DEVELOPMENT OF LEAN MATURITY IN AN EARTHMOVING MINING PROJECT

Ronceros K.; Bendezu C.; Aroquipa M.; Mio L.; Chicoma J.; Miranda O.; Neyra M. · Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction, IGLC (2026) · DOI: 10.24928/2026/0257

Resumen

Earthmoving projects in mining face persistent challenges to production reliability due to high operational variability, changing constraints, extreme weather conditions, and flow instability. While Lean thinking has demonstrated benefits in other industries, its adoption in mining remains limited and insufficiently documented. This article investigates how a maturity model facilitates the adoption of Lean Construction (LC) while explicitly integrating Operations Science principles into a tailings dam raising project at the Alpamarca Mining Unit in Junin, Perú. The research follows a case study approach and applies a structured five-stage method: (1) defining the adoption challenge and target maturity; (2) diagnosing the current state using the MMDPLC maturity model; (3) establishing realistic evolution targets for the production system; (4) experimenting to achieve the target condition through iterative and structured Kaizen events and flow-centric diagnostics; and (5) reassessing the achieved maturity using the same instrument. After 35 weeks of implementation, most maturity components reached Level 2 (Formal), supported by improved flow stability, clearer value identification, and a systematic reduction in waste. The study provides empirical evidence that maturity models translate operations science principles into operational routines in complex and highly variable mining environments and motivates replication and evaluation in other types of mining projects.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería