Digital transformation in the mining enterprise: The empirical study

Digital transformation (DT), as a result of digitalization process, rapidly and fundamentally changes the business entities and organizations, which involves a radical review of the use of technology to change the strategy, value streams, operations, and business models, with a significant impact on customers, business partners and employees. Enterprises are launching the DT initiatives examining the wishes and needs of customers and creating operational models that use the new opportunities to increase competitiveness. In this regard, the key responses to changes in the digital era are the reshaping customer value propositions and reconfiguration the operation model. In the basic industries, where the product is mainly a raw material, such as the mining industry, the companies launch the DT initiative to improve operations. The operating model is adjusted so that user preferences and expectations affect each activity in the value chain. This requires the integration of business activities and the optimization of the way to manage and track data related to each key activity in the value chain. However, although there is a great potential for future growth, the current state of digital transformation in mining is at a low level. Therefore, the question arises as to how to launch and effectively realize the DT initiative for improvement the operational model in the mining enterprise. This paper, in general, discusses the importance of the DT, with particular reference to the key aspects of the DT, challenges and success factors in the mining industry. As a result of research, the key aspects of realization the DT initiative for improving the operational model in the large, diversified mining enterprise are presented; challenges and success factors are identified and classified in a given context. The complete research efforts, as well as the obtained results, are dedicated to the role and significance of the DT phenomenon in the mining industry, with the goal of wider and more effective use the digital technologies in the mining enterprises.