From Looking Digital to Being Digital: The Impact of Technology on the Future of Work companies like global mining giant Rio The Operations Centre is exactly what it traditional mining know-how. And, it Tinto, skilled operators, data analysts and sounds like: a facility where equipment provides a hugely important link between engineers guide the intricate interplay of operators sit in a command centre the company’s growing staff of quantitative gigantic drills and excavators, gargantuan hundreds of miles away from the mine. analysts and the mines themselves. earth movers and dump trucks, and trains pulling hundreds of cars headed to ports Built originally to provide a more attractive The Operations Centre has already and refineries around the globe. But, by work environment for always-scarce skilled demonstrated clear and impressive contrast to traditional automation—where workers, the Operations Centre has brought results: increased efficiency, improved the objective is to replace direct labor with operators face-to-face to share common reliability, decreased variability and better more consistent, accurate and repeatable screen views of the mine and its environs, identification of performance issues. mechanical processes—Rio Tinto’s engineers and to orchestrate their work in response and managers have adopted a systemic to changing conditions like weather, truck Analysts, many of whom are scientists view: where the objective to achieve a breakdowns or major equipment moves. and mathematicians with only a passing quantum leap in performance comes about Physical proximity encouraged operators knowledge of mining, grind through by more effectively combining human and to collaborate and mutually adjust. As one massive databases generated hourly by machine intelligence. senior executive put it, “they could finally sensing equipment in mines throughout look each other in the eye and know that the world and make recommendations Rio Tinto introduced its Operations Centre the other person is going to make good on to operators in the Operations Centre in 2010 as part of its Mine of the Future™ a commitment.” about new approaches to their jobs. programme to service its iron ore business Common dedication to improving system in Western Australia. The Operations Centre More importantly, the Operations Centre yield—whether in the mines themselves in Perth is “Mission Control” for Rio Tinto’s has turned out to be an essential ingredient or through timely maintenance of entire Pilbara network that consists of in the transformation of mining operations. equipment or the avoidance of delays in 15 mines, up to 1,500km of rail, and 3 It serves as an operational hub and as a the ports—complements common access port terminals as well as power and other rich repository of mining, transport and to the operational data. The net effect is infrastructure. supply chain experience. In many respects a remarkably productive combination of it represents the optimal combination human and machine talents. of high-tech work environment and 27 | Accenture | Copyright 2014 Accenture. All rights reserved. ©