Addressing the mining industry ’ s biggest data challenges through digitalization

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Meaningful and wide-ranging data plays a pivotal role in connecting workforces , enhancing health and safety , and leveraging applications , for example , to achieve energy management targets . The challenge is that , without a unified and cross-functional approach to data through digitalization , companies struggle to connect disparate assets , data sources and legacy equipment from different suppliers , as well as facing the challenge of working with multiple interfaces . The inability to address this is a major barrier to advances in planning , asset performance management , sustainability and other areas . under pressure to keep evolving . This isn ’ t the only threat created when companies use data without an overarching strategy . Increased connectivity through operational technology alongside the sharp rise in workers using remote connections is creating significant concerns among mining companies about the cyber security risks that could be created by their own data .

While too much data is one challenge for mining companies , a lack of data is another . Companies may invest in a complex new system but only realize at the implementation stage that they need specific data to make it effective and lack any way of locating it . Progress in modeling and implementing solutions can also be stalled by a lack of historical data , with companies then having to wait for months before they can start collecting it .

Assessing data risks

Without a cohesive stance on connecting data through digitalization , poorly managed data can become a roadblock to impactful change management : a key concern in an industry

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