Industry Solutions
Mining
Engineering Document Control and Project
Collaboration Solutions for the Mining Industry
Provide Flexibility and Simplicity
Mining is traditionally viewed as large, complex and dominated by some of the
world’s most well known companies. Yet, the mining industry today is looking for
increased flexibility, lightness of touch and simplicity in its engineering document
control and project collaboration operations.
Why? One key reason is the fluctuating commodity prices and changing industrial demand for raw materials. This pricing volatility and supply and demand uncertainty has led to many mining companies cutting back on capital projects or waiting to move forward on projects until global prices are favorable. In such circumstances, it’s vital to carefully control investment and infrastructure costs and have the flexibility to stop and restart operations. Fast access to document control information and the ability to reuse engineering designs and data is crucial.
The same is the case for new discoveries. In these cases, geologists have confirmed their viability, and mining
companies wish to move into production as soon as possible. In such cases, many of the equipment and process flow and engineering information from previous projects must be simply and quickly re-used.
Another key driver is the remote locations of many of today’s mining projects. In countries such as Australia, Zambia, the Congo, Peru and Brazil, operations are often found in inaccessible regions with limited infrastructure and technology support. Such remoteness requires increasingly sophisticated
and flexible document control technologies but with a light footprint and low capital costs.
There are also regulatory and reporting requirements. In addition to rigorously documented safety and equipment regulations, the increasing complexity of public policy around mining has led to more demands. This includes new transparency initiatives, changing fiscal environments in host countries and mining license reviews – all requiring access to accurate documentation. The rising cost of local community expectations has also increased the need for activities to be rigorously documented.
And if that wasn’t enough, companies must also ensure effective operations in the mine itself – from design and build and procurement through to handover, operations and decommissioning including land restoration. This is taking place against a backdrop of a need to contain capital expenditure and rising input costs as well as increased project complexity.
The mining sector today more than ever needs flexible, low impact and simple but highly effective document control solutions. That’s why many of the world’s mining companies are looking towards McLaren Software.
McLaren Software’s industry leading engineering, project collaboration and document control solutions bring flexibility and control to today’s mining operations.
McLaren’s enterprise-scale and cloud-based solutions provide Owner Operators and EPCs:
• A Single McLaren Software Application during feasibility
studies, design, procurement, construction, commissioning, operations and decommissioning, thus ensuring consistency across the mine lifecycle and reducing the number of applications to one.
• Highly Flexible Cloud-Based Document Control Solutions that offer a range of pay-as-you-go investment
options – ideal for stop-start mining operations. If an existing project gets the go-ahead, McLaren’s document control solutions will ensure maximum productivity from “Day One.”
• Fast Implementation and Replication of Document Control Solutions, ensuring that project intelligence is
easily accessible and that lucrative new mining discoveries are operational as quickly as possible. Data and document replication can also take place between projects.
• Access to Document Control Solutions from any Location with users able to securely access the system
from any web browser while the data remains in secure data centers hundreds of miles away – a model particularly suited to remote mining operations.
• Consistency, Standardization and Data Integrity within
all documents, ensuring that equipment data, manuals and process engineering information can be seamlessly replicated between projects and project teams, reducing engineering re-work, operational costs and commercial risk.
• Engineering Socument Control and Collaboration Solutions that Support the Full Lifecycle of the Mining Asset from design, engineering and procurement through to
construction, operations and maintenance stages eventual decommissioning.
It is this flexible approach and innovative yet simple document control solutions that are helping McLaren Software stand out from the crowd in the mining sector today.
The Case for Flexibility
and Simplicity in the
Mining Sector
McLaren Software
Bringing Flexibility
and Control to
Mining Operations
industry & document
control experience
McLaren Solutions bringing flexibility and control
The Great Dilemma
“In the facing of waning Chinese demand and with cost pressures mounting, it’s becoming harder for mining companies to predict future demand patterns. As companies assess an increasingly complex series of options, some have deferred investment and expansion projects. However, continued investment is necessary to enable companies to weather this volatility”
Tracking the Trends 2013, Deloitte
Key Issues Facing the Global
Mining Sector
• Rising input costs. • Decreasing grades.
