PROCESS-MINING: What Is Means & Why You Consider It

Process Mining
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Process mining becomes a crucial option due to the growing complexity of operations and the advancements in technology. Gaining process information and locating bottlenecks for process optimization are both possible with process mining. According to process mining trends, the market will expand by 40–50% in 2023. Prior to selecting a process mining tool, analysts and business leaders should be aware of what process mining is. This article will provide a comprehensive explanation of process mining, including its definition, application in business, advantages it gives, and how to choose tools and characteristics of the Celonis and Uipath software.

What is Process Mining (PM)?

Process mining is a method for examining and monitoring processes. Process workshops and interviews are used in classic business process management to create an idealized picture of a process. PM, on the other hand, takes pre-existing data from corporate information systems and presents the actual process automatically.

How Does Process Mining Work?

A process produces data each time it is finished. It could include time-stamped logs of purchases made at registers. As an example, if a customer support request is received, you know when the call was received, who handled it, how long it took, and whether the issue was fixed. Or invoices delivered on a specific date.

Enterprise platforms like SAP, Salesforce, and Oracle have digital traces left over from common business procedures. Using basic analytics tools, you may examine this data for processing and mine the data to identify some overarching patterns, such as how long things take, how many procedures are completed overall, who is managing what, etc.

A process mining solution can help in this situation. To advance these insights, you can upload all of this data, both historical and current, to a PM platform.

Types of Process Mining

The majority of the academic research on PM is attributed to the Dutch computer scientist and professor Wil van der Aalst. Three forms of PM are described by his research and the manifesto listed above discovery, conformance, and enhancement.

#1. Discovery

Process discovery employs event log information to autonomously build a process model. According to this classification, no existing process models would be available to guide the creation of a brand-new process model. The majority of mines use this kind of mining procedure.

#2. Conformance

Conformance testing verifies if the desired process model is reflected in actual behavior. This kind of PM analyzes event log data to match a process description to an existing process model and find any differences from the intended model.

#3. Enhancement

Extension, organizational mining, and performance mining are some names for this kind of process mining. In this subclass of PM, an existing process model is enhanced using new data. For instance, the results of compliance checking might help managers identify bottlenecks in a process model so they can improve an existing process.

Why is Process Mining Important?

In order to increase the quality of your daily life, you should consider investing in a piece of real estate. PM, however, is significant on a larger scale since it may support business operations and promote robust growth.

In a recent Gartner analysis, it is said that PM aids in the development and upkeep of business operations resilience, which is a crucial factor in fostering resilient growth. It achieves this by making it possible for individuals, groups, and information systems to change in response to emerging competitors, goods, services, distribution channels, business models, and technological advancements.

If increasing efficiency, operating with agility, and attaining growth is crucial to your business, you must be able to change operations with fact-based insights continually or on demand. A business’s operations can profit from process mining in the ways listed below:

  • Enormous volumes of data to uncover hidden behavior
  • Encourage projects for process transformation
  • Verify that processes act as you would expect them to.
  • Increase the value of your process description with actual facts.

Process Mining Tools

Process mining is a tool that enables businesses to identify, track, and enhance their operational processes by examining event logs and transaction data. For process mining, a number of tools are available that can assist with automating data extraction and processing as well as offering visualization and reporting capabilities. Several common process mining tools are listed below:

#1. Appian

With the capacity to monitor and enhance business processes in response to changing needs, Appian is a top provider of low-code platforms that let both expert and amateur developers create process- and case-centric applications.

With the help of Appian’s PM capabilities, businesses can combine data from various systems, locate process bottlenecks, create custom dashboards for particular analysis requirements, forecast process behavior, create workflows that are optimized, uphold process standards, lower operational costs, and more.

#2. Celonis

Celonis is a leading global provider of execution management systems that assist businesses in streamlining their operational procedures. Companies across sectors may increase visibility into their operations, spot bottlenecks, and optimize efficiencies with the help of Celonis’ portfolio of process and task mining capabilities.

Analytic visualizations, drag-and-drop customization tools, task mining, extensible data models, multi-event logs, best-practice benchmarking, and tools for identifying processes that could benefit from automation are just a few of the capabilities that are supported by machine learning and the industry-standard process query language (PQL).

