Por: José Zavaleta Velazco, superintendente de Gestión y Planificación, Compañía Minera Antapaccay.

Abstract

Within the framework of Compañía Minera Antapaccay’s commitment to operational excellence and digital transformation, a comprehensive project was developed to optimize the loading process, a critical stage within the mining production chain. The initiative addressed a specific challenge: high variability in payload was generating operational inefficiencies, equipment overload, and a negative impact on unit production costs.

The strategy implemented was based on three fundamental pillars: people, processes, and technology. From a technological standpoint, the ARGUS system was incorporated as a real-time loading management tool. However, the true value of the project lay in its human-centered approach. A standardized operational model was designed to strengthen the competencies of shovel operators, supervisors, and instructors, promoting a culture of empowerment and continuous improvement while ensuring sustainable adoption.

The process was carried out in four phases: organizational diagnosis and change management, pilot implementation, progressive scaling, and operational maturity. This methodology enabled the sustainable adoption of the technology under real conditions of high operational demand.

The project generated a significant economic and operational impact, achieving USD 30 million in CapEx savings by avoiding the acquisition of six trucks, and USD 15 million in annual OpEx savings due to improvements in the loading cycle performance. At the operational level, payload per truck increased by +27 tonnes, load variability was reduced from 10.6% to 5.3%, and loading time decreased by 15%, all as a result of the standardization of practices and the integration of technology with a human-centered approach.

This project represents a human-centered and sustainable digital transformation, where technology is aligned with the development of human team capabilities. At the same time, it constitutes a replicable model of operational efficiency with direct economic impact, based on process standardization and the intelligent use of digital tools. Finally, this experience positions Antapaccay as a benchmark in Peruvian and international mining, demonstrating that it is possible to advance toward digitalization with purpose, productivity, and human commitment.