Why Mines Are Ditching Spreadsheets for AI Planning

Why Mines Are Moving Away from Spreadsheet-Based Planning

Mining operations have long relied on spreadsheets for planning, scheduling, and forecasting. While Excel has been a staple tool due to its flexibility and familiarity, its limitations are becoming increasingly apparent in today’s data-rich, fast-paced mining environment. Mines are now recognizing the operational risks and inefficiencies of spreadsheet-based systems - and many are moving toward integrated, AI-powered planning platforms that offer higher accuracy, collaboration, and speed.

The Problem with Spreadsheet-Centric Planning

Spreadsheets pose several critical challenges for modern mining operations:

• Version control issues: Teams often work off disconnected files, leading to conflicting data and miscommunication.
• Lack of real-time insight: Excel isn’t built for real-time operational feedback, making it difficult to respond to disruptions quickly.
• Scalability constraints: As datasets grow, spreadsheets become sluggish and error-prone.
• Disconnection from live systems: Spreadsheets typically operate in isolation, creating a gap between planning and execution.

A recent review by Miniotec illustrates that spreadsheet-based tools frequently delay critical planning workflows, noting that files may “take excessive time to open, save, and sync - if they don’t crash altogether.”

Real-World Impacts of Digital Planning Tools

Modern mines adopting integrated planning platforms are seeing significant benefits:

• Improved forecast accuracy: With live data integrations and AI models, forecasts reflect operational realities - not stale assumptions.
• Reduced planning cycle time: A Keyrus case study showed how one miner slashed its planning cycles by 30% by replacing spreadsheets with centralized forecasting tools.
• Better alignment between departments: Integrated platforms facilitate cross-functional visibility, helping align geology, operations, and finance on shared goals.

EY’s report on mining capital projects reinforces this shift, stating that outdated planning tools are a leading contributor to project overruns and missed targets.

From Disconnected Tools to Intelligent Planning

Today’s planning software does more than just replace Excel - it transforms how decisions are made. Modern mine planning tools offer:

• Real-time collaboration: Everyone sees the same data, updated in real time across departments.
• Scenario modeling: Advanced platforms simulate “what-if” situations to help mine planners make more resilient decisions.
• AI-powered recommendations: Algorithms optimize for multiple constraints like grade, throughput, and energy use - far beyond what manual methods can handle.

Mining Technology outlines the evolution of mine planning systems, showing a clear pivot toward automation and integration as operational complexity grows.

Conclusion

The mining industry’s shift away from spreadsheet-based planning is more than a software upgrade - it’s a strategic pivot toward agility, resilience, and performance. Spreadsheets may still have a place in ad hoc analysis, but they no longer suffice as a foundation for critical planning decisions. The next generation of mine planning is digital, intelligent, and integrated-and at NTWIST, we’re building the tools that make this future possible.