Global industrial software leader AVEVA is helping mining, metals and minerals (MMM) companies redefine how they engineer, operate and grow through digital transformation. This was the key message from a recent webinar titled “Beyond Extraction: A New Era of Innovation and Responsible Sourcing”, hosted by Creamer Media on behalf of AVEVA.

The session featured AVEVA Global Industry Principal for Mining, Metals and Minerals Glenn Kerkhoff and AVEVA Senior Pre-Sales Engineer Zahab Nabeel. Together, they explored how AI, automation and digital integration are helping industries unlock operational excellence, sustainability and long-term resilience.

Kerkhoff opened the discussion with a frank look at the global mining and metals landscape, marked by workforce shortages, supply chain risks, rising sustainability pressures, and the rapid pace of technological change.

“Seventy per cent of 15- to 30-year-olds say they won’t consider a career in mining,” he noted, pointing to the urgent need to modernise the industry’s image and work environments. Meanwhile, 74% of executives in the sector identify technology integration as a key challenge, while 35% say their companies face high exposure to climate risks.

Against this backdrop, Kerkhoff emphasised the growing importance of digitalisation, energy management, and sustainability. “The future workforce will be more digitally skilled, and operations will depend on technology to reduce costs, minimise risk and address environmental responsibilities,” he said.

Six Pillars of Value Creation

AVEVA identifies six key areas where digital transformation delivers measurable value for mining, metals and minerals operations. The first is process productivity, which focuses on enhancing throughput and equipment effectiveness through real-time monitoring and remote operations. The second is energy and water conservation, aimed at reducing reliance on fuel and improving overall energy efficiency. Asset reliability forms another cornerstone, using condition-based and predictive maintenance to eliminate unplanned downtime and extend equipment life.

The fourth area centres on environmental, health and safety, ensuring compliance and reducing incidents through real-time monitoring of environmental and safety data. Quality management follows, with systems that track product quality and genealogy across the entire value chain to maintain consistency and traceability. Finally, standardised key performance indicators (KPIs) and reporting provide enterprise-wide visibility through consistent performance metrics, enabling organisations to compare and improve performance across multiple operations.

“By harmonising data across plants and operations, companies can benchmark performance, identify best practices, and scale improvements globally,” Kerkhoff explained.

Building the Digital Thread

Meanwhile, Nabeel demonstrated how AVEVA’s connected software ecosystem unites engineering, operational technology (OT), and information technology (IT) data into one coherent platform. His live demonstration showed how an integrated “enterprise visualisation” dashboard provides real-time insight into production KPIs, safety metrics and asset health.

He illustrated this using a simulated crusher failure scenario. Operators could instantly visualise the fault, access the 3D digital twin, review design documents, analyse performance data, and trace the impact across the value chain — all within the same platform.

“AVEVA connects every sort of data — engineering, OT and IT — into one common space, so teams can work faster, smarter and more proactively,” said Nabeel. “We’re helping customers shift from reactive maintenance to predictive and prescriptive maintenance, identifying potential failures months in advance.”

Real-World Results

Kerkhoff shared several compelling case studies demonstrating the impact of AVEVA’s technology:

• Colakoglu Steel, in Turkey, eliminated unexpected crane failures using predictive analytics, avoiding 348 t of lost steel production and improving workforce confidence in digital tools.
• Industrial minerals producer Omya created a global reliability centre to monitor over 200 sites, achieving early detection of equipment issues up to three months in advance and avoiding 15 000 hours of downtime in two years.
• Gold miner Agnico Eagle integrated haul-truck telemetry, fleet and SAP data through AVEVA Connect and Microsoft Azure, improving truck efficiency by 3% and cutting emissions by 1%.
• Steel producer ArcelorMittal increased furnace availability by 13% and yield by 15% while realising yearly savings of $19-million through reliability-driven maintenance.
• Gold mining company Newmont Mining achieved 5% fuel reduction and 3% availability improvement through mobile fleet analytics, saving $1.5-million in diesel a year.
• Cement producer Cemex used AI integrated with AVEVA PI to forecast process variables and auto-steer kilns, achieving 2% to 7% higher yield and reduced energy use.

“These examples show that digital transformation is not just about technology — it’s about unlocking tangible business value,” Kerkhoff said. “Predictive insights translate into reduced downtime, lower emissions and measurable return on investment.”

During the Q&A, audience questions centred on Africa’s digital readiness — from workforce skills to infrastructure limitations. Both speakers highlighted AVEVA’s focus on sustainable implementation and local capability building through partners and training programmes.

To address connectivity issues common in remote mines, Nabeel outlined AVEVA’s Edge Data Store, a rugged on-site historian that stores and synchronises data once connectivity is restored. Kerkhoff added that AVEVA’s hybrid cloud model allows critical systems to run on-premises while still integrating with cloud platforms like AVEVA Connect.

On cybersecurity, Nabeel assured participants that all AVEVA products undergo independent security audits, with vulnerabilities addressed transparently and rapidly.

In closing, both speakers underlined that the shift to digital is inseparable from the drive toward sustainability.

“Digital transformation is the key to success in this modern era,” said Nabeel. “When people, processes and technology work together, the results are transformative.”

Kerkhoff agreed, noting that the combination of AI, cloud integration, and predictive analytics is enabling companies not only to improve productivity but also to reduce emissions, optimise energy use, and strengthen environmental performance.

“There’s a lot of opportunity for our customers to improve efficiency and sustainability while future-proofing their operations,” he concluded. “AVEVA is here to help them get there.”