Direct Loading Between Despatches

Bulk material or discrete units (DUs) can be loaded directly from one despatch to another despatch, instead of unloading to a stockpile or DU location and then loading the subsequent despatch from that stockpile or DU location.

Prerequisites for direct loading

Process or movement flow

To load bulk materials directly from one despatch to another despatch, an appropriate process flow must be set up. For example, to load from a service trip to a shipment, a process flow from the barge terminal to the port location is required. For discrete units, an appropriate movement flow from the unloading location to the loading location is required.

Intended shipment

If loading directly between a shipment and a service trip, train or truck despatch (either to or from the shipment), the shipment can be specified in the header fields of the other despatch. If a shipment is specified, MineMarket disregards the route plan validation.

Route plan validation

The transaction or movement can only take place if both despatches are at (or expected to be at) the same location at the same time. If an ATA is entered, MineMarket considers it, but otherwise MineMarket validates that the time period from ETA to ETD of both despatches overlap.

Creating the transaction or movement

Corresponding transactions or movements on each despatch

Direct loading or unloading only needs to be entered on one of the despatches. For example, to load from a shipment to a train, create either an unloading transaction on the shipment, or a loading transaction on the train. MineMarket creates the corresponding view of the transaction on the other despatch.

Source and destination selection

In direct loading of bulk materials, a vessel hold, barge hold, train rake or wagon, or truck is selected as the source stockpile for the loading transaction.

For DU movements, MineMarket only displays packages or package groups that are available at the loading location (including those DU that are on despatches available for direct loading).

Likewise, a vessel hold, barge hold, train rake or wagon, or truck is selected as the destination in direct unloading transactions or movements.

Route plan updates

When a transaction or movement is created on a despatch that does not have an ATA, actual berth date (for shipments or service trips) or actual start loading time, MineMarket completes these fields automatically. If the despatch has an ATA, but a transaction or movement is created for a time earlier than the ATA, MineMarket updates the ATA, actual berth date and actual start loading time to match the transaction or movement time.

A similar update to the route plan occurs automatically on both despatches with direct loading if required.

Examples:

  • A shipment has an ETA of 10 AM and an ETD of 5 PM. A service trip has an ETA of 9 AM and an ETD of 11 AM. A transaction can be created for 9 AM. MineMarket sets the ATA, actual berth date and actual start unloading time of the shipment to 9 AM. MineMarket also sets the ATA, actual berth date and actual start loading time of the service trip to 9 AM.
  • A shipment has an ETA of 10 AM and an ETD of 5 PM. A service trip has an ETA of 7 AM and an ETD of 9 AM. There is no overlap, so MineMarket would not consider the service trip to be a possible destination. However, if an ATA of 11 AM is entered for the service trip, it is a possible destination. A transaction is created for 10 AM, even though that is before the service trip ATA. MineMarket sets the ATA, actual berth date and actual start unloading time of the shipment to 10 AM. MineMarket also updates the ATA, actual berth date and actual start loading time of the service trip to 10 AM.

Considerations for despatch orders (DOs)

A despatch order (DO) can only be associated with a transaction or movement if the DO is assigned to that despatch (that is, the DO is on the despatch's Despatch Order tab).

For discrete unit movements, the DO can be assigned to both despatches if required. This scenario enables costs and service charges to be calculated for each despatch and included in the DO snapshot.

However, for bulk transactions, the DO should be assigned only to the fulfilment despatch. Just as if creating a transaction to a stockpile, if the despatch has only one DO, that DO is associated with the transaction automatically. If the same DO is also assigned to the other (non-fulfilment) despatch, MineMarket displays an error on saving. The MineMarket Marketing Service (which calculates the state of each DO) expects the DO to have only a single set of loading and unloading transactions.

Examples:

  • Despatch A has DO-A; Despatch B has no DO.

    If a user creates an unloading transaction on despatch A, MineMarket associates DO-A with that transaction. The loading transaction on despatch B has no DO.

  • Despatch A has DO-A; Despatch B has no DO.

    If a user creates a loading transaction on despatch B, that transaction has no DO. However, MineMarket associates DO-A with the unloading transaction on despatch A.

  • Despatch A has no DO; Despatch B has DO-B.

    If a user creates an unloading transaction on despatch A, that transaction has no DO. However, MineMarket associates DO-B with the loading transaction on despatch B.

  • Despatch A has no DO; Despatch B has DO-B.

    If a user creates a loading transaction on despatch B, MineMarket associates DO-B with that transaction. The unloading transaction on despatch A has no DO.

  • Despatch A has DO-A; Despatch B has DO-B.

    If a user creates an unloading transaction on despatch A, MineMarket associates DO-A with that transaction. MineMarket associates DO-B with the loading transaction on despatch B.

  • Despatch A has DO-A; Despatch B has DO-B.

    If a user creates a loading transaction on despatch B, MineMarket associates DO-B with that transaction. MineMarket associates DO-A with the unloading transaction on despatch A.

  • Despatch A has DO-A1 and DO-A2; Despatch B has no DO.

    MineMarket cannot assign the DO automatically. the user can select a DO on despatch A’s transaction, but not on despatch B’s transaction.

  • Despatch A has DO-A; Despatch B has DO-A (same DO).

    On saving, MineMarket displays an error message warning that both despatches have the same DO and it is not acceptable in MineMarket.

Example: Bulk direct loading

A company purchases coal for an up-river power station. At the port, the coal is loaded onto barges that bring the coal to the power station.

At the port:

  1. A shipment is created in MineMarket.
  2. A despatch order is added to the shipment as required.
  3. Service trips are created in MineMarket.
  4. The vessel arrives on 12 June at 10:00 at the port. The ATA at the port is entered for the shipment.
  5. The barges start to arrive on 12 June at 15:00 at the port. The ATA at the port is entered for the service trips.
  6. The barges are loaded directly from the vessel. This is entered in MineMarket as unloading transactions on the shipment. The barge holds are selected as the destination for each shipment unloading transaction. The corresponding loading transaction is also automatically recorded on each service trip.
  7. Other transactions and data are recorded for the shipment as required.
  8. Sample results and other data are recorded for the service trips as required.

Example: DU direct loading

A company sells copper cathodes. The cathodes are despatched from the plant by train in containers (modelled as package groups in MineMarket) to the port, where they are loaded directly onto a ship for export.

At the plant:

  1. A train is created in MineMarket.
  2. The train arrives on 12 June at 6:00 at the plant for loading. The ATA at the plant is entered for the train.
  3. The train is loaded with package groups of copper cathodes at 6:10. The loading movement is recorded.
  4. Sample results and other data are recorded as required.
  5. The train departs the plant at 10:10. The ATD from the plant is entered, and the ETA at the port is updated.

At the port:

  1. A shipment is created in MineMarket. The vessel is assigned.
  2. The vessel arrives on 12 June at 10:00 at the port. The ATA at the port is entered for the shipment.
  3. Despatch orders are added as required.
  4. The train arrives on 12 June at 15:00 at the port. The ATA at the port is entered for the train.
  5. The train is unloaded directly to the vessel at 15:10. This is entered in MineMarket as loading movements on the shipment. The corresponding unloading movements are also automatically recorded on the train.
  6. Other movements and data are recorded for the shipment as required.