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Resources (Production Rates)

A resource has a production rate that defines how quickly it performs an activity (like mining or drilling) on an activity area. For example, a shovel-based resource could perform Mining at a rate of 3,500 t/h. If a resource performs several activities, the rate can differ per activity (e.g., the same resource performs Drilling at a rate of 14 m/h).

Global rate

A resource’s base production rates are defined in Config > Resources tab. These base rates (as the initial rate per activity) apply to all sites. If a resource is used in multiple sites, it uses its global rates in each site by default.

By default, a resource’s global rates are the same as all other resources within its class. However, you can override the global rates per resource within a class.

Different rate per site

You can override a resource’s production rates for each site, replacing the global default with a site-specific rate. Site-specific overrides are valuable for reflecting the local conditions, such as harder material or different shift patterns. For example, the same resource might need to perform Mining at 2,900 t/h on a different site.

To override the resource’s production rate for the given site, select Override Global Resource Rate in the resource row.

You define a resource’s site-specific rates by entering an expression within the site configuration. The expression determines the new rate for the resource’s assigned activities. The expression typically involves referencing the ResourceMiningRate_[ResourceName] field.

Resource rate field

Each resource has a ResourceMiningRate_[ResourceName] field, which stores its global production rates – which vary per activity.

For example, let’s say resource Shovel1 mines two activities, Ore and Waste. The following information is stored in the ResourceMiningRate_Shovel1 field:

Override production rates for site

You can override a resource’s global production rates for the given site. An expression sets the resource’s site-specific production rates for all its activities. This expression should typically reference the resource rate field to return the resource’s global production rates – allowing those values to be modified. You could also build an expression that doesn’t reference the field.

Example – adjustment factor

The expression could involve a simple adjustment factor, taking the resource’s global production rates (one for each activity) and increasing them by 10%.

ResourceMiningRates_Shovel1 * 1.1

Example – conditional by calendar period

This expression increases the resource’s production rate by 0.3% per period for the first three periods, then reverts to the normal rate from period 4 onward.

IIF(PeriodNumber < 4,
ResourceMiningRates_Shovel1 * (1 + (PeriodNumber * 0.003)),
ResourceMiningRates_Shovel1)

Example – conditional by activity area

This expression increases the rate if the activity is Mining and the activity area has more than 20,000 tonnes.

IIF(Activity = "Mining" And Mass > 20000,
ResourceMiningRates_Shovel1 * 1.3, ResourceMiningRates_Shovel1)

Example – reference other resource’s rate

A resource could operate at 90% of another resource’s rate.

EX01 Rate: ResourceMiningRates_SH01 * 0.9

Field reference categories

The table below outlines the types of fields that can be referenced in the site-specific production rate expressions. For definitions about each field, see Field References.

Period production rates

There are three ways to make a resource’s site-specific production rates vary per period.

• In the expression, reference Date fields and use functions to return production rates based on the given period (as shown in an example above).

• In the resource’s client configuration, enter a periodic rate factor (refer to Client > Resources tab)

• Use the Allow Resource Period Value option.

Allow resource period value

For a given resource, when you select Allow Resource Period Value, the ResourcePeriodValue field can be referenced in the site-specific expression. Additionally, the field appears in the client resource configuration (Client > Resources tab).

1. In the client resource configuration, for the given resource, you specify a base periodic value in the Resource Period Value row. Typically, this field should represent the resource’s base periodic production rate across the site.

   1. You can define a static default (i.e., 3,500 t/h applying to all periods), a dynamic expression-based default, or define periodic manual overrides (i.e., use 4,000 t/h in Period4).

2. In the site-specific expression (here), you reference the ResourcePeriodValue field to return the resource’s period value for the given period (as defined in the client resource configuration).

   1. You can further modify the field by referencing other fields using functions and operators.

If the expression simply references ResourcePeriodValue, the rate simply derives from the periodic values stored across that field. The expression can also reference other fields—like principal fields, calendar data, and resource attributes—to apply conditional logic and return a value per period. For example, to make the periodic rate vary per activity, you can reference functions such as IIF() and the activity names to create a dynamic expression.

