How to Guide: Process & Task Mining For Software Implementations

Streamlining Chaos: How Process Mining Transforms Messy Workflows Into Optimised Systems

Implementing new software is simpler when you map workflows beforehand. Process and task mining techniques visually document procedures, bringing clarity to automation plans.

In this article, we’ll explore how process mapping provides an aerial view of cross-functional workflows while task mining zones in on user-level activities. Together, they illuminate step-by-step processes so you can analyze data, identify improvements, and integrate software confidently.

You’ll learn how documenting granular tasks and overarching processes answers critical questions about governance, efficiency, and objectives. With mining establishing transparency in workflows, organisations properly set the stage to optimise new platforms rather than further existing problems. Let’s dive in on how to map the intricacies of operations for smooth software rollouts.

What is the Process mining and Task Mining?

Process mining and task mining dig into how work happens, but they zoom in to different levels.

Process mining looks from high up to see how entire departments flow together. It's like a map showing how different offices interact to get stuff done. This wide view helps spot big bottlenecks holding things up across an organisation.

Task mining zooms in on step-by-step what one person does to complete a process. It's like a museum map that shows exactly where each exhibit is. This close-up view helps simplify complicated tasks so anyone can understand them.

The key benefit is a visual map showing how workflows or all the steps to finish tasks. These maps help leaders quickly pick out where processes jam up and tasks get messy. Seeing exactly how things happen allows them to make solid changes so work runs smoother from start to end. Employees can then focus on doing their best instead of fighting confusion.

How Process Mining Works:

Process Discovery:

• Event Log Analysis: Process mining algorithms analyse the event logs to reconstruct and visualise the actual flow of activities in the business processes. This involves identifying patterns, sequences, and dependencies within the data.
• Model Generation: The analysis results in the creation of process models, which represent the discovered workflow. These models provide a graphical representation of how activities are interconnected, showcasing the sequence of tasks and decision points.
• Visualisation: The generated process models offer a clear and visual depiction of the entire process, making it easier for stakeholders to understand and identify areas for improvement. Visualisation may take the form of flowcharts, process maps, or other graphical representations.

Analysis and Optimisation:

• Identifying Bottlenecks and Variants: Process mining allows for the identification of bottlenecks where processes slow down or encounter delays. It also highlights process variants, showcasing the different paths a process may take. This information is crucial for understanding variations in actual process execution.
• Conformance Checking: The discovered process models are compared to the intended or predefined process models. This step, known as conformance checking, reveals deviations between the planned and actual execution. It helps organisations ensure that processes align with their designed models and goals.
• Continuous Improvement: With insights from process mining, organisations can make data-driven decisions to optimise their processes. This may involve streamlining workflows, eliminating bottlenecks, and enhancing overall efficiency. Continuous monitoring and analysis support ongoing improvements, contributing to a cycle of refinement and optimisation.

How Task Mining Works

1. Task Documentation:

• Objective: An example could be to Improve onboarding processes.
• How: Task mining provides insights into individual tasks, reducing reliance on individual knowledge for onboarding new team members.
• Benefits: Enhances alignment across teams, reduces dependency on specific individuals, and facilitates the creation of comprehensive task documentation.

2. Governance and Compliance:

• Objective: Ensure adherence to regulations and standards.
• How: Task mining identifies compliance errors by analysing user interactions.
• Benefits: Enables quick resolution of compliance issues, reducing legal costs and negative brand publicity. Provides a proactive approach to governance and compliance.

3. Task Automation:

• Objective: Identify opportunities for automation.
• How: Task mining tools assist program and people managers in pinpointing sub-processes suitable for automation,
• Benefits: Enhances overall efficiency by automating repetitive tasks, optimising resource allocation, and freeing up employees for more strategic activities.

Benefits of Task Mining:

1. Increased Efficiency: Identifies and rectifies operational bottlenecks, expediting process improvement and reallocating resources for enhanced employee morale.
2. Better Compliance: Collects data for governance teams, allowing quick resolution of compliance issues, and improving overall governance.
3. Greater Transparency: Provides individual-level workforce insights, aiding managers in performance evaluations, fair rewards, and reallocation decisions.

Challenges of Task Mining:

1. Data Privacy: Raises concerns about user privacy, requiring user approval and proper anonymisation to protect personal data.
2. Missing Context: Focuses on sub-processes, necessitating integration with process mining for a comprehensive performance overview.
3. Concept Drift: Rapid business transformations may lead to real-time changes in tasks, impacting analyses and causing concept drift.

Key Benefits of Process & Task Mining Together

• Streamlines repetitive tasks through automation, allowing the reallocation of resources to higher-value work
• Leverages process mining insights to pinpoint automation opportunities to increase efficiency
• Identifies process bottlenecks via mining analysis to eliminate delays through automation
• Frees up employees from mundane tasks to focus efforts on creative, strategic thinking
• Helps standardise workflows by exposing process deviations through mining
• Automating standardised processes ensures consistent, high-quality outputs
• Improves productivity and customer satisfaction through optimised, automated workflows

Compliance Detection and Prevention:

• Utilising event logs to identify deviations from standard procedures.
• Proactively ensures compliance with regulations and industry standards.

Impact on Customer Satisfaction:

• Error reduction and improved quality enhance customer satisfaction.
• Consistent delivery of high-quality products and services builds customer trust.

