will actually feed the plant properly.
Can the sequence change mid-year?
Yes, with versioning. A changed sequence is recorded as a new plan version, so everyone works from the same current plan and past decisions can be traced to the plan in force at the time.
Is this the same as dispatch?
No. Planning sets what to mine and where. Dispatch assigns trucks and loaders to execute that plan during the shift. The two systems work together but answer different questions.