What 20 Years of Mining Taught Me About Technology (Hint: Most of It’s Wrong)

After two decades in mining – from operating equipment to managing multi-million dollar budgets – I’ve learned something that might surprise you: most of what the technology industry believes about mining operations is fundamentally wrong.

I’ve sat through countless vendor presentations, implemented dozens of systems, and watched millions of dollars get spent on solutions that operators either can’t use or won’t use. The disconnect between what technology companies think miners need and what actually works in the field isn’t just embarrassing – it’s expensive.

Here’s what 20 years of real mining operations taught me about technology, and why the industry needs to fundamentally rethink its approach.

Myth #1: More Features = Better Software

What vendors believe: Mining software should have every possible feature because mining operations are complex.

What I learned: The best mining software does three things incredibly well, not thirty things adequately.

During my time as General Foreman at Grande Cache Coal Corporation, we had a fleet management system with over 2000 configurable options. Sounds impressive, right? In reality, our dispatchers used maybe 15 of those features daily because they didn’t have time to learn the other 1985 during a 12-hour shift managing 100+ pieces of equipment.

The most successful digital deployment I was part of at TECK Resources succeeded specifically because we focused on three core capabilities: real-time production data, simple communication tools, and actionable Kpi’s. We achieved 92% adoption because the system did exactly what users needed without overwhelming them with “powerful features” they’d never use.

The reality: Supervisors & Operators need tools that make their immediate decisions easier, not Swiss Army knives that require a manual to operate.

Myth #2: Training Solves Adoption Problems

What vendors believe: If operators aren’t using the system, they just need more training.

What I learned: If your system requires extensive training, your system is the problem.

I’ve been through more software training sessions than I can count. Week-long certification programs. “Power user” workshops. Online learning modules. And you know what I noticed? The systems that required the most training were the ones that failed in the field.

The best example was our transition from excel-based production tracking to automated reporting. The system that worked required zero formal training – supervisors took one look and immediately understood what they were seeing. The system that failed had required a two-day training program and accidentally wiping out an excel formula could get you fired.

The reality: Good mining software should be intuitive enough that an experienced operator can figure it out in 10 minutes, not 10 hours.

Myth #3: Integration Happens at the Database Level

What vendors believe: If systems can share data, they’re integrated.

What I learned: Real integration happens at the decision level, not the data level.

At Grande Cache Coal, we spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on middleware to connect our fleet management system to our ERP system. Technically, they were integrated – data flowed between them automatically. But operationally, they might as well have been on different planets.

When a truck broke down, the fleet management system would update its status, the maintenance dispatcher would manually create a work order in the ERP system, and the maintenance module would open a repair order. Sounds seamless, right? Except the dispatcher still had to manually call maintenance, both the maintenance and operations supervisors still had to physically check on the repair status, and the planner still had to guess when the central warehouse would deliver the parts.

The reality: Integration means information flows to the right person at the right time to make better decisions, not just that databases can talk to each other. In My humble opinion, Integration to operations mean that our people have integrated the process into their daily routine, the tools that make that happen should be an afterthought.

Myth #4: Customization is Just Configuration

What vendors believe: Mining operations are all basically the same, so configuration options can handle any differences.

What I learned: Every mine is unique, and software needs to adapt to operations, not the other way around.

I’ve never worked at two mines that operated exactly the same way. Different geology, different equipment, different safety protocols, different union agreements, different environmental constraints. Yet software vendors keep trying to sell “one-size-fits-all” solutions with “easy customization.”

The customization reality? Simple changes require professional services at $2,000 per day. Complex modifications need new software releases. And forget about adapting to your specific operational workflows – you adapt to theirs.

The reality: Mining software should be built on modular, plugin-based architectures that can actually adapt to how your specific operation works.

Myth #5: Real-Time Data Means Real-Time Decisions

What vendors believe: If supervisors have access to live data, they’ll make better decisions faster.

What I learned: Real-time data without context is just real-time noise.

