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Fortescue Optimises their Pit to Port Workforce with ComOps Workforce Management solutions

Announcement posted by ComOps 25 Mar 2013

ComOps, a leading Australian provider of Workforce Management Solutions has secured a contract with Fortescue Metals Group to deploy Microster, their workforce optimisation software with embedded fatigue risk management.  

Microster is a complete rostering solution that will ensure best cost, staff coverage for Fortescue’s rail workforce, taking into consideration labour costs, FIFO logistics, flexible scheduling, award interpretation and leave management.

Currently Fortescue’s Rail Operations use a series of spread sheets to manage the long and short term rostering of drivers and operators, a manual and very labour intensive process. Frequent last minute changes to the roster need to be made quickly, take into account business rules and can result in complicated changes to ensure that the roster complies with legislative rules. The current process also lacks reporting and visibility into labour related spend. 

After an extensive tender process, ComOps was selected because of the depth of functionality found within the Microster solution as well as their proven experience within the Pit to Port environment.

ComOps Microster will allow Fortescue to build fair and equitable, best cost rosters based on approved budgets and lowest cost methodologies. Rosters will be built using a matrix of complex business rules such as: shift patterns; roles and responsibilities; skills; preferences; legislations; equality and fatigue scoring. Roster Modelling and labour cost assessments can be performed to enforce financial responsibility and to reduce the use of overtime while the Microster Time and Attendance module tracks planned rosters against actuals.

Dynamic Leave Management tools ensure Line Managers and Supervisors have the capabilities to optimise the planning of leave and overtime. Workflow alerts for approval ensure fair allocations of leave while considering staffing and shift coverage requirements. Rosters are based on workload demand, available staff skills and bookings by staff members. 

Short term events that affect rosters, such as sick leave, will no longer cause huge administration burdens and jeopardise operations. Workflows will highlight alternatives and then a new roster can be quickly re-calculated and issued.

Troy Bootsma, Superintendent Operational Readiness, Rail Operations, Fortescue, said “The deployment of Microster within Fortescue’s Rail Operations will significantly change our processes for the better. Our rosters will take into account cost, demand and risk factors while automating much of the process. The greater visibility and capabilities will allow us to continue to grow at this rapid pace and help mature our Rail Crew Management processes.”

Microster will also allow Fortescue to input roster execution details such as specialised equipment, to track competencies based on frequency of use. Located in the iron ore rich Pilbara region of Western Australia, Fortescue is the world's fourth largest iron ore producer, and in the last six years has experienced unparalleled growth. Fortescue’s railway was the first large-scale railway development undertaken in the Pilbara in more than 40 years and is currently the heaviest haul line in the world with a 40 tonne axle load capacity. 

About ComOps:

With a 40 year history of delivering competitive edge through technology, ComOps’ Workforce Management Solutions are built on a simple premise: best fit, lowest price, least risk.

The company specialises in Workforce Management Solutions & Services, covering; Rostering & Scheduling, Award Interpretation, Labour Cost Management, Fatigue Risk Management, Leave Management, Time & Attendance, Employee Self-Service Portals, Workforce Analytics, Risk
Management & Safety Compliance and Learning & Development. By focusing on the three crucial areas of people, productivity and profit, our end-to-end solutions have restored millions to the bottom lines of our clients, made entire workforces more productive and also bullet-proofed businesses against future risk.

ComOps’ solutions are used by some of the world’s most recognised global brands; Toshiba, the Hyatt Group, Sara Lee, Bundaberg Brewed Drinks, Melbourne & Olympic Parks Trust, RailCorp, QUBE Logistics, BHP Billiton Iron Ore, DP World, Queensland Department of Public Works, City of Melbourne and Tasmanian Fire Services to name just a few.

ComOps is a Microsoft Gold Partner, is ISO 9001:2008 Quality Accredited and Government Endorsed.

For more information visit www.comopswfm.com or contact us info@comops.com.au