THE CONCEPT OF PROCESS MINING WAS CREATED TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN THEORETICAL PROCESS DIAGRAMS AND ACTUAL PROCESSES. TODAY IT PROVIDES IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE TO MONITOR AND IMPROVE REAL PROCESSES
“It is surprising to see that ideas developed almost 20 years ago are becoming mainstream. Organisations are beginning to realise that process mining is essential for process management. […] I foresee that process mining will soon completely replace traditional business process management […]’: this is how Wil van der Aalst, renowned computer scientist who witnessed the birth of the discipline of process mining and encouraged its development, tells how, at the end of the 1990s, processes and data were completely separate.
The concept of Process Mining was created precisely to bridge the gap between theoretical process diagrams and the much more complex actual processes. Over time, it provided the missing link between model-based process analysis and data-driven analysis techniques, allowing real processes to be discovered, monitored and improved.
Modern data science techniques, such as machine learning and data mining, are supplanting traditional business management techniques, but the path ahead is still long and exciting. Tools and methods for extracting, preparing, transforming and storing data are intertwined with the ability to radically improve process models and influence managerial choices, with an important impact, even on issues relevant to the company (operational efficiency, sustainability, profitability, traceability, digitisation and compliance). In addition to analysing the process flow to identify bottlenecks and impediments, the Process Mining approach in fact involves the integrated use of RPA solutions which extend the process analysis to include any manual operations and offers the possibility of extending the solution with predictive analysis models.
In this regard, Wil van der Aalst again gives a very recent example: the Covid-19 pandemic, which showed how accurate and evidence-based data are crucial for operational process management and revealed the many possible applications of Process Mining: from the creation of transparency in a vaccine supply and delivery chain, through the management of compliance and operational issues related to dose administration, to the detection of counterfeit or mismanaged devices and the adoption in healthcare, in intensive care units, to improve and optimise patient treatment and management practices.
As SCAI Partners, we have developed a comprehensive approach that offers our clients end-to-end coverage of their organisational needs, combining the technical component of Process Mining tools with know-how on the functional phases (process analysis and optimisation) and following the implementation phase to ensure the achievement of the objectives set and agreed with our clients.
The advantages of Process Mining are immediately recognisable when compared to traditional systems: the use of real data, automatic reconstruction, and quantitative analysis make it possible to overcome the unreliability and cost of traditional assessments, the uncertainty about cost, performance and safety, and to move beyond a segmented view of the processes to an end-to-end segmented view, obtaining a complete view of the entire process being analysed.
The services offered by SCAI Partners include constant customer support:
- in the data extraction and instrument feed phase
- in the process analysis and criticality identification phase
- in the simulation and definition of improvement measures phase
A range of services is currently being finalised that will allow customers to access a dedicated portal to easily manage all process analysis activities and also to take advantage of additional services, such as maturity checks, benchmarking, obtaining quality certifications, training activities and webinars.
Process Mining analyses are conducted using market-leading software.
These platforms make it possible to reconstruct and visualise the actual process through the use of data within the company’s information systems, thus enabling analysis for the identification of any criticalities and the definition of improvement actions.
The advanced Process Mining approach allows a number of activities to be carried out, including:
Process Discovery & Conformance Analysis
Processes are automatically detected and analysed by comparing them with reference models in order to identify all possible anomalies and non-conformities.
Automation Analysis
Following the detection of the most frequent activities of a process, the best opportunities for automation are identified. Alternative process scenarios can then be created using the simulation suites in the software, quantifying the benefits of adopting RPA.
KPIs and Metrics
Thanks to a holistic view of process management, it is possible to assess performances, define and evaluate business-relevant metrics and KPIs using customised concepts and specific business contexts. The software used allows customised dashboards to be built based on specific KPIs and metrics shared with the customer.
Decision Rules
With the automatic detection of business rules, one can have a better understanding of the processes from a business perspective, which increases managers’ confidence and perspective in the decision-making process.
Root Cause Analysis
Root cause analysis of the identified criticalities can be carried out using Process Mining software thanks to the integration with artificial intelligence/machine learning algorithms.
Learn more about the SCAI Partners services
Contact Roberto Lazzari or Loredana Chianelli
insight developed by SCAI PARTNERS
Loredana Chianelli
