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Abstract blue segments forming an ascending circular arrangement.
28 September 2026
We compared the pace of technological development across 20 fields and industries to identify where the most dynamic technological solutions are emerging today and which could become a source of productivity growth for the real economy.
Four connected circular icons depicting a target, gears and a rising chart along an arrow.
23 September 2026
PARS is a practical approach to diagnosing the causes of delays in projects and initiatives. It helps you check four key factors — priorities, alignment, resources and task specificity — and identify exactly what is preventing progress against the plan.
Overhead view of a person typing on a laptop with a blank white screen.
11 September 2026
AI is already helping Pieff consultants develop programmes of initiatives faster: it compares interviews, analyses process operating procedures and reviews employee incentive schemes. This article presents three real-world cases and explains which parts of the work still remain in human hands.
A person standing beside a large rock specimen and a loader bucket at an excavation site.
24 August 2026
Demand for lithium, copper and other critical metals will grow across almost every application through to 2040. But processing is almost entirely controlled by three countries, which already account for 86% of the market. The IEA on what this means for industry.
People discussing documents together at an indoor business event.
21 August 2026
An hour and a half into a planning meeting, and still no decision. We explore 5P — a tool the Pieff team has adapted for capital-intensive industries to make meetings focused and productive.
Gold nuggets in an outstretched hand beside a gold-panning dish.
14 August 2026
Gold prices have more than doubled in three years, but production at most of the largest producers is barely growing. We examine why record prices have yet to translate into rapid supply growth.
Aerial view of stockpiles, railway tracks and industrial buildings beside a bay.
6 August 2026
We examine how thermal coal prices on an FOB Australia and FOB Vostochny basis changed from January to July, and what this meant for export netbacks for Kuzbass producers.
A seated man at a laptop leaning back with a hand over his face.
24 July 2026
‘Lazy, stupid, malicious’ — three labels that can spring unbidden to a manager's mind when considering an employee's behaviour, yet obscure what is really going on. Pieff Partner Anton Kriger explores the simple ‘Lazy - Stupid - Evil’ formula and shows how a joke becomes a diagnostic tool for managers.
Four McNulty ramp-up curves and an uneven real-project trajectory, plotted as a percentage of design capacity against quarters since project start-up.
13 July 2026
The facility is physically complete, but the money is not coming in: actual ramp-up is almost always slower than the financial model assumes. McNulty curves show which of four scenarios to prepare for and what to check before approving the project.
A large yellow haul truck travelling along a road in an open-pit mine.
26 June 2026
Thousands of autonomous haul trucks are already operating around the world. But the benefits of implementation depend not only on the choice of technology, but on the company’s readiness to reshape its operating model: processes, data, roles, KPIs, maintenance and repairs, contractors and decision-making.
A seated person in a suit holding and reading a document.
10 June 2026
In February, we published our 2026 outlook for key industrial sectors. The data available at the beginning of June now allow us to make an initial interim assessment.
Underground tunnel with rail tracks, support structures, pipes and ventilation ducting.
25 May 2026
Underground temperatures in summer are a matter of safety and reliable mine operation. This article examines why deep mines are becoming increasingly ‘hot’, how South Africa and Canada tackle this problem, and why Russian companies will need to build expertise in cooling mine workings quickly.
Illustration of ascending bars and a rising line against a dark blue background.
12 May 2026
Benchmarking helps reveal the gap between a business and the wider market, but setting realistic targets requires an understanding of the factors that actually affect its performance.
A worker beside a large industrial machine with an overlaid blue digital model.
6 May 2026
Unmanned mining and processing operations are no longer a fantasy: they are part of the strategy of the industry's largest companies. Autonomous haul trucks, remote control centres and AI-based monitoring are already becoming part of the operating model of major mining companies. In our experience, operations transform fastest when three factors come together — read more in the article.
Two people in high-visibility workwear discussing work beside heavy equipment at sunset.
17 April 2026
How to increase workers' productive time: Pieff's methodology and digital tools for the 'new normal'. This article examines where up to 70–80% of working time is lost and shows how to build a system for managing productive time, from planning through to analysis.
