Targeted training helps lift asset performance across Peppertree and Marulan
Investment in equipment is only part of the equation when it comes to performance. The real value comes from how those assets are operated and managed every day.
Across New South Wales, Boral’s Metro Quarries and Cement teams are building that capability through targeted training focused on improving the performance of heavy mobile equipment in real operating conditions.
Recently, leading hands, supervisors and site managers completed a three-day training program delivered in partnership with Caterpillar, centred on improving safety, compliance, reliability and overall asset performance.
Held across Peppertree Quarry and the Marulan Limestone mine, the program combined classroom learning with hands-on site-based application, allowing participants to observe, measure and assess equipment performance in real time.
Focus on practical, on-site improvement
The training explored the key drivers of efficient quarry operations, including:
- Loading tool performance and utilisation
- Truck positioning and haul cycle optimisation
- Haul road design and maintenance
- Operator behaviour and decision-making
- Use of operational data to inform improvements
- Effective supervision and site leadership
By grounding the learning in live site conditions, participants were able to directly apply insights to their own operations, identifying opportunities to improve productivity, reduce costs and extend asset life.
The impact of incremental gains
A core focus of the program was the impact of consistent, incremental improvement.
Rather than relying on a single large change, teams were encouraged to identify and implement small, practical enhancements across multiple areas of the operation. Over time, these marginal gains combine to deliver measurable improvements in performance.
Each participant returned to site with a clear plan to assess current operations, prioritise opportunities and implement changes that support more efficient and reliable asset performance.
Building capability across teams
According to Boral NSW Metro Quarries Operations Manager Angus Shedden, the program highlights the importance of people capability alongside equipment investment.
“This is where investment in assets turns into value for the business – not just through the machine itself, but through the capability of the people operating, managing and maintaining it,” he said.
Delivered in collaboration with Caterpillar, the program reflects Boral’s approach to continuous improvement across its operations, ensuring teams have the tools, knowledge and mindset to get the most out of every asset, every shift.
