Process Mining Basics

Question 1

What is process mining?

Answer 1

analyses operational processes based on their actual “as-is” data, which is available as log files in ERP-Systems

Question 2

What are the three analytical field that process mining uses to analyse operational processes?

Answer 2

• Business intelligence
• Data mining
• process science

Question 3

What is the goal of process mining?

Answer 3

transform data into actionable insights that create opportunities for improvement

Question 4

What is the difference between data mining and process mining?

Answer 4

Process Mining focuses on business processes and its transactional data in ERP systems

Question 5

What is a digital footprint and how does PM play a role?

Answer 5

Details of every process is recorded and leaves a trace
called digital footprints and can be found throughout different systems in an organization.
Process Mining captures these footprints and allows you to visualize them in a step-by-step journey view.

Question 6

What are the 3 steps of process mining?

Answer 6

1 . Transactional Data (Digital footprint)
2. Analyzing the traces
3. Process Science

Question 7

[Transactional Data (Digital footprint)] What is event logs?

Answer 7

system based task data get recorded in log files - called event-logs

Question 8

[Transactional Data (Digital footprint)] What does process mining use event logs for?

Answer 8

to “mine” processes and better understand them

e.g:
-Identifying process trends, patterns, and deviations
-Detailed visualization of actual processes
-Discovering new ways to increase process efficiency

Question 9

[Analyzing the traces] What happens during this stage?

Answer 9

Executed steps are analysed to determine compliance and inefficiencies (e.g redundant tasks). Process Mining uses BI to visualize and provide valuable insights.

Question 10

[Process Science] What happens during this stage.

Answer 10

Process improvement are defined based on findings.
eg:
-Implementing approval steps to ensure compliance
-Removing redundant tasks to reduce cycle time
-Change process flows for efficient execution

Question 11

Define process model

Answer 11

Visually describe the sequence of tasks and responsibilities (“to-be” process) that need to be executed in order to complete the process

Question 12

Define process cases

Answer 12

A Case defines a one-time execution of the process (complete or incomplete). [refer to image 1]

Question 13

Define process variants

Answer 13

A variant is a set of cases with the same process flow (same choices, activities, events). Only small differences (different end-decision) will lead to a new variant. [refer to image 2]

Question 14

Define Events

Answer 14

Events define every action within a system and these actions have a specific timestamp.

Assuming the process is fully executed, each individual task is considered an event since we receive a system-generated timestamp on each task

Question 15

Define Attributes and list the 2 types

Answer 15

Besides the specific tasks and time-stamps, there is other information related to the process called Attributes.

1. task attribute
   2.case attribute

Question 16

What is a task attribute?

Answer 16

provide additional details on the executed tasks for certain cases, such as cost center, type of execution, costs

Question 17

What is a case attribute?

Answer 17

provide additional details on cases, such as order type, method of payment, and choice of shipping speed

Question 18

What are the 3 capabilities of Process Mining?

Answer 18

-Process Discovery
-Process Conformance
-Process Performance

Question 19

What is process discovery?

Answer 19

Visualizes the way executed tasks are performed and backtracks the process flow.

Question 20

How does process discovery help companies?

Answer 20

-Identify the actual “as-is” process in a system
- Identify process deviations, exceptions, or outliers
- Identify the critical path (the longest sequence of tasks from start to finish) and the total number of executions
- Get a starting point to dig deeper into processes

Question 21

What is process conformance?

Answer 21

focuses on the mapping of “as-is” data to an existing predefined “to-be” process

Question 22

How does process conformance help companies?

Answer 22

• Identify the total of non-conform cases
• Identify the root course of each case
• Develop measures to ensure conformance

Question 23

What is process Performance?

Answer 23

its about measuring the process and defining performance indicators - it’s shown on a dashboard.

Question 24

How does process Performance help companies?

Answer 24

• Create and evaluate measures for improvements
• Benchmark performance (e.g. of different regions)
• Monitor the overall performance process in real-time to react more quickly in case of changes

Question 25

Why do companies use Process Mining?

Answer 25

There are many reasons, but the main/common one is because of digital transformation.

Question 26

What is digital transformation

Answer 26

a company adapting to the fast changing global market and customer expectations by using digital technologies and implementing a digital infrastructure, using latest tools and processes

Question 27

What is data mining?

Answer 27

identify trends, patterns, and customer behavior in a large data set

Question 28

How is Process mining used in Big Data and Real-Time Process Analytics

Answer 28

Combines data and process mining to allows a seamless stream of operational process and production data for real-time analytics

Question 29

What is Cloud Technology? and how how is Process mining used in it?

Answer 29

remote resources, storage and process data on demand. Cloud-based Process Mining tools analyze millions of cases within seconds to deliver process insights.

Question 30

How is process mining used in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)

Answer 30

AI in Process Mining, is based on actual “as-is” data and can predict the process for cases, for example, incoming orders.

Question 31

What is the acronym for the 5 benefits of process mining?

Answer 31

FiBRES

F - Faster reaction time
i
B - bottlenecks resolved
R- reduced costs
E - ensured compliance
S - standardization of processes

Question 32

(Fibres) Explain Faster reaction time

Answer 32

constant live monitoring through dashboards for process KPI allows companies to can quickly notice if a problem occurs and take the necessary steps to resolve this

Question 33

(fiBres) explain bottlenecks resolved

Answer 33

analysing each step reveals the steps that are time-consuming, companies can then simplify, automate or allocate more resources to them

Question 34

(fibRes) Explain reduced costs

Answer 34

‘as-is’ state reveals which steps are outdated and can be removed to prevent unnecessary costs + programmers can automate through RPA

Question 35

(fibrEs) Explain ensured compliance

Answer 35

actual steps can be compared to existing ‘to-be’ process, which will show non-conformed tasks or help implement measure for ensuring process compliance

Question 36

(fibreS) Explain standardization of processes

Answer 36

helps identify identifies variants, outliers and non-conform cases - so companies can focus on standardising the process

Question 37

Processes can only be mined if they are what? (regarding systems)

Answer 37

fully executed in one or several systems.

Question 38

(Typical Process that are ‘Mined’) in the IT/Customer Service department?

Answer 38

Issue-to-resolution

Question 39

(Typical Process that are ‘Mined’) in the Sales department?

Answer 39

Lead-to-cash

Question 40

(Typical Process that are ‘Mined’) in the Finance department?

Answer 40

Purchase-to-pay
accounts receivable & payable