Real-time visibility
Track progress as it happens.
Improved coordination
Connect planning and operations.
Better asset utilization
Maximize shift opportunities.
The Customer
Company: South32
Location: Cannington Mine, Northwest Queensland, Australia
Sector: Underground mining – Silver, lead, and zinc
Operation: Cannington is one of the world’s largest producers of silver and lead. The underground mine uses long-hole open stoping across two mining zones and has recently introduced remnant and tertiary stoping, increasing operational complexity.
The Opportunity
South32’s Cannington team recognized an opportunity to enhance their planning and scheduling processes. With increasing complexity in mining sequences and a growing need for alignment across teams, they sought a solution that would enable greater transparency, improve collaboration, and support proactive decision-making. The goal was clear: growing their solid foundation into a more integrated, agile, and forward-looking planning environment.
The Solution
South32 implemented Deswik OPS in a phased rollout designed to support continuous improvement:
- Phase 1: OPS - Weekly planning
- Phase 2: OPS - Shift Execution and Data Capture
- Phase 3 (in progress): Operator App - Decision Support and Data Capture
Deswik consultants worked closely with the Cannington team, embedding support throughout the rollout. The implementation included:
- Live scheduling and constraint visualization
- Role-based workflows for short-term schedulers, daily schedulers, and short interval controllers
- Integration with South32’s Global Data Platform for reporting
- Custom views and layouts tailored to Cannington’s mining sequences
The Results
Improved Equipment Utilization
- Reduction in active fleet: from 14 to 10 trucks, 9 to 7 loaders, and 6 to 5 jumbos
- Maintained physical output with fewer resources
Increased Productivity
- Stope turnover increased from 6–7 to 8–9 per month
- Engineers spend more time problem-solving, less time on admin
Enhanced Planning and Execution Alignment
- Real-time visibility into constraints and priorities
- Supervisors spend more time underground, less time managing spreadsheets
- Shift sheets are now 70–80% complete before handover
Positive Cultural Shift
- Improved collaboration between engineering and operations
- Greater buy-in from supervisors and planners
- Continuous improvement mindset supported by Deswik OPS