Examples

The examples below demonstrate how the period production rate can be used to form the actual/final rate of a resource performing an activity. To keep things simple, the examples exclude other factors that can determine the actual rate, such as activity area rates and periodic rate factors.

For information about these other factors, see Production rates overview below.

Simple reference

Period production rate

An example of the ResourcePeriodValue field values in Client > Resources tab. Periods use the default unless overridden (like P2 and P3).

Site-specific production rate

An example of referencing the ResourcePeriodValue field in a resource’s site-specific rate expression. The site-specific production rates now vary per period.

Actual production rate used

Showing the actual production rate used by the resource, ignoring any activity area rates and the rate factor)

Modifying reference

Period production rate

An example of the ResourcePeriodValue field values in Client > Resources tab

Site-specific production rate

An example of referencing the ResourcePeriodValue field in a dynamic way. If the resource is performing the Ore activity, its production rate for that period is multiplied by 1.7.

Actual production rate used

Showing the actual production rate used by the resource, ignoring any activity area rates, rate factor, and other modifiers

Production rates overview

A resource’s production rate determines how quickly it performs a task. For example, a shovel might mine an activity area at 1,500 t/h.

Production rates are defined and adjusted in different parts of the application:

Nominal production rate

The nominal production rate is the global base rate at which a resource performs a task, unaffected by any modifiers or site-specific production rate expressions. It’s configured in Config > Resources tab.

It can vary by activity type. For example:

• Mining: 3,000 t/h

• Drilling: 14 m/h

By default, all resources in a class inherit the same rate, but you can override it for specific resource-activity combinations.

In Client > Gantt Chart, you can view and override the nominal rate for specific resource-activity area combinations.

Entered production rate

The entered production rate accounts for the site-specific production rate (if defined), the periodic rate factor (if defined), and the activity area rate factor (if defined).

While this field isn’t shown in the UI by default (whereas the nominal and actual fields are shown on the Gantt chart), you can reference it in reports.

Site-specific rate

A resource can have a site-specific production for a given site. Depending on whether you’ve enabled and how you use ResourcePeriodValue, you can define a different site-specific production rate for each period.

When using a site-specific production rate for a resource, it makes the nominal rate redundant. In this case, overriding the nominal production rate on the Gantt chart won’t affect the actual production rate.

If the resource has a site-specific production rate, it’s used as part of the equation to determine its actual production rate. If there’s no site-specific production rate, the nominal rate is used in the equation.

Rate factors

For a given site, to determine the entered production rate of a resource, the software takes either:

• The nominal production rate (if no site-specific rate is defined)

• The site-specific rate (if it is defined)

And multiplies it by the resource’s period rate factor (refer to Client > Reporting tab) and the activity area factor (refer to Client > Activity Areas tab).

Entered Rate = (Nominal Rate or Site Rate) × Period Rate Factor × Activity Area Factor

Example for a given resource:

For a resource and activity area combination, the entered rate is equivalent to Mass / Operating Hours.

Actual production rate

The actual production rate reflects the real rate achieved during a task. It accounts for:

• The entered rate (or the average of the rate if the task spans across multiple periods where the rate varies).

• The resource’s Effective Utilisation

It’s determined using this formula:

Actual Rate = Entered Rate × Effective Utilisation

Resource effective utilisation

The resource effective utilisation represents the total percentage of operating time during which the resource is used.

It combines:

• Availability (time available)

• Utilisation (time used)

• Efficiency (performance quality)

It’s determined using this formula:

Effective Utilisation = Availability * Utilisation * Efficiency

For information about setting up a resource’s availability, utilisation, and efficiency, refer to Client > Resources tab.

Activity area rate factor

Each activity area can have a rate factor that modifies the production rate of any resource working in that area. This is defined in Activity Areas tab.

Evaluate actual production rate

You can evaluate the actual production rates for a given resource-task combination in Gantt Chart and Reporting tab.