How to visualize business processes with process mining

Efficient processes are a key factor for success. Many companies are familiar with their painstakingly defined target processes but not with their actual processes as they are. Optimizing this area requires understanding the processes and creating transparency, bringing out implicit knowledge and harmonizing existing structures.

Process mining can help you by providing an analysis of your operative data. Specifically, it tells you where the actual current state of your processes is recorded, e.g. directly in your ERP or CRM system.

Process mining is an analytical discipline that provides an objective, data-based real-time image of the way processes actually work.

One valuable source for this process knowledge lies with your IT systems, since every process leaves behind digital tracks. Process mining lets you utilize these tracks to obtain valuable insights into your operating processes. For instance, "event logs" can be used to extract data which is available in your information systems. In this way, even hidden processes can be visualized.

Having a transparent view of your processes allows you to spot weak points and inefficiencies in your daily operations. These insights can then be used to reduce processing times and identify potential improvements. For instance, in invoice management, they allow you to evaluate delinquent payments and find those for which discounts were nonetheless granted. They can also reveal process deviations in purchasing which lead to increased costs or lead times.

If you've ever implemented a BI system, you know the value of transparency when it comes to sales trends and cost increases. It allows businesses to take targeted counteractions in order to foster positive business development.

Process mining has a similar effect on processes: It allows you to identify process deviations and spot any lingering digitalization issues along the process chains. This enables you to stay on top of your process costs. 

Process mining technologies allow you to digitally track your processes. This holds enormous potential for automation. This is where low code/no code platform and robotic process automation (RPA) come into play. Daily routine activities can be easily and securely carried out by means of automatic processes. This permanently frees up capacity for your staff and eliminates sources of human error. The potential applications are practically unlimited and can be found in any department. Examples include stalled approval procedures or invoicing and dunning procedures.

With the ability to monitor automation results using process mining tools, you can track and evaluate the success of your optimizations.

Depending on your goals, you might opt to only use one of these two technologies. But in order to utilize their full potential, it's best to combine them. With process mining software, you can create transparent processes, establish continuous monitoring and identify the biggest weak points. Process automation allows you to then directly target these weak points for improvement.