Guerin, N., Nakhla, M. Dehoux A. (2026). Enhancing operational excellence in mining: a novel integration of Value Driver Trees and Overall Equipment Effectiveness for hauling operations. International Journal of Management Science and Engineering Management, 20 July 2026.
This study introduces the first detailed hierarchical framework integrating Value Driver Trees (VDT) and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) to enhance operational excellence in mining haulage. Addressing gaps in fragmented performance metrics, static analyses, and limited decision support, the proposed five-tier model dynamically links strategic objectives to operational data. Applied to a nickel mining case study using three years of FMS data, it reproduces actual production with deviations consistently below 1%, identifies high-impact drivers, and quantifies improvement potentials of 17–50% relative to baseline when benchmarked against sustained high-performance periods. The study also delineates the boundary of validity of static VDTs, evidenced by a 0.6%-point underestimation of gains from loading-time improvements. By enabling scenario analysis, bottleneck identification, and cross-functional alignment, the framework transforms OEE from a diagnostic metric into a proactive decision-support tool. The contributions are threefold:a theoretical formalisation of VDT – OEE coupling, a reproducible validation-and-benchmarking methodology, and managerial decision support for capital allocation, target-setting, and data-driven operational excellence.