A framework for measuring the maturity of real-time information management systems (RTIMS) in the mining industry

Real-time information management systems (RTIMS) are emerging for the mining industry. RTIMS are created to enable minimal-latency (real-time) of information delivery and usage to enable dynamic and smart decision making. However, being an emerging concept, it is unclear what the target readiness of RTIMS should be. As a result, system owners may face challenges identifying appropriate RTIMS performance models. In this study, RTIMS is treated as an integration of information, as a resource and as the systems for managing this resource, in real-time, across all phases of the mining value chain. Consequently, the capability maturity assessment tool for RTIMS must consider: information as the critical resource; the management systems for the critical resource; and the access to the resource in real-time. Thus, a hybridised maturity model is proposed for the RTIMS maturity target, which can be further optimised through stakeholder engagement. In our proposed framework, three elements namely, people, the environment, and technology, have been identified as key enablers for RTIMS in the minerals sector. In addition, we propose a six-level capability maturity model, with levels ranging from 0 to 5, signifying the state of no recognition of the processes to an optimised state, where prevention and maintenance are the norm.