MineSched

MineSched is a surface and underground mine production scheduling solution, that is integrated functionally with the Surpac Product.

MineSched uses Surpac’s scripting and block model constraint/reporting functions to deliver a highly flexible, interactive production scheduling system. It includes the ability to schedule virtually any mining scenario, including targeting grade and materials goals. It has the ability to ‘look head’ to ensure that future material and grade distribution is considered in formulating the short term plan.

MineSched is a detailed production scheduling solution, differing from pit optimisation and strategic mine planning tools which model production from a longer term perspective taking into account economic variables and optimising overall project returns.

History

The development of MineSched began in 1998, when Crane Harvey (Surpac Canada) began piloting a new approach to surface mine production scheduling.

The advent of Surpac’s new TCL scripting environment and lack of a scheduling solution in Surpac together with Mr Harvey’s experience in mine engineering led to an opportunity for the development of MineSched. The business evolved as a partnership between the Surpac and Minesched organisations where Surpac provided sales and technical support via its global channels while MineSched focused on research, development and channel support.

Minesched set out to provide a highly flexible, visual, tactical scheduling solution for surface mine planning. Each customer introduced new requirements that helped guide development. The ability to develop the product independently of Surpac’s core body of code, together with the flexibility of TCL and Excel for managing parameters allowed an agile response to the market demands for an expanding range of functionality.

By 2002 the Minesched team had developed the underground planning module, integrated with the surface planning tools to provide an integrated model for both surface and underground operators.

The success of MineSched grew in line with the market response to the product, while Surpac benefited both strategically and commercially from the addition of a tightly integrated and market leading scheduling product to complement its Mining Planning solutions.

MineSched is an example of a successful innovation using the Surpac developer tools (TCL) in close partnership with an established product within a global market.

In July 2006 Gemcom Software acquired the Surpac Minex company. Minesched continued to develop into a globally recognised brand and a product and industry leader in production scheduling. In 2013 Gemcom (now Geovia) acquired the MineSched business, which joins the Geovia stable of industry leading products.