The Productivity Platform for Mining
the problem with open cut gold mining
If you experience more than 3 of the following issues you have substantial hidden capacity and unrealised profit in your mine which can be unlocked within 6 months.
Opportunity:
Simulation shows that moving bottlenecks are inevitable when we try and maximise the efficiency of all the parts of the mine. Variability increases, and meeting financial targets become difficult. The more management tries to drive departmental efficiency, the worse the problem becomes. It becomes difficult to hold employees accountable, and trust and cooperation suffer. The managerial span of attention overloads and mine production and efficiency is below potential.
Insight/What we do:
The insight that we had was to realise that the root cause of the difficulties described is that mine departments operate in siloes. So rather than trying to optimise every department or every component of the mine, we should look at the whole mine and free up hidden capacity. We do this by making constraints visible, focusing effort here, and aligning the operational systems to maximise production flow.
The Flow Room solution
The productivity platform which unlocks hidden production capacity and unrealised profit in your mine within 6 months
We solve the "silo" problem by providing clients with a proven framework to examine the entire mine to identify the critical leverage points. Focus on leverage points will deliver maximum value for the least effort in minimum time.
Traditional consultants focus on either cultural change (soft side) or operational improvement (hard side) – we believe that success requires simultaneous focus on both. And thus, we see ourselves as trusted advisors dealing with human behaviour and motivation, as well as processes and efficiencies.
We use the Flow Room to make this happen. The new way of operating will fit into your current system and will operate with minimal interference and changes while reducing your overall workload significantly.
Successful outcomes
Over the last decade Stratflow has helped clients such as Glencore, Anglo American, Goldfields dramatically increase their production
"When we started this journey, our guys thought it would be impossible to achieve this but all doubt was removed when they shattered the mine's all time daily production record on Thursday, 6 September 2018. Four of our (five) sections are trending to achieve millionaire status shortly"
General Manager - Coal
r"We managed to exceed all of our production targets. The Flow Room has substantially improved the communication and coordination between different departments. It enables our employees to see clearly how their area of responsibility fits into the overall performance and to hold each other accountable. We see problems developing in advance and deal with it in a spirit of calmness. I do not want to manage without it."
Mining manager - Iron ore
About Stratflow
Delivering exceptional results requires practical experience as well as original thinking. Our team delivers on both.
Hendrik Lourens
Hendrik studied physics and started his career in the petrochemical industry. He later became a Director in a medium-sized manufacturing firm, gained an MBA, and in 2010, he became the first to qualify in all areas of TOC within one year. In 2013 Hendrik published “Drawing a new Map” a book on Management Strategy and Transformation. In the same year, he started working in mining with Arrie van Niekerk, the world's top Theory of Constraints in mining practitioner. He is based in Sydney.
Gary Wong
Gary Wong is a professional engineer and a former Ernest & Young Consultant and expert in Complexity Science (Cynefin), Strategy and Transformation. He joined with Stratflow in 2019 and lives in Vancouver.
Mark Bowater
Mark Bowater is a mining engineer with deep experience of all aspects mining. His career spanned roles in design, scheduling and production, in addition to founding and growing a successful mining consulting business. Mark is well known for his acclaimed book “Crime Against Mine Planning” which was published in 2021. Mark is based in Brisbane.
Barry Urban
Barry is a chartered accountant and has been working as a management consultant specialising in the Theory of Constraints (ToC) for more than twenty-five years. Barry is certified in all areas of TOC and was an associate of the Avraham Y Goldratt institute for 5 years. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant with extensive experience in applying TOC in mining in Africa and Asia. Barry lives in Johannesburg.
Our Guarantee
We are so confident that we can impact your profit line that we run a self-funding commercial model which aligns our fees to your success. Contact us for a free consultation now.