I want to thank everyone who contributed to my question in a LinkedIn post and to provide a summary of what I took away from the 40 responses to my question, combined with my 30 years of experience in the field. Instead of adding a comment in response to that post, I thought it better if I detailed my conclusions in an article.

I started with a very long list of what a good mine schedule should include, or consider, or look like. After all, I did have 40 responses to my question!! But I’ve always been a great fan of the KISS approach (Keep It Simple Stupid), so I consolidated that long list into six core areas initially. A good mine schedule would:

1. Have A Solid Foundation – the schedule is built on a database that is accurate, you can be confident in it.

2. Does What Is Required – it achieves all the necessary targets.

3. Be Smart – we are engineers after all! The schedule ensures efficient and productive mining.

4. Be Achievable – the schedule is capable of being executed by the mining team.

5. Leave The Mine In A Better Place –inventory is not consumed to achieve the schedule, it leaves us in an equal or better position.

6. Be Transparent – information and decisions are transparent and those charged with execution understand the why.

The above list is a good starting point and there is nothing wrong with considering all of these measures when you’re carrying out mine scheduling. But I wanted something simpler than that, something easy to remember so you don’t need to refer to a document somewhere. So I consolidated that list to the “4 R’s” of scheduling.

A good mine schedule will look like the following, it is:

· Reliable – the schedule is built on a solid foundation, with accurate underlying designs and volumes.

· Right – the schedule achieves the right outcomes, it hits all the necessary targets.

· Robust – the schedule survives first contact with the enemy (thanks George McCullough). That is, it is executable and has low inherent risks.

· Rational – the schedule is smart (or more to the point, it is “not dumb”). It maximises profit through optimal ore blending, minimal downtime, and having the right equipment in the right face.

Now I could throw a fifth “R” into the list and say it should also be Realistic. It is representative of what actually takes place at the mine site, it matches historical production rates and it takes account of the variabilities inherent in mining operations. But less is more and I would argue that a realistic schedule will show up through the schedule being right, reliable, and robust. So 4 R’s it is!

If you’ve been scheduling for a long time already, you have your own version of what’s important in a mine schedule, so this article may not be of significant value to you. I’ve written this article primarily for three audiences.

· Those who took the time to comment on my initial question posted on LinkedIn. Hopefully, I have given back and you get something from this article.

· Those who are in the early days of their scheduling journey, or mine scheduling is still in your future. There is much to consider in creating a good mine schedule, but if you take the 4 R’s onboard and your schedule has them covered, then you’re not going to be far off the mark of a good mine schedule.

· The people charged with executing the plan. I hope this article helps in thinking about whether the schedule you have been given is a quality plan. If not, then go back and challenge the mine schedulers to achieve a schedule that is!

Have fun!!