Putting soft Operational Research OR methods to work: Information systems strategy development at Richards Bay

The development of an information systems strategy for a mineral extraction and processing plant operated by Rio Tinto Zinc in South Africa is described. The participative approach used was developed from soft Operational Research OR and systems thinking. The aim of the Richards Bay project was to test commercially whether the Participative Information Management Strategy methodology could be used as a standard method to be applied to the development of an information systems strategy at any mine site. The paper describes the implementation of the process and the problems encountered. More generally it discusses the diffusion of new ideas in an international company, illustrated by the use of the participative approach for other activities including systems development. Conclusions are drawn about the value of participative approaches based on soft Operational Research OR in this context.