Successfully designed and completed transition to owner-operate on time and within the original budget, delivering an asset with 50% lower operating costs and 20% increased production

A major gold producer in West Africa was employing a contractor to mine and manage its open‑pit operations.

In order to remove the 'contractor margin' and to obtain improved control of its operations (and associated improvement opportunities), the client decided to insource and transition to an owner‑operate model.

• Design a comprehensive program to insource all aspects of the open‑pit operations
• Conduct an assessment of all processes and systems to determine the Operational Readiness of the site and the client's ability to both execute the transition plans and manage the operations once complete
• Develop transition plans (what, who, when) for all affected departments, and identify risks with detailed mitigation and contingency plans
• Recruit over 200 employees (many from the local community), and complete comprehensive equipment‑specific and standard operating procedure training
• Implement a Head of Department Management Operating System across all 10 departments onsite and cost 'wiring' across all departments, allowing for increased cost visibility and greater cost control