Putting Soft OR Methods to Work: Information Systems Strategy Development at Palabora

摘要

A consultancy project to develop an information systems (IS) strategy for a copper mine located in South Africa is described. The mine is operated by the UK based mining company RTZ, the world's Largest mining company. The approach taken was based on an earlier project t Sainsbury's, a Major food and grocery retailing chain in the UK. At Sainsbury's participative approach made Use of a number of models and methods developed by the advocates of soft OR and systems think- Ing. The aim of the Palabora project was to test whether the same participative approach, suitably Adapted, would work in a completely different context, and more generally whether this could form The basis of standard method to be applied at a variety of mine sites.