as four overhauls; in a typical lifecycle,
this would only have been done twice,
but because of their age we were
having availability issues. The key
metrics of the journey have been
availability of the equipment and its
proper and consistent utilization.”
It is equally essential to have both
equipment at hand when it is needed,
and trained staff who are available
to capitalize on it. “We added a fourth
shift underground for the truck drivers,
meaning there are now four overlap-
ping eight-hour shifts. Those shifts
are staggered over the course of the
day, and changeovers at the truck
underground rather than on surface.
This cuts out travel time, meal times
and so on, and has resulted in produc-
tivity time increasing from 15 to 22
hours per day.” Simply adding additional
work hours is far from the sum of
Ascendant’s work with its staff. “In the
five years prior to the acquisition, there
had been six general managers each
with their own priorities and projects,”
explains Buncic, highlighting the
general sense of uncertainty and lackCLICK TO WATCH: ‘ONE X ONE WITH CHRIS BUNCIC,
ASCENDANT RESOURCES PRESIDENT AND CEO’ 343http://www.businesschief.com