How organizations can strategize to potentially benefit from process mining

Process mining promises transformative benefits, but success relies on strategic approaches and understanding critical factors.

In brief

• Process mining offers potential transformative benefits for organizations.
• Realizing transformative benefits requires a strategic approach and an understanding of critical success factors to pave the path for successful implementation.
• With a thoroughly devised implementation plan and a clear future roadmap, organizations can ensure they derive maximum benefit from their process mining program.

In this digital age, data serves as the cornerstone of strategic decision-making, and process mining emerges as a means through which organizations can unlock its transformative potential. Processes are core to any business and gaining an understanding of how designed processes actually operate can provide companies with invaluable insights. As we progress through our series on ‘Driving organizational performance improvement through the lens of process mining,’ we delve into the strategic approach and pivotal factors that guide organizations towards a successful process mining program. 

How have organizations embarked on their process mining journey?

The choice of where to apply process mining is a crucial decision, but equally vital is grasping the initial steps in the process mining implementation journey. Organizations embarking on their process mining journey typically begin with a use case that has a well-defined objective. The subsequent step, preparing and standardizing data, is often recognized as the most significant challenge in process mining due to the absence of standardized process frameworks. Once this obstacle is overcome, process mining tools are utilized to analyze and visualize processes, facilitating the identification of non-conformities.

After the successful implementation of a pilot use case, organizations gradually transition to a multi-process, multi-function approach, integrating artificial intelligence to harness predictive capabilities for better decision-making. Concurrently, organizations lay the foundation for a Centre of Excellence (CoE) to sustain and scale the process mining program. The CoE comprises data engineers, data scientists, and business value architects, tasked with driving expansion across the organization according to business needs.

For example, a global payroll processing company initiated their process discovery journey through a pilot program in their ITSM processes, yielding significant business benefits. Following this success, the company established a Centre of Excellence (CoE) to oversee the full-cycle implementation of process discovery. A collaborative approach was designed to ensure successful outcomes from the digital process discovery CoE setup, simultaneously building internal capability for a wider rollout across various business functions such as supply chain and order management.

Key success factors to drive a successful process mining program

As organizations embark on their process mining journey, they often encounter roadblocks that can impede its successful implementation. There are several key factors that play a significant role in the successful implementation and scale-up of process mining. 

Firstly, for any organization, gaining leadership support is of utmost importance. Leaders play a critical role in championing the cause of process mining, securing necessary resources, and ensuring the program's integration into the broader organizational strategy. However, establishing a dedicated Centre of Excellence (CoE) is equally pivotal. A CoE serves as a centralized hub for expertise and collaboration, aligning the process mining program with the organization's strategic objectives. It is important to note that organizations with a CoE are nearly nine times more likely to achieve a positive Return on Investment (ROI) on their total investment in process mining².

Securing business ownership is another key factor. Assigning ownership within specific domains ensures that the process mining efforts are closely aligned with internal programs, goals, and the unique needs of different business units. Additionally, ensuring robust IT support is crucial for seamless data access and integration. This support creates an environment where data is readily available, accurate, and can be effectively utilized by process mining tools.

Implementing effective change management practices is imperative, considering that process mining often leads to insights necessitating on-ground process changes. A well-structured change management approach helps in smooth integration, minimizing resistance, and maximizing the effectiveness of the new processes. Lastly, placing emphasis on the realization of business value from process mining initiatives is paramount. Prioritizing value-driven outcomes ensures that the efforts are aligned with overarching business goals, and the benefits are measurable and impactful. This comprehensive approach significantly enhances the likelihood of a successful process mining implementation and its long-term success within the organization.

Implementing the four-step process mining approach

Organizations in various sectors benefit from an improved and scaled process mining program through a structured and tested implementation approach. The steps are discussed below: 

1. Define and connect: The initial step involves understanding the business needs and defining a use case for process mining implementation. This stage also includes the crucial task of understanding and connecting the required data points for building the process mining model.
2. Build and validate: The build and validate stage is initiated once data connections are established. During this stage, primary activities revolve around building a data pipeline, data transformation, and constructing building the model. Front-end dashboards for the end-users are created and validated with business stakeholders.
3. Deploy and engage: This stage involves publishing the dashboards for end users and monitoring the KPIs, process variants to gather feedback, and further enhance analysis.
4. Value generation: The final stage, Value generation, is where the real transformative potential of process mining is unlocked. During this phase, data is thoroughly analyzed to identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement.

What lies ahead?

As organizations continue their journey of process mining implementation, they embark on a path of transformation and innovation. With the right approach and a focus on realizing value, the full potential of process mining can be harnessed, elevating organizations to build competitive processes and reach new heights of business transformation and operational excellence.