During my digital specialist years, I deployed tools that displayed hundreds of real-time data points. Equipment locations, fuel levels, production rates, maintenance alerts – everything updated every 30 seconds. supervisors ignored most of it.

Why? Because raw data isn’t information. Knowing that Truck 47 is at the dump doesn’t help a dispatcher. Knowing that Truck 47 is 2 minutes behind schedule because of poor road conditions at the dump and should be rerouted to another dozer until the road is repaired – that’s actionable information. It’s the context that turns streams of data into actionable insights.

The reality: Supervisors / dispatchers need intelligent context, not just data. They need to know what’s wrong, why it’s wrong, what’s at risk, and what they should do about it. 

Myth #6: Mobile Apps Solve Fieldwork Challenges

What vendors believe: Put your software on a tablet and it works in the field.

What I learned: Mobile mining software needs to work in conditions that would destroy most consumer electronics.

I’ve watched superintendents try to use tablets in -40°C weather with winter gloves on. I’ve seen “rugged” devices fail after one shift in a dusty pit. I’ve watched operators give up on mobile apps because they couldn’t see the screen in direct sunlight.

But more importantly, I’ve learned that mobility isn’t about device form factor – it’s about workflow. A supervisor walking the pit doesn’t need a mobile version of the office dashboard. They need location-specific information, simple input methods, and tools that work with their hands dirty.

The reality: Field mobility means designing for extreme conditions and operational workflows, not just shrinking desktop software to fit smaller screens.

Myth #7: AI and Machine Learning Will Solve Everything

What vendors believe: Apply AI to your mining data and watch productivity soar.

What I learned: AI is only as good as the operational context you give it.

The newest trend is AI-powered predictive maintenance, route optimization, and performance analytics. Sounds revolutionary. In practice, most AI implementations I’ve seen fail because they don’t understand mining operations.

An AI system might predict that Equipment X will fail in 3 days based on vibration patterns. But it doesn’t know that Equipment X is scheduled for preventive maintenance tomorrow anyway. Or that Equipment X isn’t actually critical to production. Or that the replacement part is already on site.

The reality: AI needs to be trained not just on data patterns, but on operational priorities, constraints, and decision-making contexts. The very data points that are never captured in any system I’ve seen. There is no log of a superintendents and supervisors decisions based on a given context at decision time, at best we can see that one loading unit went down and another was fired up, there will rarely be context given about the root cause of the decision or the thinking that lead to the decision being made, just a database of status changes. This must change for true Ai integration.

What Actually Works

After 20 years, here’s what I’ve learned actually works in mining operations:

Simplicity beats sophistication. Tools that do one thing perfectly beat tools that do many things adequately.

Context beats data. Information that helps make decisions beats raw data that requires interpretation.

Workflow beats features. Software that fits how work actually gets done beats software with impressive capabilities.

Reliability beats innovation. Systems that work every time beat systems with cutting-edge features that sometimes fail.

Adoption beats optimization. A simple tool that everyone uses beats a powerful tool that only experts use.

The Path Forward

This isn’t a condemnation of technology in mining – it’s a call for better technology in mining. The industry needs software built by people who understand operations, not just coding.

We need modular systems that can adapt to specific operations instead of forcing operations to adapt to generic software. We need intelligent tools that provide context, not just data. We need reliable solutions that work in harsh conditions, not consumer apps in rugged cases.

Most importantly, we need to stop accepting software that doesn’t work just because “that’s how mining software has always been.”

Building Better Solutions

That’s why I left operations to help build better solutions. Not because I wanted to escape mining operations, but because I wanted to help them. The next generation of mining software needs to be built by people who’ve actually run mining operations.

Open Mine OS, OPS5D, and the other solutions being developed start with operational reality and work backward to the technology. They’re designed by people who’ve made decisions under pressure, managed equipment failures at 2 AM, and coordinated complex operations with incomplete information.

The mining industry deserves technology that works as hard as the people who run it. It’s time we stopped accepting anything less.

---

What’s your experience with mining technology? Have you seen the disconnect between vendor promises and operational reality? Share your stories – because the only way we fix this industry is by being honest about what actually works.