Meeting/Event Information

In May 2021, Caterpillar Inc. began a project to develop a battery electric 793 Large Mining Truck. A typical 793 Large Mining Truck can haul 255 tons (US) and weighs over 851,000 lbs. Using battery electric technology to move this size truck with payload is a first for Caterpillar. Many of our customers have bold emissions reduction goals and Caterpillar is committed to enabling and supporting our customers’ goals. A battery enabled machine does not run on a diesel engine, hence there are no exhaust emissions which is significant step in supporting our customers’ sustainable mining journey.

The Caterpillar Global Program Management (GPM) team, an internal service team of 200+ experienced and certified project managers, provided the project management expertise to the entire program. Fifteen different GPM program coordinators handled different parts of the program, creating and updating two separate critical paths: technology and NPI. Because of the tight timeline, the team used a variety of approaches to stay on schedule, including validation activities in parallel on the technology and the machine. The project team used 25 different Microsoft (MS) Project files with over 3,000 activities, updated via an in-house developed tool for MS Project. 

The GPM used Microsoft Project schedules to manage schedules and an in-house developed Microsoft Project update tool to help keep project timelines updated across different projects. Critical path was analyzed to meet the deadlines. The team used Power BI dashboards to make the project’s data and metrics visible to working members across the globe. The project managers used a disciplined approach to manage scope and risks throughout the program, leveraging twice-weekly updates with the project sponsor and key stakeholders to keep focus on meeting the challenging technical requirements. The team managed change by defining a clear business purpose and building excitement around the emerging technology. 

The team successfully demonstrated the completed prototype battery electric 793 Large Mining Truck at the Tucson Proving Ground facility on November 14, 2022 and received wide publicity. Several customers came together to witness the live demonstration of the prototype truck’s capabilities on a seven-kilometer (4.3-mile) course. The success was celebrated by some of the highest executives in the company.  

Featured Speaker: Ash Reddy, Program Developer

Ash Reddy is a Project Management Professional who has worked with all levels of the organization to deliver successful projects. After spending almost two decades working in Project Management in both the manufacturing and IT industries, Ash understands the elements that drive a successful project — and it’s not mastering a tool like Microsoft Project. It’s how well you scope the project, your ability to get and keep project resources, management of project budget, risk management, your communication skills and finally your ability to adapt to the inevitable challenges.