Transform Business Operations with Process Mining

Process mining, evolving from a niche concept to a core business tool, optimizes operational workflows through data analysis, requiring executive buy-in and cultural shifts, thereby driving strategic improvements and value realization.

Process mining, transitioning from a concept in 2001 to a widely-used tool, revolutionizes understanding and improvement of business processes through in-depth analysis of enterprise transactional data. It creates digital twins of process flows, offering an objective method over traditional subjective approaches. This technology started as an ad hoc performance assessment tool but now enables comprehensive, scalable operational oversight, driving efficiency and value realization.

Research involving interviews with leaders from eleven companies reveals two application contexts: firms with a widespread process orientation and those aspiring to that approach. Process-oriented companies, particularly in central Europe, leverage process mining beyond conventional modeling, targeting operational insights, inefficiency identification, and process improvement to realize value. Others use it to imbue a process-focused mindset, promoting consistency and simplicity in workflows. Regardless, process leaders often evangelize the technology, highlighting the need for a cultural shift toward structured process management, moving from hero-focused to process-focused operations.

Successful scaling of process mining hinges on several factors, including executive support, business ownership, a dedicated center of excellence, ongoing training, alignment with strategic goals, a focus on value realization, seamless data integration, and ingrained operational execution efforts. Executive buy-in stands out as crucial, exemplified by Reckitt’s top executives' support linking process mining to strategic objectives.

However, the process doesn’t end with insights. Companies must act for sustainable improvement, requiring targeted apps for specific processes and managerial diligence to translate insights into actions. This translation involves engaging the right internal sectors, identifying relevant business problems, and using insights operationally for daily value-driven decisions.

Looking ahead, companies plan various enhancements. Technologically, they seek to simplify process mining, expand its accessibility, and integrate advanced capabilities like task mining and AI-driven insights. Organizationally, there’s a push for broader user communities and robust process management structures. By institutionalizing process mining, companies expect to optimize inter-organizational workflows, indicative of the technology’s staying power and its role in operational transformation, ultimately contributing significantly to organizations' overall performance.

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