Work History

Michael Check

October 2009 – Present  Precision Mining Solutions Pty Ltd Brisbane, QLD & Melbourne, VIC

Director and Principal Consultant

Running an independent METS company, I provide consulting services that help clients do more with less through project management, implementation, supervision, training and training development, applications, knowledge management, process mapping and documentation, feature capitalisation and value enhancement. As a specialist in fleet management and machine guidance systems I leverage my skills and experience in mining technology with my knowledge and capabilities in mining processes across the value chain to improve operational performance through supporting decisions. I also provide technical mining engineering services such as production engineering, contractor variation claim auditing, pit, road, and dump design, cost modelling and analysis, mining studies, and materials handling and mining method trade off studies. I work on various projects with various clients both remotely and on site. For more information on our project work please see our Projects page.

March – November 2014  Western Australian Major Iron Ore Miner Perth, WA

Fleet Management Systems Operations Specialist

Engaged as an independent consultant assisting with various aspects of Caterpillar’s MineStar FLEET and TERRAIN products. Applications consulting, Business Objects report review and creation, gap analysis and gap closure recommendations, FMS performance improvement and site operational efficiency initiatives leveraging FMS, FMS Operating Model review and improvements, FMS feature review, benefit and value realisation, best practice definition and roll out, applications advice and execution, delivery of product and internal support, business case support for new sites and replacing existing systems, developing and reviewing training material, delivering training to professionals, integrating the FLEET and TERRAIN systems with existing mining processes and packages.

July 2010 – December 2013  Mining Plus Pty Ltd Melbourne, VIC

Senior Mining Consultant

I was a key member of the Open Pit consulting team and was instrumental in alternative mining method studies, mining studies (conceptual to feasibility), materials handling trade off studies, mining contractor variation claim auditing, mine planning, pit, road & dump design, cost modelling (conceptual to feasibility), integrated pit/road/dump/drain design, production engineering, process mapping, equipment selection and calculations, fleet management system consulting, machine control and guidance system consulting, internal and external mentoring, software installation and troubleshooting.

January 2010 – May 2010  Rio Tinto Iron Ore Perth, WA

Installation Supervisor / Consultant

Contracted to RTIO through my company, Precision Mining Solutions Pty Ltd, I provided supervision for one of the installation teams as part of the roll out of the remaining machine control and guidance systems. This role involved producing and maintaining documentation supervising a team of auto electricians and a boilermaker in a workshop environment as the Rio Tinto Company Representative.

December 1999 – August 2009   Caterpillar of Australia Pty Ltd Brisbane, QLD

Senior Mining Solutions Engineer

I was the lead implementation engineer in the MineStar Field Operations team for EAME and APD regions. I was responsible for on board and office hardware and software implementation, configuration, customisation (including reporting), training, application and product support, and development feedback of Caterpillar’s suite of technology products including MineStar Fleet Commander, MineStar Health, CAES and AQUILA throughout the Asia Pacific, European and African regions. I also performed a consulting role assisting customers get the most from the products and their points of integration with their existing systems. Externally I supported potential, new and existing customers and internally I supported my own MineStar and Machine Control and Guidance teams as a leader, other teams in Connected Worksite (such as Development), Global Mining regional management and Caterpillar Dealer support and management personnel with applications advice, technical sales presentations, tender preparation and customer management.

Dec 1997 – Feb 1998  Outokumpu Mining Australia Forrestania, WA

Student Miner

An engineering vacation work role at the Forrestania underground nickel mine where I spent time working in the Service Crew installing and fitting cables, pipes, hoses and ventilation fans and bags, in the Blasting Crew charging faces and rises, as a jumbo offsider and also in the cable bolting crew. I also spent some smaller amounts of time operating LHDs and rise mining and some time with the underground electricians and in the office.

Jan 1997 – Feb 1997   Comalco Minerals and Alumina Weipa, QLD

Student Mining Engineer

An engineering vacation work role at the Weipa bauxite mine where I spent most time on project work in the office and in the field. My projects involved an assessment and report of the topsoil stockpile inventory (by survey, Datamine wireframe, and load count methods) and calculations and a report on the comparison of loader and truck versus scraper topsoil stripping and respreading methods with a distance where loader and truck becomes more efficient. I also rendered assistance to another student for their project on bauxite water run off coefficient calculations.