#3. IBM

With the aid of the IBM PM product suite, businesses from many industries may streamline operations and take quicker, more informed decisions. In use cases like intelligent automation, client onboarding, procure-to-pay (P2P), accounts payable, IT issue management, and order-to-cash, IBM’s process mining tools can be put to use.

Robotic process automation (RPA) generation that is automated, fact-based process models, AI-powered process simulations, conformity checking, task mining, and easy connections with other IBM products are just a few of the features.

#4. UiPath

Robotic process automation (RPA), artificial intelligence, PM, and cloud technologies are all combined by the global supplier iPath to provide an end-to-end automation platform that enables businesses to grow their digital business operations.

Process analytics, app templates, automatic alerts, built-in data transformation, intelligent software robots, task mining, and other tools for evaluating data from business applications are included in its PM product suite. Both an on-premise and cloud-based solution are offered by UiPath.

#5. Fluxicon

For business process managers and consultants, Fluxicon offers process mining solutions. Disco, a tool from the company that specializes in PM, can assist users in lowering costs, enhancing quality, comparing processes beyond KPIs, and building high-level models of their processes.

Its features include project management, performance filters, extensive statistics, interactive charts, animated process maps, automated process discovery, user-friendly log filters for delving deeper into data, and several choices for data importing and exporting.

Process Mining Celonis

Process identification, analysis, and optimization can be done using a cloud-based platform provided by Celonis, a vendor of PM software. The following are some characteristics and advantages of Celonis:

  • Process Discovery: Celonis uses machine learning algorithms to automatically discover and visualize end-to-end business processes based on event logs and transaction data. This helps organizations gain a comprehensive understanding of their processes and identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
  • Process Analysis: Celonis provides a range of analytical capabilities, including performance metrics, root cause analysis, and process simulation. This allows organizations to identify process variations and their impact on business outcomes, as well as test and optimize process improvements.
  • Process Improvement: Celonis offers a range of tools and features to help organizations implement and monitor process improvements. This includes process automation, real-time monitoring, and process compliance checks.
  • Integration with Other Systems: Celonis integrates with a variety of data sources, including ERP and CRM systems, to provide real-time insights and automate data extraction and transformation.
  • User-Friendly Interface: Celonis provides a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop functionality and intuitive visualizations. This makes it easy for business users to interact with and analyze process data without the need for technical skills.

With the help of the potent process mining tool Celonis, businesses can enhance their operational procedures and boost results. However, it’s crucial to assess the software in light of the unique needs and use cases of your business, as well as taking into account elements like cost, support, and security.

Uipath Process Mining

An AI-powered process mining system called UiPath helps businesses examine their business processes and find potential for improvement and automation. The following are some characteristics and advantages of UiPath Process Mining:

  • Process Discovery:  UiPath PM automatically discovers and visualizes end-to-end business processes on the basis of transaction data and event logs. This aids businesses in developing a thorough grasp of their procedures and discovering bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
  • Process Analysis: UiPath PM offers a variety of analytical tools, such as process simulation, root cause analysis, and performance measurements. In addition to testing and optimizing process improvements, this enables firms to detect process variations and their impact on business outcomes.
  • Process Improvement: A variety of tools and capabilities are provided by UiPath Process Mining to assist firms in implementing and tracking process improvements. This involves checking for process compliance, real-time monitoring, and process automation.
  • Integration with the UiPath Automation Platform: Because UiPath Process Mining interfaces with the UiPath Automation Platform, businesses can quickly automate and improve their processes using the knowledge gleaned through PM.
  • User-Friendly Interface: UiPath Process Mining offers an intuitive user interface with visualizations that are simple to understand, allowing business people to engage with and evaluate process data without the need for specialized knowledge.

UiPath Process Mining is an effective PM tool that can help businesses enhance their operational procedures and produce better results. However, it’s crucial to assess the software in light of the unique needs and use cases of your business, as well as taking into account elements like cost, support, and security.

