Accelerating Digital Transformation to Improve Mining Efficiency and Decision-Making

A diversified mining operator in Saudi Arabia managing multiple open-pit and processing facilities sought advisory support to design and implement a digital transformation roadmap. The client recognized that traditional operating models were no longer sufficient to meet productivity, safety, and sustainability expectations. They aimed to leverage digital technologies such as IoT, advanced analytics, automation, and integrated control centers to enhance mine performance, reduce costs, and improve decision-making across the value chain.

We developed a comprehensive digital transformation strategy for the mining value chain, prioritizing initiatives with clear operational and financial impact. The solution involved defining a digital vision, assessing current technological maturity, and identifying use cases across mine planning, operations, maintenance, safety, and sustainability. A digital architecture blueprint was created to integrate data sources into a central platform, enabling advanced analytics and visual dashboards. We also defined governance, capability-building, and change-management requirements to ensure sustainable adoption. The roadmap sequenced digital initiatives based on feasibility, value, and dependencies.

• Conducted a digital maturity assessment across sites, evaluating systems, data availability, process integration, and workforce capabilities against leading digital mining benchmarks.
• Identified and prioritized high-impact use cases such as real-time fleet optimization, predictive maintenance, digital geology models, and integrated control room dashboards.
• Designed a target digital architecture integrating operational technology, information systems, and analytics platforms into a unified data environment.
• Developed a multi-year roadmap detailing quick wins, pilot projects, and full-scale rollouts, with clear business cases, investment needs, and expected benefits for each initiative.
• Established a digital governance framework covering roles, responsibilities, cybersecurity considerations, and change management plans, alongside digital skills development programs.

• Start with focused pilot projects for high-value use cases to demonstrate quick wins, build momentum, and refine implementation methodologies before broader rollout.
• Establish an integrated operations center as the “digital nerve center” for key sites, consolidating real-time data and enabling cross-functional decision-making.
• Invest in building digital skills across the workforce through targeted training programs, coaching, and embedding digital champions within operations teams.
• Standardize data governance, including ownership, quality standards, and access protocols, to ensure that analytics outputs are trusted and consistently used.
• Continuously track digital initiative performance against defined KPIs and refine the roadmap based on lessons learned and evolving business priorities.

The digital transformation roadmap led to pilot implementations that delivered tangible benefits, including a 15% improvement in haul-truck utilization through fleet optimization analytics and a 20% reduction in unplanned downtime via predictive maintenance use cases. The integrated data platform enabled more accurate and timely decision-making, contributing to a 9% increase in overall production efficiency at targeted sites. Over the initial three-year horizon, the total value potential of the prioritized digital initiatives was estimated at SAR 42 million, with a positive return-on-investment profile and strong scalability across additional operations.