Whittle Consulting: Integrated Strategic Planning – Simultaneous Mining Optimisation
Whittle Consulting is a global team of mining industry specialists, helping companies unlock significant value by improving mining economics — even after conventional optimisation techniques have been applied.
Whittle Integrated Strategic Planning — the industry-leading framework — is a long-term planning approach that considers every part of the value chain, across all periods and all stakeholders. It simultaneously optimises the entire mining system, often improving project and operational economics by 5% to 35%, and in many cases, substantially more.
BENEFITS
There are many benefits that can be realised when applying Whittle Integrated Strategic Planning to a mining project or operation.
Increase Cash Flow
A better cash flow profile increases the economic viability of a mining project or operation. Cash provides security, flexibility and creates options for distributing value to all stakeholders.
Bring Cash Flow Forward
Cash today is more valuable than the same amount of cash received in the future, due to its potential earning capacity.
Raise Finance
The ability to raise finance and the calibration (dilution) involved is directly driven by the strength of the business case being presented. Whittle Integrated Strategic Planning ensures you are putting the best case forward to enhance expected financial outcomes, sustainability and an appreciation of the risk and opportunities involved.
Identify Bottlenecks & Leverage Points
Increasing the performance of the bottleneck in the system improves the performance of the whole system. This approach provides substantial leverage for improving business performance. A Whittle Enterprise Optimisation model simultaneously optimises the interconnections across the business. This enables quantification of the full effect that the investment combinations will have on the value generated by the whole system. The result is the proper ranking and prioritisation of investment decisions.
Respond to Market Changes
By developing and maintaining a suite of plans for a range of potential futures, you can achieve true strategic agility. This provides the ability to respond to changing market conditions.
Guide Investment Decisions
A Whittle Enterprise Optimisation model simultaneously optimises the interconnections across the business. This enables quantification of the full effect that the investment combinations will have on the value generated by the whole system. The result is the proper ranking and prioritisation of investment decisions.
Achieve Sustainable Operations
Not all stakeholder values are monetary. Whittle Integrated Strategic Planning aims to find the balance between financial value and other stakeholder values, to achieve the ultimate sustainability goal of “Enduring Licence to Operate”. Decarbonisation is a recognised global imperative. To achieve this there is a pressing need for the minerals and metals of the energy transition. Our greatest contribution to Sustainability is our influence on the reduction in footprint. Our consulting processes naturally favour reductions in carbon, water, tailings and other footprint-related measures within the projects and operations of our clients.
SERVICES
Whittle Consulting provides a comprehensive suite of service options designed to support projects and operations at every stage, with the flexibility to address specific challenges and strategic priorities.
Introductory Webinar or Executive Presentation – 45-60 minutes
An introductory presentation providing a high-level overview of the Whittle Consulting Integrated Strategic Planning approach, and the content covered in the seminar. The introductory session is available to watch via prerecorded WEBINAR or can be delivered to your team live online upon request.
Integrated Strategic Planning Seminar – 12 hours (combination of self-paced learning modules & live sessions)
Learn the philosophy, methodology and application of the Whittle Consulting Integrated Strategic Planning approach via a combination of online interactive self-paced learning modules and live discussion sessions. As many concepts are counter-intuitive, it is ideal for senior managers from across the business to participate together. This creates a valuable framework for cross-functional collaboration. Attendance is often the final step in deciding whether to embark on a Whittle Enterprise Optimisation study, or the first step in doing it.
Opportunity Assessment – 3-5 days
A review of your existing life-of-mine plans and technical reports, based on public information or under an NDA. An online briefing meeting for context is useful, aiming to identify:
- What is the primary bottleneck, and what should it be
- What, therefore, are the value drivers
- Which of the Integrated Strategic Planning mechanisms could be applied and what would likely result.
- Whether the relevant data available
Those who have completed the Seminar will understand every word of this assessment. This assessment also provides an estimate of the range potential NPV uplift to be achieved with a Whittle Enterprise Optimisation. It forms the basis of a discussion of whether and how to proceed.
Strategic Option Study – 6-12 weeks
Using existing information and reasonable estimates, a Strategic Option Study involves some high-level modelling and application of some of the key strategic optimisation mechanisms. This is particularly relevant for early-stage projects (e.g., before, as part of, or following a Preliminary Economic Assessment), who are trying to get a feel on potential scope, scale, staging, flow sheet options, and the like. This will provide focus and direction for future more detailed studies (Pre-feasibility Study, Feasibility Study) that will follow on the path of project development and realisation.
Enterprise Optimisation – 4-6 months
A comprehensive study of the mining project or operation including data collection, modelling, analysis and application of all the relevant Integrated Strategic Planning techniques.
- Month 1 – Base case
A replication (and audit) of your existing pit, phase or underground mine plans, schedules, cut-off grades and stockpiling policies and existing processing and production/commercial assumptions.
- Month 2 – Optimised case
An optimised case is developed by applying Activity Based Costing, Theory of Constraints and the 10 Steps of Whittle Consulting Integrated Strategic Planning. This determines what the ore body and foreseen system are actually capable of in terms of generating stakeholder value and company valuation. Same data, same assumptions – a better plan.
- Month 3 – Scenarios
A variety of scenarios with different assumptions are explored to reflect alternative market conditions, test alternative technologies, consider different scaling/staging options and important sustainability criteria (water, carbon, tailings etc). This creates a new level of strategic agility; preparing the business to react to future changes in business contexts.
The result is a new Life of Mine Plan and thorough understanding of sensitivities and alternatives.
For more information on Whittle Consulting visit: https://www.whittleconsulting.com.au/