• Higher capital costs needed to bring supply to market.
• Disruptions to production from labor strikes to weather events.
• Increasing remoteness of deposits.
Asset Planning
Concept / Pre-FEED
Custody Transfer /
Handover Commission & Start-up Detailed Design FEED Select EPC Vendor / Supplier Vendor / Supplier Vendor / Supplier Vendor / Supplier Engineering EPC Contractors A&E Firms Pro cure Operations Ope rate Maint ain Co nstr uct Decommission / Restoration Tu rn arou nd
The mining sector today needs successful document control processes that are not only fast, flexible and simple in operation and implementation, but cover the entire asset lifecycle. This lifecycle covers engineering, procurement, construction, operations, maintenance, safety and eventual mine closure.
It’s due to this asset lifecycle approach that mining operators can allocate risk and control the project’s value chain, coordinate multi-contractual packages and multiple stakeholders, protect plant safety, create an auditable record of all documentation and ensure seamless progress throughout the asset lifecycle.
McLaren Software covers the entire mining asset lifecycle to ensure:
• Complete data integration and interoperability across the asset lifecycle with no need for separate packages.
• Maximum flexibility at all stages of the asset lifecycle with the constant handover of documentation and real-time data integration.
• A real-time deliverables management system that collates, updates, reviews and approves mining reports, drawings, datasheets, warranties and specifications at every project stage.
• The tracking and verification of documentation and regulatory and compliance throughout the project lifecycle – whether related to safety, the environment, contractual relationships with third parties or different fiscal regimes.
• Automation and intelligence in all document management and control systems, allowing internal personnel to focus on higher value activities.
• The ability to seamlessly upgrade systems and equipment and the successful handover of an asset from engineering to operations as well as replication on similar projects.
Document Control and
Collaboration across the
Mining Asset Lifecycle
A Complete Solution across the Asset Lifecycle
“Metal mining is dominated by iron ore,
copper and gold which together account for
68 percent of the total value (US$854 billion)
at the mine stage of all metals produced
globally in 2011.”
International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM)
Not Just the Large Companies!
The World Bank estimates that today 15 to 20 million small scale miners operate in 30 countries, with about 80 to 100 million people depending on such mining for their livelihood.
vendor activities and documentation throughout the asset lifecycle as well as the seamless flow of documents and information exchange between EPC and EPCM project partners.
Full Consultancy Expertise
Successful projects are dependent on a clear, set of agreed business requirements. Through business process reviews, recommendations, detailed solutions designs and work breakdown structures, McLaren Software’s consultancy expertise will ensure all mining projects are delivered to the highest standards. McLaren also provides Information Management outsourcing services to perform business process using McLaren technology, people and processes.
Partnering With the Best
McLaren Software is only as successful as its technology partners. It’s through these partnerships that customer investments and roadmap and product compatibility are guaranteed. Current McLaren technology partners include Autodesk, EMC, IBM, Microsoft and Oracle.
From large-scale to small-scale mines,
McLaren Software has the solutions and
experience to meet all industry needs.
McLaren Software solutions deliver:
■ Consistent and auditable business processes. ■ Cloud-based, collaborative solutions.
■ Increased scalability, reduced costs. ■ Built-in flexibility and configuration. ■ Accessible and secure asset information. ■ Full integration.
■ Configurable templates and work. ■ Breakdown structures.
■ Predefined and configurable reporting – dashboards, drill downs and full audit trails.
Whatever the challenge in today’s mining sector, McLaren Software’s solutions,
consultancy and partnership capabilities have the answer.
Harnessing the Benefits of the Cloud
McLaren enables the mining industry to realize the
collaborative, data scalability and cost benefits of the cloud, providing a single project-based platform that can be used for internal and external team members to instantly access, review, distribute and archive documentation.
