ANALYSIS OF THE POTENTIALS OF ADAPTING ELEMENTS OF LEAN METHODOLOGY TO THE UNSTABLE CONDITIONS IN THE MINING INDUSTRY

Abstract

Mining industry like other sectors of the global economy, is a subject of the general laws of market economics, management, organization, etc. However, due to its specific character, it adapts in a different way to the needs of modern management concepts. Mining industry, and in particular underground mining, is far different from other industries. The different specificity of mining companies is mainly caused by the fact that the manufacturing process is carried out in the natural environment such as the subsurface and consists in extracting ore from the deposit. This activity is inherently characterized by high volatility and uncertainty. This affects directly the technology used to operate, the organization of the production process, its continuity in time, its efficiency can be controlled mining production quality and product quality. If not for this difference, the mining industry could be more competitive and efficient in comparison to other industries. This competitiveness could be reached by using some elements of Lean Methodology. Lean Methodology is a concept whose basic message is to avoid any kind of waste through a continuous process of rationalization of the entire company and its relationship with the environment, which consists of reducing the scope of the internal functions of the company to what is strictly necessary. It is a concept involving the elimination of the nonvalue-added activities. Lean Production methodology is now commonly used worldwide in many industries. Is successfully implemented in industrial enterprises, which brings great results including through streamlining production processes and business processes, which in turn leads to cost reduction, increased flexibility of processes and gain competitive advantage [3].