Optimizing Operational Efficiency through Improved Crushing & Loading Strategies at PT Girimulya Resource

Abstract

In 2023, PT Girimulya Resource's production reached 42.1 million tons of coal, with 34.2 million tons processed using the company's crushing and loading facilities, while the remaining 7.9 million tons were processed by third parties due to capacity constraints. During the 2018-2023 period, PT Girimulya Resource's crushing and loading facility utilization rate remained below the 85% target. This research aims to identify the main causes of the sub-optimal performance using the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) method, which focuses on customer needs as the main driver of profitability in the production process. This research method involves various tools and techniques, such as Pareto Chart, Fishbone Diagram, 5 Whys method, focus group discussion (FGD), and observation to identify significant factors and root causes. Based on the analysis results, two quick win solutions and three long-term solutions were proposed to improve facility utilization. Two quick wins involving the application of blasting methods and the dismantling of the weighbridge at KM 0.3 were successfully implemented, which reduced large coal sizes and queues at KM 0.3. The three long-term solutions began to be implemented in phases from mid-2023, with further trials starting in January 2024. Initial results show a positive impact, with facility utilization rates now exceeding 85%. The implications of this study show that the application of data-driven methods, such as DMAIC, can provide strategic guidance in overcoming operational limitations and improving efficiency, and can therefore be adopted by other companies in similar industries to face production capacity challenges.