Why Process Analysis?- Navigating the Process Mining Hype

In the industry of business process management, process mining has recently gained significant attention and hype. With top technology vendors introducing interesting process mining software, it is natural to assume that process analysis has become less relevant. However, even in an environment where business processes are largely automated, understanding the importance of process analysis remains crucial.

Process analysis is the systematic examination of a business process with the aim of understanding its current state (As-is), which will act as the basis to decide how it can be improved into a future state (To-be). It uses various techniques and tools such as interviews, observations, process mapping, value stream analysis, and simulation to analyze both automated and human tasks and requires significant manual work in terms of process modeling and documentation. It takes a holistic approach to understand and improve processes. On the other hand, process mining is a specific technique that focuses on identifying patterns in automated process execution. It relies on specialized algorithms and software to analyze event logs, visualize process flows, and identify patterns and deviations. While process mining provides valuable insights into automated processes, it has a narrower scope compared to process analysis, which encompasses both automated and human tasks.

Today's business processes are complex, consisting of both automated and human activities. Automated activities are structured, defined, and consistent, allowing for the identification and analysis of deviations using process mining tools. In contrast, human activities can be unstructured, undefined, and inconsistent, leading to variations in process execution, especially when processes are not well-documented or institutionalized. Process mining operates under the assumption that the established process is correct. On the other hand, process analysis offers greater opportunities for innovation. It encourages organizations to critically examine their processes, challenge assumptions, and completely redesign them.

When considering a business function or a large process, analyzing a single process alone is typically inadequate. It is essential to consider related processes as changes to one process can impact multiple related processes. Process analysis helps identify dependencies and interactions between multiple processes within and across departments, optimizing cross-functional workflows and improving collaboration.

Conducting a process analysis exercise can encourage a culture of innovation and agility. By actively engaging in the analysis of processes, employees can discover new ways of doing things and drive continuous improvement. This empowers employees to think critically about their work and actively contribute to ongoing improvement initiatives.

To summarize, while the hype around process mining continues to grow, it is important to recognize the relevance of process analysis in achieving optimal business process improvement. Both automated and human activities require careful analysis to ensure optimal improvements. Process mining complements process analysis by identifying deviations in automated activities based on historical process performance data. By conducting a comprehensive process analysis alongside process mining, organizations can identify areas for improving processes, streamline operations, and drive business growth.

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