business analytics enabling digital mines...business analytics enabling digital mines: discover how...
TRANSCRIPT
Business Analytics Enabling Digital Mines: Discover how Peabody Energy uses the
SAP Business Objects tool suite for real-time mining analytics. Applications include tracking of
shovels, excavators and trucks in both a Mine Control Office and via a VPN-protected mobile
application. By leveraging all standard delivered functionality from Webi, Dashboard design,
widget to standard delivered mobile application Peabody has created real-time equipment
tracking on a third party mining modular system.
Company Overview
Peabody Energy’s BI Journey
• Current landscape is SAP ERP 6.0 and SAP NetWeaver BW 7.1
• SAP Business Objects Enterprise XI 3.1 as well as SAP Business Objects 4.0 and
Deski
• Leverages SAP NetWeaver BW Accelerator
• BI Integrated Planning for Enterprise Planning and Forecasting
• BW BCS for financial consolidation
• BEx Query Designer and BEx Analyzer for analytical reporting
• Web application designer and SAP Business Objects Dashboards (formerly
Xcelsius®) for dashboards
• SAP Crystal Reports for formatted reporting
• SAP Business Objects BI Widgets
• SAP Business Objects Metadata Manager
• SAP Business Objects Explorer
Business Case – Ops Dashboard & Mobility
The Challenge
Peabody Energy solution is about how simply getting the right to information to the right people
can make a significant difference in increasing production at the operations. As such, our IT
Business Intelligence team in partnership with the Operations worked together to find a way to
increase visibility of our mobile equipment (haul tracks, dozers, and excavators and drag lines etc.)
located at our surface and underground operations.
The solution had to address three key objectives and will be piloted at one of our flagship US
operations with plans to implement globally where appropriate:
Provide a platform that will enable real-time visibility and transparency for mobile equipment
Enable analytics of the key performance indicators (KPI’s) to drive increased efficiency at our mining
operations without additional capital equipment or human capital
Exception Based Reporting and Alerting
Ensure solution is mobile and easy to use at all levels within the operations to affect timely actions
Performance – Updates need to occur every 2 mins and run on demand when accessed
To achieve maximum ROI for our organization we paired our SAP Business Intelligence platform with our
third party Modular DISPATCH fleet management system with GPS-based equipment positioning to enable
dispatchers, mine managers, and other decision-makers to manage our operations, from the face of the coal
seam to the preparation plant.
At Peabody we extended our Real-time Business Intelligence platform directly to the Modular SQL database
tables to join data together in a Symantec layer (SAP Universe) with business logic to render data real-time in
mine site control rooms via widgets, reports and on mobile devices. A widget is a floating desktop object that
consumes data and renders and self updates every couple of minutes on 47 inch monitors for analysis by
operational supervisors to effectively manage the health and location of our fleet of equipment.
Solution
Business Objects Universe Layer
Business Logic Via Derived tables
Dashboard
Design
SAP BW
Modular Fleet System
Home Grown Applications
DMO
BO
Widget
Webi
SAP BI Widget
SAP BI WEbi
SAP BI Dashboard Design
Widgets – Business Objects
SAP BI Mobile APP
IPAD
IPAD - Annotation
Benefits to Peabody Energy
Using existing technologies, Peabody’s IT delivered a comprehensive solution that is
driving increased efficiency of equipment monitoring and optimization. Innovating in use
of existing infrastructure and technology to solve a current challenge has enabled Peabody
IT to maximize value for the company.
• Peabody’s existing operations confirm the reporting solution implemented is proving effective.
One Asset Manager wrote: “Regarding the first bucket report, in the relative short-term of its
existence, it has allowed us to focus on our start of shift efficiency and planning. This has been
especially the case for night shift which is using the data to manage their start ups and make
adjustments, which they can now monitor. The night superintendent is using the report to better
hold his supervisors accountable, and it’s greatly increased awareness”. Adjusting for
uncontrollable delays we have seen gains of up to 15 minutes on average start times which can
easily translate to 20-plus loads per shift.” For reference, a load of coal is approximately 200
tons.
A significant improvement according to a senior vice president of operations is that: “ the team is
now building reports and tools for “off the shelf devices”; our phones and iPads. Many of our
employees can utilize these tools and it does not require opening a computer or sitting down at a
desk to keep current and aware of the information and mine performance. The more effectively
we display data in common tools the more likely we will have a higher utilization of that data
when it is gathered to make improved decisions.”
• Peabody IT designed the solution that is scalable so any current and future mine – no matter what
PLC system it uses – can be easily brought into the standard Business Intelligence platform and
benefit from the reporting suite created.
7 Key Points to Take Home
• Clearly understand the long- and short-term goals of your organization
• Review board goals, strategic plans, and departmental goals when identifying
KPIs to track and report
• Gain Executive Sponsorship for all reporting/Mobile initiatives
• Standardize key metric formulas and definitions across the organization
• Data quality is key for a successful implementation
• Have a change management division in your BI team
The organization doesn’t know what it doesn’t know
• Stop doing BI projects and start running BI programs to increase
standardization and reuse/reallocate your time to take on governance,
information management, dashboarding, and strategic vision
