Determining the most productive cut-sequence at a mine requires complex calculations and consideration of multiple factors, including the haul trucks’ most efficient route to the waste dump. For large open-pit mines that have waste dumps with multiple access roads, planning is even more difficult. “It’s a very careful ballet,” said Carl Brackpool, product manager for Hexagon Mining’s MineSight Schedule Optimizer (MSSO), the modelling and planning software platform that determines and generates the most productive cut-sequence. “You want to ensure that you aren’t wasting time and money because your haul network was planned incorrectly and your trucks are congested on the road.” Version 11, the latest iteration of MSSO, has a new multi-entry feature that allows mine engineers to determine the best routing direction for material destined for dumps with multiple entry points, resulting in a more detailed dumping sequence for the overall mine schedule. According to Brackpool, the software upgrade “improves the haulage component significantly” and “will give a much higher confidence in short and medium-term plans.” Previously, MSSO users had to split waste dumps with multiple entrances into multiple dumps in the software, creating unnecessary extra destinations that caused congestion and a greater burden on dispatchers and truck operators to direct haul trucks.