Theory of Constraints consulting, Australia

Challenges

Results
Elevate port capacity to accommodate expanded mine production and maximise client’s share of a booming market

Engineering work completed three weeks ahead of schedule
Optimise use of constrained engineering resources in a very tight labour market

33% improvement in the productivity of people working on the project
Minimise production lost during construction shutdown

The shut sequence was precisely choreographed for minimum downtime of just 16 weeks
Take maximum advantage of financial contribution of every additional tonne to be sold

Each hour completed early was worth $500,000, realising a total of more than $100m additional profit

Challenge

The company engaged Ensemble to manage the rapid expansion of the constrained part of its supply chain. Our expertise in optimising critically constrained resources as well as our advanced planning and scheduling capabilities were seen as critical success factors.

The Ensemble Effect

Using our systems approach, we sequenced our client’s project plan to ramp up port capacity in line with the increased mine production. Our methods delivered 33% higher productivity than client expectations—increasing engineering output, reducing project lead time, lowering costs and freeing up resources early to work on the next phase of expansion.

The result? Additional profit of over $100 million. The increased flow in the expanded port delivered an additional 4,000 tonnes of iron ore per hour, valued at more than $1.5 billion of extra annual profit.