The new software suite includes Vulcan Drillhole Optimiser, designed to help exploration projects and open-pit and underground operations to develop infill drilling plans to maximise resource recovery.

"With Drillhole Optimiser, geologists can accurately assess multiple scenarios and budgets taking into account existing drilling, locations and resource classifications," Maptek said, which results in better orebody confidence with fewer wasted drillholes.

Vulcan 2020 also updates some of the system's existing functions, including the open-pit compliance tool, which offers automatic comparisons of multiple surfaces against solids.

The function, the company said, aids planners to view how closely plans are being followed for the short-term and mid-term.

Automated Pit Designer function was also enhanced in the new release. "Engineers experience a dramatically improved pit design process, reducing the time to proceed from pit optimisation outputs to an actual pit design complete with ramps," the company said.

"Dynamic reserving is a fast, interactive feature that displays reserve information for nominated regions on the fly. Vulcan users can get basic or advanced reports, charts and fast reserves simply by picking a solid," it added.

Maptek group product manager for mine planning Jesse Oldham said a focus by the industry on the effectiveness of material movement has "well and truly shifted" to the technologies that generate value, such as those that help acquire, manage and process data efficiently.