In its 2020 Tracking the Trends issue, Deloitte highlights the importance of proactively planning for the social impact of digital. In “The intersection of talent and community,” author Janine Nel, Partner, Consulting, Deloitte Canada, writes:
“To capitalize on the digital revolution, mining companies should drive change both internally and within the communities in which they operate. Underestimating internal organizational barriers, bureaucracy and the associated impact on local communities can hinder their ability to realize the full benefit and prosper. This potential lack of value realization can be attributed to a limited understanding of the impact that digital transformation can have on work, the workforce and the workplace, and therefore on the communities in which they operate.”
Given its goal to help mines digitally transform their operations, Hexagon understands the importance of working with local communities when adding autonomy and other technology to a mine. Close and consistent communication, aligned processes and training are key, says Andrew Crose, VP-Autonomous of Hexagon’s Mining division.
“Many would draw the conclusion that there are trade-offs in providing support via the local community or via the technology developer,” writes Crose in the case study, “Enabling the Local Community in an Autonomous Project”.
“Some might assume that local support would lack the skills and capabilities to provide a comprehensive service while support from the technology provider would cause jobs to be lost locally during an autonomous implementation. This case study challenges those assumptions.”
The case study documents Anglo American’s safety journey at Kumba Iron Ore in South Africa’s Northern Cape. It examines the partnership developed between Hexagon and Anglo American, Trysome Auto Electrical Engineering and DeNovo Mining Resources to ensure meaningful local community engagement while deploying the leading safety system on the world’s largest haul trucks.
Read the full case study here.