8 JULY 2024IN MYOPINIONVARIABILITY IS THE VILLIANOBSERVATIONS OF OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT OF MINERAL PROCESSING MILLSOperating SystemsFundamentally, the objective of operations management will involve the management of the production of a maximum volume of units in the shortest time, at the agreed quality, for the lowest cost. The deliverables must include safety maximization and environmental impact minimalization. It is not achievable ad hoc. A rigorous, mechanistic, and explicit operating system is required.Two such systems (there are others) that have been widely adopted, deployed, and learned throughout the operating world are LEAN and Six Sigma. LEAN began with learning from the Japanese Toyota car production system. The seminal published work is a book by Womack, Jones and Roos called "The Machine that Changed the World ."It was published in 1990, thirty-four years ago. LEAN learning has not stood still. LEAN declares five principles: defining value, mapping the value stream, creating flow, using a pull system, and pursuing perfection. One learns that LEAN thinking is a `war on waste' within the operating system. Waste categories are explicitly defined. As are all work operations, procedures, processes, process times, and process improvements. Measure, measure, measure. An operating system based on Six Sigma teaches one the power of measurement and analysis. Focus on reducing variability and improving process capability. The seminal published work is a book by Forrest W. Breyfolge III called "Implementing Six Sigma." The theory of constraints (TOC) is primarily used as an improvement strategy to maximize benefits in a value chain. The seminal published work is a book by Eliyahu Goldratt called "The Goal ."It was published in 1984, forty years ago. TOC has five principles: identify the goal, identify the constraint, exploit the constraint, subordinate operations to the constraint, de-bottleneck the system, and find the new constraint. Iteration after iteration of this process generates a cycle of continuous improvement and increasing efficiencies. Each iteration is mapped by a Current Realty Tree, a Conflict Resolution Diagram, and a Future Reality Tree. Measure, measure, measure.It might seem that these operating strategies are `competing' philosophies. They aren't. By Paul Shelley, Global Vice President Innovation, Molycop
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