A person in workwear using a laptop in an industrial setting.
6 April 2026
Why introducing digital maintenance tools does not always deliver the expected benefits, and what to do about it. This article explores how to shift towards managing equipment reliability and embed digitalisation in day-to-day processes and decisions.
Four coloured arrows forming a continuous cycle.
20 March 2026
Pieff's methodology structures initiative portfolio management around the full life cycle, from assessment to sustaining results, allowing the practical conditions for delivering benefits to be considered from the outset. This approach narrows the gap between plan and actual performance and delivers sustained financial results through systematic control of implementation and transitions between stages.
Two workers examining equipment on a platform beside yellow industrial pipework.
13 March 2026
The decline in pipeline gas exports has freed up substantial volumes of gas within Russia. The question is which industries can process this gas and turn it into high-value-added export products.
A person signing a document on a clipboard beside a parcel.
4 March 2026
Where are companies losing money in procurement? While attention is focused on major categories, much of the savings potential lies in tail spend — hundreds of suppliers and recurring purchases where optimisation can deliver rapid, measurable benefits.
A group of people leaning over documents during a discussion.
19 February 2026
2026 does not look set to bring a rapid recovery or accelerated growth for the Russian economy. Industry is entering a period of structural divergence. Some segments are set to grow by more than 15%; others face stagnation or decline. This article provides a detailed sector-by-sector analysis.
Aerial view of a deep open-pit mine with terraced haul roads and mining equipment.
21 January 2026
In this insight, we explain why geotechnical engineering needs to become a strategic function in mining companies, balancing the drive to maximise production with the management of collapse and accident risks. Drawing on a completed project, we show how a systematic approach to geotechnical engineering can unlock additional asset value and create a long-term competitive advantage.
Aerial view of open-pit workings and surrounding dry terrain.
17 December 2025
Russia’s mining industry continues to develop despite sanctions pressure and restricted access to advanced technologies. Yet companies building new mining and processing operations face a range of challenges. One is growing public scrutiny from local communities, which brings additional expectations regarding the environmental impact of these operations.
An LNG carrier near a coastal terminal and a long jetty.
9 December 2025
In this insight, we explore the key trends in the global LNG market: export capacity will grow by 50% by 2030, leading to oversupply and intensifying competition.
S&OP series cover displaying Part 3 on a blue background.
4 December 2025
The final article in our Sales and Operations Planning series focuses on the role of digital tools and data quality. We examine the systems that support key planning processes, approaches to integrating them and the principles of data governance – all critical to the sustained performance of the operating model.
Two digitally rendered wireframe hands reaching towards one another against a dark background.
1 December 2025
Why do up to 85% of AI initiatives fail to deliver results? The Four Pillars of Reliable AI framework helps companies implement artificial intelligence safely, transparently and with real business value.
People working with documents beneath an overlaid quality-management graphic.
20 November 2025
Organisational destabilisation rarely happens suddenly. Most disruptions in industrial companies are not crises, but the predictable outcome of hidden problems accumulating. In our new article, we examine how this cycle develops and which signals can provide early warning of emerging deviations.
A worker holding a tablet beside a large haul truck.
17 November 2025
What is driving digitalisation today, and how are Russian companies approaching it? Our new study explores the trends, challenges and prospects for digitalisation and automation in the mining industry.
People reviewing a large technical plan together around a table.
6 November 2025
When designers cannot keep up and construction has to wait, companies face delays and financial losses. We often see this on capital projects. In this article, we explain how to turn a chaotic design process into a manageable system and keep it aligned with construction, without complex IT platforms.
A yellow haul truck on a road through an open-pit mine.
23 October 2025
The coal market is in a downturn. Russian companies face pressure on two fronts: logistics absorbs up to 80% of revenue, while discounts to global prices are widening. We examine three strategic levers for maintaining profitability and share a case study: how fixed costs were reduced by 36% in 7 months, keeping two loss-making assets open.
Two workers walking through a construction site beside temporary buildings at sunset.
