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In this interview we are with Iván del Río, process analyst at Imatia, who will talk about process mining and how this technology is transforming the way companies optimize their operations. Iván will delve into the impact it has on improving efficiency and decision making, especially for SMEs.
- Could you briefly explain what process mining is?
I would like to define what we consider a process, right? We see it as a series of actions or steps that are repeated over time, from a defined start to a known end.
Process mining comes into play here. It uses the data we have recorded in our systems and quickly visualizes the processes as they actually occur.
This is what process mining offers: it brings all of this to light, revealing the inefficiencies in the process and other obstacles that may affect the performance of your process
- What are the phases that define process mining?
The first step in process mining is to extract this digital footprint that we've talked about, extracting this data from our IT systems.
The second step, broadly speaking, is: I have my data, so I want to extract useful information that helps me improve the process. And the third step is: I transform this information I've collected into improvement actions.
I determine what to do to solve the problem I want to address, which also greatly helps in making decisions based on data, not on perceptions we may have about the process.
- How does process mining differ from more traditional data analysis methods?
Process mining might seem like something new, something that’s emerging now, but keep in mind that process mining started in the 1990s. Studies began to explore all the flows and how it could be applied to improve traditional analysis techniques.
Traditional Business Process Management (BPM) relies on the intuition of process analysts, using techniques like interviews or questionnaires to uncover the process. This would be a time-consuming and costly process, to say the least, and you can never be sure it’s complete. Process mining steps in to make this part a bit faster, more automated, so that the process emerges, as it is, in the blink of an eye.
From there, it creates feedback loops. I have my processes, I see how they are, I implement improvements, and I get feedback. Does this have a positive or negative impact? And I fine-tune from there. In traditional methods, it depends on the analyst's skill and what happens afterward. I’ll apply this small improvement, review if it's good, bad, has a positive or negative impact.
That process is a bit slower, so to speak. Process mining may provide a more objective and complete view of the process—objective because it’s based on the actual data we have recorded, and complete because it covers the total number of cases in your process. If you have to execute the process 10,000 times, it includes all 10,000 cases.
- In which sectors is it most beneficial to apply process mining?
The first would be in sectors where there is a shortage of talent, where there are difficulties in hiring personnel. If you want to maintain your competitiveness and increase your project execution capacity, you need either more personnel or to optimize processes. If you don’t have the former, you obviously turn to plan B—optimize processes. So, this is where process mining makes sense.
You need to thoroughly analyze your process to know how to improve and maintain your capacity and, obviously, your competitiveness. Other sectors where it would also make sense include highly regulated environments: if you have very strict regulations (like in pharmaceuticals or healthcare). Here, process mining allows you to evaluate compliance with regulations, that is, whether my process follows the required standards.
- What are the first steps a small business should take to implement process mining?
Perhaps a good approach to getting started with process mining is to conduct a pilot experience. The pilot experience is the best way to approach it. I have a defined process, a defined period of data, and a couple of questions I want to answer.
This pilot is ideal for seeing what process mining can offer and what useful information it provides to evaluate whether it’s worthwhile or not.
- What low-cost tools would you recommend for small businesses to implement process mining?
Most tools, or the majority of those available on the market, started as open-source software. Over time, they have evolved into cloud services. Today, some of the well-known 'Open Source' tools still exist, such as ProM, BupaR, and Pm4py.
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