From Theory to Mines and Markets
While the DMS Core remains proprietary knowledge, Here's some of the theory behind it.
The economics of mining is often treated as a marginal optimisation problem. Capital cost allocation becomes a complexity with no simple answer.
Traditional mining tools, our competitors, focus exclusively on the mine sequence and cut-off grades for on-going operations at defined scale.
Decision Matrix constitutes an advancement, integrating thousands of value drivers, from processing routes to predicting the infrastructure costs required alongside the mining sequence.
We can do better than this.
Traditional mining economics struggled to find its way.
Decision Matrix is mining software, financial modelling and market intelligence as one platform.
The kinds of questions answered by DMS include:
What's my optimal mining sequence?
What should my product strategy be based on Steel Mill purchasing behaviour? How should it inform the rest of my sequence?
What is my optimal mining sequence based on the information I have?
What is the mathematical trade-off between value, capital, product quality and operating cost for my business?
Based on a prospective partner's mine characteristics, should I invest, divest, or engage in a joint venture?
What operational cost is acceptable to proceed with this project?
These capabilities are found in our tools SPP OPTIMISER and LEADLINE, powered by the DMS Core Engine.
Field Tested.
Back in 2008, a version of DMS solved a major's challenge in the Pilbara.
How was it done?
Back then, there was no graphic interface, no GIS capabilities, and 16 hours of run time. 300+ pages of code and limited compute. Already revolutionary back then, the newest version of DMS represents a true innovation in the market.
What's new?
The DMS Core has been built from the ground up with an entirely new code base. Partially informed from our old 2007 mine management model, we have made a new model in C# and .NET.
A pure linear programming solution.
Elegant.
Decision Matrix is built upon a pure linear programming architecture. Unlike heuristic or rule-based optimisation approaches, linear programming guarantees the mathematically optimal solution within defined constraints.
We use machine learning to help define and improve the accuracy of these constraints. This structure allows thousands of operational, financial, and market variables to be evaluated simultaneously, producing solutions that are transparent, computationally efficient and easy to prove.
Complex decision environments are reduced to a structured system of relationships, constraints and objective functions. Once defined, Decision Matrix evaluates your decision space in seconds. This avoids expensive simulation studies, shaping exercises and years of operational limbo.
Questions of mine sequencing, capital allocation, production strategy, infrastructure investment, and market behaviour can be explored within a single unified model.
We comprehensively win against our competition in features and speed.
Key Feature Definitions
Blending: Can it calculate the optimal mix of 2 different ore products to sell on the market? For example, can it solve iron ore blends?
Multi-products: What should you consider waste, what %purity can you still modify your mining waste into a marketable product? Can it be blended in the first place if not already optimal?
Alternative Multiple Processing Flowsheets: Are all the potential processing options provided? Does it give you more than just the ‘optimal’ solution to view when ran?
Stockpiling: Optimal amount and quality of your stockpile to keep in response to market constraints updated period to period.
Dynamic Allocation of Capital Expenditure: Do you need to predefine all your variables in a snapshot? Do you have to tell your software what you’re planning to spend on each component already? Can the software, operating on calculated basic unit cost, decide what your CAPEX on each variable should be?
Optimal Mine Production Capacity: Does the software calculate for you what the size of your mine should be? Without the use of any other software, just by itself, can you determine the optimum production capacity and economic mine life in a single instance?
Optimal Cut-Off Grade: What %purity should you reject the product? What is the minimum %purity that you require for your product to be viable in the market and at what price.
Integration with Port and Rail: Can the software, provided data, calculate the rail and port expansion capital expenditure necessary to bring your product to market profitably?
Time to Solve: Small = 1 Mine Deposit, Medium = 3 Mine Deposits, Large = 20+ Mine Deposits. Bear in mind, Decision Matrix does more in less time.
Others will copy what we say. We perform.
Decision Matrix Systems is a leader in the market.
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