What is Process Mining

Definition

Process mining uses event-log data from business systems to discover, visualise, and analyse how processes actually run, revealing the real flow, bottlenecks, and deviations so organisations can understand and improve their processes based on evidence rather than assumptions.

« Back to Glossary Index

Reveals how processes truly run from actual event data
Exposes bottlenecks, delays, and deviations objectively
Replaces assumptions with evidence for process improvement
Quantifies the impact of inefficiencies to prioritise fixes

Real World Example

A company applies process mining to its procurement system logs and discovers that a large share of orders skip an approval step, a real deviation no one had documented, prompting a fix that tightens control.

FAQs

How does process mining work?

It analyses event logs from business systems to reconstruct and visualise how processes actually execute.

What does process mining reveal?

The real process flow, including bottlenecks, delays, rework, and deviations from the intended design.

Why use process mining over interviews?

It is based on actual system data, giving an objective picture rather than relying on people's assumptions.