Steps of Process Mining

Step 1: Gather data

Data collection about the process under analysis is the initial step in the PM process. This information is gathered through event logs produced by systems used to support the process, including ERP, BPMS, CRM, HR, ITSM, and others.

Process mining tools use pre-built connectors for various systems (SAP, Oracle, Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, etc.) to access the current transaction data from these information systems. You don’t need to worry about this as a new PM user because we assist you in setting everything up so you can concentrate on optimizing your processes.

Step 2: Preprocess data

Data is frequently preprocessed after it has been gathered to make it ready for analysis. This often entails cleaning the data, eliminating any discrepancies, and occasionally converting it into a format that the PM tool can use.

Step 3: Discover processes

The following stage is to employ tools for process mining to extract actual processes from the data. You can evaluate the effectiveness of your processes by viewing automatic visualizations of their as-is process flows. View trends at a high level, drill down to the most minute detail or see all your process variants.

Step 4: Analyze and drill down to the root causes

Several PM metrics and methodologies can be used to assess the process once it has been found. In order to do this, performance indicators like lead time, compliance, or process efficiency must be measured in order to pinpoint process improvement opportunities.

The root causes of your processes’ issues, including bottlenecks, rework, and unintended process variations, are revealed through the root cause analysis. It grades them according to how well they contribute to business results and emphasizes them in flowcharts. When you wish to enhance the operations of your business, this aids in action prioritization.

Step 5: Improve your operations

Your procedures can be improved after the analysis. Various process improvement approaches can do this. You may raise efficiency, lower expenses, and boost performance by streamlining your operations.

Step 6: See a prioritization of automation candidates

The PM identifies the processes that are most appropriate for automation after you have optimized them. View predicted ROI, automate when appropriate, and scale automation projects with ease.

Step 7: Foresee KPI Performance and Fix Issues

Life’s only constant is change, and business operations are no exception. Maintain tracking and forecasting of your KPIs, and use process mining to assess how your strategic goals are being attained. You won’t have to waste time manually creating reports because PM provides you with quick, dynamic reports.

Process Mining Use Cases

Many different sectors have improved their process flows by using PM techniques. Process maps have prompted firms to reevaluate their operational inefficiencies since they highlight the key performance indicators (KPIs) that have an impact on performance. Examples of use cases are:

  • Education
  • Finance
  • Public works
  • Software Development
  • Healthcare
  • E-commerce
  • Manufacturing

What Is Process Mining 3 Steps?

Process mining is a tool that enables businesses to identify, track, and enhance their operational processes by examining event logs and transaction data. The three steps in the PM are as follows:

  • Data preparation
  • Process discovery
  • Analysis and improvement

What Does Process Mining Software Do?

Process mining software is intended to assist businesses in analyzing and improving their operational procedures by gaining insights from event logs and transaction data. Some of the main features of PM software include the following:

  • Data extraction and preparation
  • Process discovery
  • Process analysis
  • Process improvement
  • Integration with other systems

Is Celonis Easy to Learn?

Celonis is a powerful process mining software that can help organizations gain valuable insights into their business processes and improve their operations. However, whether or not Celonis is easy to learn depends on several factors, including your prior experience with process mining and data analysis, as well as your familiarity with the software.

Why Do Companies Need Process Mining?

There are several reasons why businesses need process mining, including:

  • Identify process bottlenecks and inefficiencies
  • Improve process performance
  • Ensure compliance
  • Automate manual processes
  • Gain better insights into business operations

Overall, process mining is an effective instrument that can give businesses important new perspectives on their internal workings and help them run more efficiently. Businesses may enhance their processes, lower costs, and increase customer satisfaction by detecting process bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and compliance issues.

Who Uses Process Mining?

Various individuals and companies from various industries can employ process mining. Some instances of those who apply process mining are as follows:

  • Business analysts
  • Process improvement specialists
  • IT professionals
  • Compliance officers
  • Operations managers
  • Quality managers

Conclusion

Process mining is a crucial tool for firms to remain competitive in the current fast-paced business environment. Organizations can increase customer happiness, cut expenses, and gain a competitive advantage by utilizing process mining software. To achieve success, it’s crucial to pick the best process mining software and adhere to a set strategy.

References

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