DCO on a laptop

Bulk commodity mining is complex. Multiple pits, stockpiles, processes, and logistics must align to deliver the right product to the right destination – on time and within increasingly strict specifications.

Optimisation in mine planning traditionally focuses only on in-pit activities. Once material leaves the mine (for transport to downstream processing or port), most planning tools stop, leaving planners to rely on spreadsheets and manual adjustments for everything beyond that point.

Integrated into RPMGlobal’s short-term scheduling solution, XECUTE Demand Chain Optimiser (DCO) extends optimisation beyond the mine gate, covering stockyards, transport, and port, to deliver a single, demand-driven plan for pit to port.

 

DCO models the entire value chain and determines the best way to satisfy demand

DCO considers what must be done to complete shipments by the due date and within specification, with each adjustment reflected throughout the value chain.

 

Advanced Stockpile Modelling

Advanced stockpile modelling with full build/reclaim cycles enabling dynamic blending.

Improved Management of ROM Stockpiles

ROM Stack and Reclaim operations scheduled to optimise the delivery of the final product.

Highly Integrated

Stockpile inventory, product specifications, ROM targets, and processing throughput rates are all updated automatically.

Production Planning

XECUTE and DCO are designed specifically to satisfy the needs of the execution planning horizon for mine and logistics planning.

Optimised Delivery of Multi-element Product Specifications

Typical product specifications include multiple elements, material type, quantity and delivery date.

Off-The-Shelf Functionality

The DCO module is fully embedded within XECUTE and user-configurable. No need for scripting or long-term consulting agreements.

XECUTE DCO is used and trusted by some of the world’s largest miners to manage and optimise their demand chain.

DCO allows mine and logistic planners to specify the objectives and constraints they’re trying to achieve at the product end of the logistics chain. By specifying those outcomes, they can automate the determination of how material flows from pit to port so that they can achieve those objectives within the limits of the constraints.

Visualise schedules with Reporting Gantt

DCO’s Reporting Gantt view gives planners a clear visual of stockyard build and reclaim processes, showing how material moves through each stage of production. This visibility helps teams monitor progress in real-time, anticipate bottlenecks, and ensure operations stay aligned with delivery schedules.

XECUTE3.2 - DCO
XECUTE3.2 - DCO

Bring External Schedules into Focus

DCO automatically imports external schedules such as rail, berthing, and shipping, displaying them alongside product builds in the Reporting Gantt. This gives planners a complete view of how supply aligns with customer demand, improving coordination and reducing scheduling conflicts.

Rehandle with Precision and Control

DCO models real-world stockyard operations through Rehandle Groups, defining both task assignments and practical operating constraints without the need for scripts or programming. This ensures rehandle activities are accurately represented in the plan and allows planners to make changes directly, leading to smoother stockyard flow, faster schedule updates, and greater overall scheduling accuracy.

XECUTE3.2 - DCO
XECUTE DCO

Precision Timing for Every Build

DCO provides minute-level accuracy for build start and finish times, giving planners a precise understanding of when material will be available for transport and downstream activities. This enhanced timing clarity supports just-in-time planning, increases confidence in meeting shipment windows, and enables better utilisation of logistics assets such as rail and port capacity.

Reduced Grade Excursions and Lower Demurrage Exposure

By tightening control over feed consistency, stockpile composition, and real-time compliance against target specifications, the system helps prevent grade excursions before they occur. This keeps product quality within agreed tolerances and reduces costly vessel delays, rehandling, and last-minute corrections that contribute directly to demurrage charges.

DCO
XECUTE DCO

Rapidly Respond to the Unexpected

As conditions change, XECUTE uses live planning to continuously update and reoptimise the delivery plan in real-time. Planners can instantly assess the impact of unplanned events such as downtime, throughput variations or berthing delays, enabling faster and more informed responses that keep the supply chain on track.

Related Product

XECUTE

DCO is a key module of XECUTE, RPMGlobal’s advanced live execution planning solution.

XECUTE combines the advanced capabilities of RPM’s Product Optimiser with an intuitive, game-like 3D visual environment. This allows planners to build and adjust production schedules in real time using live data, ensuring plans are clear and easily communicated across teams.

XECUTE streamlines scheduling, enhances automation through deeper integrations, and improves collaboration with tools like markup, annotations, and period progress tracking.

FAQs

Demand Chain Optimisation is an approach that aligns mining, processing, and logistics decisions based on downstream demand (e.g. plant requirements, shipping schedules, etc).

In XECUTE, this means optimising material flow from pit to port, ensuring that production decisions support on-time, on-grade delivery of final product targets rather than operating in isolation.

This helps reduce costs arising from grade excursions and demurrage, improves margins, and missed shipment opportunities.

Planners use a simple, visual drag and drop process to define the material flow from pit to port, including stockpiling, processing, etc.

Though easy to use, the material flow is highly configurable. Some operations deliver to a Train Load Out, while others may deliver to a detailed berthing schedule. There are commonly multiple delivery points, one for each product type. DCO supports all of these options.

Wherever the final delivery point, planners describe product builds that represent the sequence of deliveries, including quantity and quality targets. Each build is named and unique, allowing consistent tracking and reporting of material.

Planners can also configure ROM stockpiles to allow automatic management of stockpiling and rehandle strategy within practicality constraints to ensure the plan can be achieved.

Once configured, DCO automatically manages the flow of materials simultaneously with the scheduling process to achieve the product builds.

The typical approach to optimisation focuses on individual segments of the value chain and at-best deliver an optimum for the segment. A local optimum falls short of the global optimum achievable with DCO.

XECUTE’s DCO is designed specifically for mining and considers operational constraints such as sequencing and stockpiling. Optimisation is performed simultaneously with scheduling, truck balancing and processing. The result is a globally optimal, practical, and executable plan.

Yes. This complexity is exactly what XECUTE’s DCO was built for. DCO allows planners to target specific shipments, each with defined quality and quantity requirements.

The system then manages each step of the value chain from the product demand side back through processing, ROM management to the pit.

This ensures product deliveries are completed on-grade and on-time, providing greater confidence in deliverability compared to average-based planning approaches.

Resources

Video

Planning & Scheduling

XECUTE – Demand Chain Optimiser (DCO)

RPMGlobal’s XECUTE now has a Demand Chain Optimiser (DCO) module that optimises the flow of material required to satisfy customer orders all the way back to the mine for bulk commodity miners.
XECUTE DCO mockup

Whitepaper

Planning & Scheduling

Optimising the Demand Chain: Enhancing Efficiency with XECUTE DCO

Find out how XECUTE DCO synchronises planning from mine to market and enhances efficiency.

Brochure

Planning & Scheduling

XECUTE Interactive Brochure

XECUTE maximises planning value, adaptability and agility by using automation to connect planning with operations, providing cross-team collaboration and integrated design and scheduling.

Video

Planning & Scheduling

XECUTE – Explainer Video

XECUTE enables planners to build an optimal ultra-short-term schedule that’s easy to understand and communicate, providing a coherent link between medium term planning and operational execution.

Video

Planning & Scheduling

XECUTE – Feature Overview

Does your mine planning solution provide users with integrated data feeds to quickly compare the short-term plan to the actual production? XECUTE can help mining companies reap the full benefits of a digitally enabled workforce.

Video

Planning & Scheduling

XECUTE – Short-Term Planning & Execution Mining Software

Learn how XECUTE uses automation to connect planning with operations, maintenance, and other departments to optimise planning and scheduling.

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