Competitive Edge in the Market:

• Increased productivity and customer satisfaction contribute to competitiveness.
• Organisations delivering quality gain trust and retain customer loyalty.

Key Techniques in Process Mining

Discovery Technique

Discovery Technique in Process Mining:

• Fundamental for extracting process models from event logs.
• Involves analysing activities, timestamps, and outcomes in various process instances.
• Unveils existing process flows for further analysis.

Importance of Visualising Processes

• Clear and comprehensive overview of activity execution, sequence, and dependencies.
• Crucial for stakeholders to identify improvement areas and automation opportunities.
• Tools like Whimsical allow you to transform conversation transcripts from process discovery conversations into a visual mind map and sequence

Role in Informed Decision-Making:

• Visual representation aids in making informed decisions about process enhancement.
• Enables organisations to implement changes for enhanced efficiency, cost reduction, and improved customer satisfaction

Overall Impact on Organisational Processes:

• Empowers organisations with insights for continuous improvement.
• Drives efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and customer satisfaction through strategic change

Conformance Checking Technique:

1. Conformance-Checking Technique: Crucial in process mining, it compares discovered process models with peers that run the same processes
2. Assessment of Deviations: Organisations use this technique to evaluate discrepancies between actual process execution and expected flow.
3. Continuous Improvement By conducting conformance checking, organisations identify non-compliance issues, enabling ongoing process enhancement.
4. Corrective Actions Deviations prompt corrective actions to align the process with predefined goals and ensure automation meets desired outcomes.
5. Insights into Effectiveness: Conformance checking provides insights into the effectiveness of process models and the accuracy of predefined rules.
6. Refinement and Optimisation: Comparing actual execution with expected flow allows organisations to refine and optimise process models.
7. Strategic Alignment: Ensures process models accurately reflect desired outcomes and support the organisation's strategic objectives.
8. Empowering Process Mining: The combined use of discovery and conformance-checking techniques empowers organisations to understand, identify opportunities, and continuously improve processes, leading to streamlined operations and enhanced performance.

Process Mining Usecase: Onboarding - Challenges and Solutions

1. Data Quality Issues:Challenge: Incomplete or inaccurate data can hinder effective process mining.Solution: Rethink data strategies and how you would approach them with no or limited obstacles
2. Complexity of Process Mining Tools:Challenge: Tools can be complex, requiring specialised knowledge.Solution: Invest in comprehensive training and collaboration with experts.
3. Resistance to Change:Challenge: Employees may resist changes suggested by process mining insights.Solution: Clear communication for Leadership and cascading management
4. Lack of Standardisation:Challenge: Varied processes across departments hinder standardisation.Solution: Establish standardiation protocols and foster collaboration.
5. Integration with Existing Systems:Challenge: Integrating with existing IT systems can be complex.Solution: Understand existing systems, collaborate with IT, and choose integration-friendly tools.
6. Privacy and Compliance Concerns:Challenge: Recording user actions raises privacy and compliance issues.Solution: Implement user consent mechanisms and adhere to data protection regulations.
7. Concept Drift:Challenge: Evolving business processes lead to concept drift.Solution: Regularly update process models and implement adaptive strategies.

Final Summary of Process Mining

In conclusion, process mining and task mining hold immense importance in any software implementation. By leveraging event data, organisations can gain a deeper understanding of their processes, identify automation opportunities, and drive efficiency, productivity, and quality improvements. As the technology continues to evolve and integrate with other emerging technologies, the possibilities for process mining in software automation are limitless. Embracing process mining is a strategic move that paves the way for organisations to thrive in the rapidly changing digital landscape.

About Fruition Services

Fruition Services We help the 500 of the future run better.

We specialise in applying software implementation best practice methodologies to achieve faster outcomes and returns on investment in technology

Software use cases Fruition can help with:

• Sales & CRM: Every CRM is unique, we focus on understanding your lead, quote to cash, opportunity pipeline management and integration with core systems like VoIP Telephony and Marketing tools like Hubspot Marketing, Hootsuite and many others.
• Project Management: Large and small-scale PMO framework consulting and implementation, we have expertise in transforming internal and client project management, delivery & scheduling
• Marketing: We help build a structured Marketing framework to connect your Marketing strategy and execution of campaigns to deliver measurable and reportable ROI.
• Creative & Design: We help transform creative process workflows from Briefing in, traffic managing jobs, scheduling workloads, approvals and even managing your external agency collaboration.
• Software Development & Product Management: We support all stages and methods of Product & software development use cases within monday.com including Ideation prioritisation, NPD, Agile project delivery, supply chain and collaborating with Marketing on GTM strategies and operations for inventory Control
• Finance Teams: Elevate financial management with our tools: Budget Planning, Expense Management, Reporting, Invoicing, Cash Flow, Compliance, Supplier Management, Forecasting, Integration, and collaboration.
• HR & Recruitment: Create structure in your HR team by creating processes and workflows for onboarding and recruitment, HR Requests and email management.
• Customer Service & Call Centre: monday.com allows you to manage your entire customer service workflow including Ticketing and telephone integration with tools such as Aircall, Talkdesk and Twilio
• IT Operations: Do more with less such as Helpdesk ticketing, Incident management, IT Project management, Vendor/Contract Management and integrations with Jira and Azure DevOps