making a cup of tea – how many different variations are there to this simple task; for example, do you boil the kettle first or get a mug?
In our recent #whiteboardwednesday, we discussed Process Mining and the benefits it can bring to organisations when analysing digital processes, especially ones that have many variations. Below are Cam’s top takeaways from the session.
1. three main attributes for process mining
- Discovery – Discovering all the different variations of the process and how the process works
- Conformance Checking – Is the process being conducted at a universal level? If there are variations, how are they being handled and who by?
- Enhancement – Analysing the process in-depth to enhance and streamline using Lean Six Sigma methodologies
2. increasing popularity
- The Process Mining industry is still relatively new, however, with large players such as UiPath and Microsoft now investing in their own Process Mining software, it is simply a matter of time until it becomes mainstream and readily available
3. digital
- Process Mining focuses on digital processes. Whilst some may consider this a limitation to the ideology, it is another push into the digital world from emerging technology for the last remaining paper-based companies
4. accuracy
- Process Mining allows accurate capturing of the process and variations – most software will provide you with key metrics such as common variations, time taken, and issues found
5. capturing variations
- Process Mining is the only type of technology to capture all variations of a process and can document them accurately. It does this by analysing the process over a length of time and many users instead of analysing just the one happy path situation
6. efficient
- Process mining is far more efficient and time saving than the traditional approach of holding discovery sessions or interviews. By analysing event logs and creating automated visualisations of data and variations, there is large scope for potential time savings
7. volume of data
- The largest benefits from Process Mining are unlocked in companies with copious amounts of digital data and a substantial number of users performing the process
8. algorithms
- Process Mining’s rich visualisation of process flow comes using algorithms. An algorithm can even be viewed as a set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations. There are several existing algorithms that can be applied to the data to provide different insights into what is happening