Users only pay for the data resources and capabilities they need, negating any costly infrastructures and IT costs, with such a solution being ideal for stop-start mining operations or where there is a need to control capital investment. McLaren’s proven Cloud / SaaS (Software as a Service) solutions can also be up and running within days – ideal when looking to accelerate to production potentially lucrative discoveries. McLaren also provides mining companies with a privately hosted option that leverages the pay-as-you-go benefits and scalability of the cloud. It also integrates with internal interdepartmental processes not already in the public space, enabling operators to leverage internal processes.
Software as a Service for Remote Mining
Locations
For remote locations – as is often the case in the mining sector – users access the system via a web browser interface from any location, providing maximum flexibility. Security remains crucial, however, with all data hosted at McLaren’s secure data centers in the United States, United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates. In addition, with training a big issue in remote locations, the software is highly intuitive and easy to use.
Modular Solutions across the Asset
Lifecycle
McLaren’s engineering document management and control solutions support all lifecycle phases in the mining sector. The modular software suite includes everything from tender management, drawing and project document management through to audit trails, reporting, transmittals, handover, and operations and maintenance. Whether it be CAD drawings or mining asset designs, quality and regulation documents, or
health and safety documents, McLaren’s flexible and modular applications suite will ensure the right solution for your environment.
Standardization and Easy Replication
Thousands of documents and document formats are supported by McLaren solutions, including built-in viewing, document comparisons and mark-ups. Pre-defined processes, such as Approvals, RFIs, Reprographics or Change Requests, can also be adopted for faster deployment and faster returns on investment. Such consistency is particularly useful in the mining sector where equipment, compressor and other engineering packages are often transferred between projects.
Tracking Data and Documents
The tracking of data in the mining sector is every bit as important as the tracking of documents. McLaren delivers a complete engineering workflow that supports the control of data throughout project handover as well as ensuring data integrity at all asset lifecycle stages.
Maximizing Production Capabilities
With the majority of productivity increases over the last few years having been achieved due to the ability to process lower grade ores, more efficient mineral processing and the use of larger scale equipment, McLaren Software will ensure all plants are operating at maximum productivity. Best practices and standards are enforced through project templates (project details, tasks, business roles and folder structure) and managers can drill-down into current tasks from graphical project summaries.
Improving Visibility and Transparency
Like many other sectors, the mining sector is often a world of regulation and potential liabilities. McLaren’s document management and control solutions improve the visibility and transparency of the project development process, capturing audit trails and automating document control functions to ensure compliance.
Coordinating Complex and Diffuse Supply
Chains
The mining sector often has a broad supply chain. Through cloud-based and/or internal systems, McLaren coordinates
McLaren Software Solutions
300,000
users
15,000
capital projects
50
countries
Partnership with Technology Leaders (EMC, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle)
and project collaboration solutions supporting all lifecycle phases of operational assets, buildings
and facilities. Our customers are leading companies in asset intensive industries including Oil & Gas,
life sciences, process manufacturing, construction industries and the built environment.
Founded in 1995 McLaren helps owner operators, EPC contractors, construction companies and
facility operators execute safe, efficient, compliant projects and operations in all five continents.
McLaren solutions are available On-Premise or as SaaS or Privately hosted solutions supported by
the McLaren OnAir cloud infrastructure with data centers in the USA, UK and UAE.
For more information email us at
[email protected] or visit our website www.mclarensoftware.com
McLaren SoftwareHouston, USA (Head Office) 10375 Richmond Avenue Suite 825 Houston, Texas 77042 USA Tel +1 713 357 4710 Fax +1 713 357 4711
Regional Offices in:
London, UK (Idox Head Office) Tel +44 207 332 6000 Paris, France Tel +33 1 5695 1679 Perth, Australia Tel +61 8 6316 4500 Frankfurt, Germany Tel +49 69 686 023-0 Pune, India Tel +91 20 668 336 00 Glasgow, UK Tel +44 141 227 7600 San Francisco, USA Tel +1 415 882 1888
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