Title: An approach for strategic planning and asset management in the mining industry in the context of business and operational complexity

Authors: Dragan Komljenovic; Georges Abdul-Nour; Nemanja Popovic

Addresses: Hydro-Quebec's Research Institute – IREQ, 1800 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, (QC), J3X 1S1, Canada ' University of Quebec in Trois-Rivieres, 3351, boul. des Forges, C.P. 500, Trois-Rivieres, (QC), G9Q 5H7, Canada ' Academy of Engineering Sciences of Serbia, Ruzveltova 1a, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia

Abstract: Modern mining companies are complex organisations as per their organisational, management and operational structure. They also operate in a complex business and operational environment facing significant uncertainties related to natural, technical, technological, market, organisational, economic, financial, political, etc., influential factors affecting their business, management and operations. Traditional approaches in strategic planning, asset management and decision-making in the mining industry have been unable to adequately grasp and address this complexity. This paper proposes a new approach in the strategic planning and asset management for mining enterprises by analysing them as complex adaptive systems (CAS). The methods of the complexity science may help to better comprehend the complex environment of mining organisations providing more realistic understandings upon it. Thus, we consider that they may be useful in designing an enhanced strategic asset management decision-making framework. The benefits, challenges, as well as recommended future research works and applications in mining are also discussed.

Keywords: strategic planning; asset management; mining operations; complexity science; complex adaptive systems; uncertainties; simulation; multi-agent modelling; mining industry; business complexity; operational complexity; multi-agent systems; MAS; agent-based systems; decision making.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMME.2015.073047

International Journal of Mining and Mineral Engineering, 2015 Vol.6 No.4, pp.338 - 360

Accepted: 18 Jun 2015
Published online: 15 Nov 2015 *

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