Refined copper producer Palabora Copper has successfully enhanced its project management and tracking functions by implementing Project Portfolio Office (PPO), an online project portfolio management and collaboration application.

Having first implemented PPO in September 2012, Palabora has since acquired a better understanding of how it could best be applied, which subsequently prompted the re-implementation of PPO in August 2013 to meet the specific requirements for its business improvement projects, says Palabora business improvement manager Dr Naison Mazana.

“Based on challenges in our project management environment, such as having difficulty in locating archived project information on time, Palabora decided to roll out a comprehensive online project management system, and PPO was the solution of choice,” he tells Mining Weekly.

Mazana adds that, apart from PPO’s capability to support multiple users, the system has enhanced the visibility and understanding of the business improvement division’s contribution to the com- pany’s corporate agenda.

He tells Mining Weekly that PPO proved to be more cost effective and easier to use than the other systems Palabora had tested. “In addition to meeting our requirements, PPO has enabled us to centralise our document storage so that all project leaders and the management team can access a central repository of project information and reporting.”

He adds that the PPO platform has significantly enhanced the company’s business improvement project reporting and value tracking, as it can now continuously inform stakeholders of company developments and send updates online.

Palabora Copper is situated in the Ba-Phalaborwa area, in Limpopo. It operates a large block-cave copper mine and smelter complex, with a staff complement of 2 200.

The mine generates about 80 000 t of refined copper a year, which is used in South Africa and exported to countries such as China.

Palabora also owns and operates a vermiculite deposit in the same area, where the vermiculite is mined, processed and sold for use in refractory insulation and acoustic panels worldwide.

Tailor-Made
PPO was designed by project managers to assist project teams in any organisation with project planning, management, execution and reporting, says PPO CEO Guy Jelley.
“The cloud-based application is simple to use, yet enterprise capable, with numerous preconfigured solutions available. It is a true ‘software as a service’ application, which means it is immediately available and does not require a long-term contract. It is also flexible, as it can be billed per active user, per month.”

He tells Mining Weekly that PPO also enables businesses to easily store, retain and access project documents, enabling users to upload, categorise, manage, search for and download files from anywhere.

In addition, PPO can provide automated reports on a single project or on multiple projects, programmes and portfolios, including details on history and trends, and graphical dashboards with drill-through capabilities.

“The PPO solution has been tried and tested across several industries, including the mining industry, in South Africa and internationally,” concludes Jelley.