Mill Operations Digital Transformation
Bringing EWS Form Records and Sensor Data Together at Metcalf Mill
Overview
In August 2024, this Freeport-McMoRan project focused on visualizing Metcalf Mill data already entered through digital forms in EWS, an internal application platform, alongside sensor data. The work supported operators and supervisors reviewing these information sources together.
Challenge
Digital form records and sensor data needed to be brought into a combined view. The design problem concerned how people could interpret the available information, rather than how to replace a paper data-entry process.
Approach
Interviews, value stream mapping, and current-state analysis informed a view combining user-entered EWS form data with sensor data. I applied BDX to this work. This Metcalf visualization project is distinct from the March 2023 Morenci MillOps effort to digitize measurement entry and shift records. Research exposed form-performance and connectivity barriers upstream of the overview, prompting connectivity and form-UX improvements. Users also wanted critical issues and open plant conditions visible immediately. A supervisor overview complemented processing-area views, surfacing the reporter’s summary, notes, photos, and plant location.
Outcome
The work brought EWS form records and sensor information into a combined view for Metcalf Mill. The author-confirmed scope establishes the visualization capability; a quantified adoption rate or reduction in entry time is not established for this specific project account.