Business Areas and Locations

A business area is either a logical management area or a group of locations. A business area contains the stock or despatch locations, and these contain the low-level physical objects between which transactions occur. Business areas can be nested within each other to any level. The number of locations that can be created is limited by the MineMarket licence.

The definition of these objects allows transactions to take place between stockpiles (mine sources, WAG stockpiles, LIFO stockpiles, FIFO stockpiles, discrete unit divisions, and despatch stockpiles (train rakes, trucks, barge holds and vessel holds).

Process flows, packing process flows and discrete unit movement flows occur between the locations in the business areas. Transactions of bulk material can be done over process flows between stock locations and despatch locations. Packing of bulk material, or unpacking of packaged material, can be done using packing process flows between discrete unit locations, stock locations and despatch locations. Movements of packaged material can be done over movement flows between discrete unit locations and despatch locations.

The following location types can be modelled in MineMarket:

• Business areas—A logical management area or group of locations.
• Mine locations—A source stock location. Material can only be moved off this location. It is within this location that the lowest level, a mine source, will be created.
• Stock locations—A generic stockpile location. Stock will be moved on and off this location.
• Stockyards—Similar to a stock location; the only difference being that it is comprised of multiple stockpiles.
• Discrete unit locations—A location where discrete units are located.
• Waste locations—An area where waste is stored within the mining process.
• Rail sidings—A location for train loading and unloading, essential for train routes.
• Truck locations—A location for truck despatch loading and unloading, essential for truck routes.
• Barge terminals—A location for service trip loading and unloading, essential for barge routes.
• Port locations—A location for shipment loading and unloading and is typically used for shipment routes. Shipments are assigned to these locations, but the port location may have stock locations defined as sub locations to represent the port stockyard.
• Toll locations—A location where toll account stockpiles are located.