8 October 2025
How can recruitment in remote regions be brought under control? By setting a clear pace, providing structure and ensuring transparent coordination among everyone involved. We share an approach that helped accelerate recruitment severalfold in one of the hardest-to-reach regions.
S&OP series cover displaying Part 2 on a blue background.
15 September 2025
The second part of our study of Sales and Operations Planning in industry. How to establish a demand forecasting process and an effective organisational structure for a function that aligns sales, production and logistics: findings from real cases in capital-intensive industries.
Industrial equipment handling glowing hot metal.
3 September 2025
In this insight, we share the key findings of an in-depth industry study of digital transformation in mining. Digital transformation strategy and digital transformation management.
Composite image of an aircraft, roads, containers, port cranes and a cargo ship.
26 August 2025
In this insight, we explore the key challenges and development prospects for Russia's transport infrastructure to 2030, including innovative technologies already in use.
S&OP series cover displaying Part 1 on a blue background.
15 August 2025
The first part of our study of Sales and Operations Planning in industry. In this insight, we explore how to manage supply chains through turbulence, drawing on real-world cases and practical solutions.
Hands pointing at and marking a technical plan on a table.
7 August 2025
In this insight, we explain why assessing the maturity of a contractor’s construction management system is crucial to minimising the risk of delays in capital project delivery, and offer an approach to assessing it quickly.
Hot metal products being moved by overhead equipment inside a large industrial building.
25 July 2025
Russia’s metals industry faces falling demand and lower prices, which are squeezing profits. In this insight, we examine the main areas for cost reduction to improve business profitability and maintain a sound cash position.
An excavator working at the base of an exposed quarry face.
30 June 2025
In this insight, we discuss how to improve drill and blast performance in open-pit mining and reduce ore losses.
A person leaning over printed charts, diagrams and financial graphics.
16 June 2025
In this insight, we explain how to maximise the returns on capital projects under macroeconomic constraints.
A hand beneath a digital illustration of cubes forming an upward pattern.
17 April 2025
Organisational transformation is essential as a business grows. In this insight, we examine three factors in effective transformation at industrial companies.
A road roller on newly laid asphalt at sunset.
4 March 2025
In this article, we examine how road construction companies can optimise costs by introducing systematic solutions and management tools.
People examining a technical drawing with a pen and magnifying glass.
1 December 2024
In this article, we examine examples of performance management practices at design institutes, gathered through an industry benchmarking study for a large chemicals group.
A tower crane viewed between reinforced concrete column cages.
20 November 2023
In this edition, we provide a brief overview of a methodology for optimising investment projects, together with practical examples of its application drawn from experience of major investment projects in heavy industry.
An excavator loading material into a mobile processing machine.
22 March 2023
In this article, we examine the maintenance and repair challenges currently facing Russian industry and consider the main steps needed to address the situation.
A finger touching a digital interface represented by concentric illuminated rings.
9 March 2023
Faced with severe macroeconomic constraints, many heavy industrial businesses have focused on improving efficiency. This places even greater demands on the effectiveness of digital change, which we examine in this article.
A road roller compacting a new asphalt surface.
3 March 2023
On 25 February 2023, the EU adopted its tenth sanctions package, which included restrictions on imports of bitumen and asphalt from Russia. In this article, we examine the main consequences of the sanctions and the outlook for bitumen production in Russia.
Two workers in hard hats and high-visibility vests examining a document beside machinery.
15 February 2023
More than 70% of programmes to transform the maintenance and repairs function fail to achieve their stated objectives. We have identified 4 key factors in successful maintenance and repairs transformation.
Hands working over an overlaid financial chart with bars and a line.
10 February 2023
Companies are beginning to feel the pressure of rising inflation, compounded by supply chain problems. We set out a range of initiatives to help contain cost increases and prevent operational disruption
A cargo ship at sea with mountains in the distance.
1 February 2023
The uncertainty of 2022 made it one of the most challenging years in recent history. In this insight, we identify the main challenges facing industry in 2023 and ways to address them

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