Part 2 of 4 – Learn how measuring the impact of change for a process is faster, easier and more accurate with Arkturus Process Mining.
Process Mining is a new technology transforming how business process improvement is done. From initial discovery, through to measurement, root cause analysis, and ongoing monitoring and management.
This blog focuses on the ‘Measurement’ stage and how process mining enables you to measure the performance of your process. Then quantify the impact of problems in a fraction of the time and effort compared to traditional methods.
Traditional method of measurement
The following will be familiar to many. You’ve completed your initial discovery and have an assessment of the current state. This has been achieved through a set of process maps, an issues list, and possibly some existing KPI reports.
The impact of each issue will generally have been based on ballpark estimates and anecdotal information. You now work with subject matter experts to document requirements for the data that will enable you to quantify the impact of problems and create baseline reports.
If you’re lucky, the data will be already available in the organisation’s data-warehouse. But more often than not, new data extracts are required. And sometimes data needs to be obtained from the source ERP system, requiring further work.
New data creates further delays
When new data needs to be extracted this inevitably causes delay. The ‘data analysts’ are typically already working at full capacity on other projects. Unless you have an influential business owner or sponsor, you can wait weeks to get the data you need.
In parallel, to quantify the impact of issues, you also work on setting up dashboards to track key process metrics. There may be existing KPI reporting you can leverage. However these are often limited to high level metrics e.g. overall E2E duration and volume.
To fully understand the performance of the process you need more granular metrics. This includes throughput duration, volume by process stage and ‘work in progress’ (WIP) by process stage.
Getting the data you need is traditionally a waiting game
Usually, KPIs or metrics have to be programmed by a Data Analyst, costing additional time and money to a project.
After more workshops and one-on-ones you have a set of reporting requirements for the Dashboards. However, the data analysts that didn’t have capacity to give you the data – now can’t provide the required KPI information. So yet more time passes before you have the required dashboards.
In the meantime, you progress a few initiatives. Because you don’t yet have accurate data to work with, these initiatives may not be addressing the most important problems.
Measurement with Process Mining
Previously we’ve revealed how the impact (size) of an issue can usually be measured during the Discovery phase with Arkturus. If you already know the impact – all you now need in the Measurement phase is to create baseline reports.
With Arkturus Process Mining this is a simple task. Baseline reports can be created by the User in minutes without any need to use code or source additional data.
Now you can define KPIs visually, without code, and deliver to anyone in your organisation, instantly.
If you still need to quantify the impact of an issue – complete it effortlessly using Arkturus’ interactive Process Analysis tool. This means you avoid having to document requirements and waiting for data analysts to supply data and reports.
No need to code
Similarly, using the Arkturus Processing Mining platform, KPIs and Dashboards can be created without any need to use code. You still have to talk to subject matter experts and other key stakeholders to identify the best metrics. This can be done interactively in a workshop with the process visualisations projected onto the wall. You create KPIs and add charts to the Dashboard in immediate response to input from the stakeholders.
Process measurement: faster and easier with Process Mining
The main objective of the Measurement phase is to quantify the impact of issues. You create baseline reports, and dashboards for monitoring the performance of the process against targets.
Arkturus process mining accelerates this by giving you the ability to generate measurements, reports, and dashboards yourself. No more having to wait for data to be sourced and new reports to be created. You have a more accurate and detailed view of the process in a much shorter time than you normally would. This ensures that you work on the most important stuff first.
Our next blog will explore how Process Mining transforms the Analysis activity.
