Mining is an expensive business. The costs of equipment, fuel, payroll and maintenance add up quickly, and every dime spent detracts from the mine’s profits. You want to get the most out of your mining operation, so it’s in your best interest to make sure all aspects of your operation are performing as cost-effectively as possible. Caterpillar understands this challenge, and we have the expertise and technology to help you meet it. We asked our customers to identify their biggest sources of increased costs, and many of them gave us the same five answers: process variability, unscheduled repairs, fuel costs, collisions and shift change. In this paper, we’ve gathered brief explanations of each of these challenges and offered our advice on how you can measure and respond to them. In addition, we’ve included information on how Cat® technologies can help you get the lowest possible cost per ton from your mining operation.