SUPERHIT YOUR BUSINESS OBJECTIVES

The need for intelligent solutions to support business process optimisation and digital transformation has led to one of the fastest growing enterprise software categories in the market. And for a very good reason, as we’ve already seen. Leading players have evolved beyond process mining and process management solutions to offer comprehensive process intelligence platforms with tools that enable value to be realised throughout every stage of your digital transformation journey. But this doesn't mean that organisations are arbitrarily snapping up process mining solutions. Full license contracts can be pricey, and so it's vitally important that in order to get a process optimisation initiative off the ground, a robust business case and tangible value realisation potential is established. Making the case can often stem from different sources and can often depend on the culture and structure of the organisation in question.

Top-down: A top-down approach involves starting with the organisation's strategic objectives and using process mining to identify areas where improvements can be made to achieve those objectives. This approach typically involves executives or senior managers who set the goals and priorities for the organisation, along with KPI’s, and then use process mining tools to help achieve those objectives.

Bottom-up: A bottom-up approach on the other hand, is typically driven by front-line employees or process owners who identify issues and seek to improve specific aspects of their workflows. They often stem from known pain-points, but their root cause and magnitude are harder to identify, and this is where process mining comes in.

In practice though, the most effective approach may be a combination of both angles. Executives can set strategic goals and priorities for the organisation, while also empowering operational employees to identify process inefficiencies and work towards continuous improvement. Process mining can serve both as an exploratory and confirmatory means of identifying areas for improvement, and also provide a valuable feedback loop to help companies track progress and ensure initiatives are continuously aligned with strategic goals.

Ultimately, whether the business case for process mining grows from a top-down or bottom-up approach depends on the organisational culture, structure and goals of an organisation. Both approaches can be effective in driving operational excellence and continuous improvement.

One of the biggest failings of many organisations in realising true business benefits from process mining and other optimisation initiatives is the lack of organisational structure, advocacy and embedment. It’s the elephant in the room. There is a tendency to see process mining as a software implementation or short-term project - its success measured on whether the tooling has been delivered on time and within budget. The software has been implemented and handed over to the business. Job done, right?

'Process optimisation is a change journey – not just an implementation project'

No matter how good the software is, or how powerful the insights are, they are meaningless unless they lead to actions. And these actions are not just a one-off exercise either, it requires continuous application to ensure long term, sustainable improvements. To achieve this, both business leaders and their workforces need to change their mindset, so that process optimisation becomes a working culture, an ethos which everyone in an organisation both understands and has bought in to.

'Process optimisation must become a working culture, an ethos all employees buy into'

In order to drive adoption and long-term value realisation, the setup of a Centre of Excellence (CoE) or Business Process Competency Centre (BPCC) is essential. It’s where clear ownership and responsibility lies, where centralised know-how and best practices are defined and held, and the single source of truth for measuring and gauging success is established. How the CoE interacts with the rest of the organisation, such as sponsors and Global Process Owners (GPO) is just as important, and each has their role to play in ensuring business value is realised.

'A CoE or BPCC is essential to drive adoption and ensure long-term value realisation'

The market leading process mining and process analysis tools, often collectively referred to these days as process intelligence applications are at the fulcrum of BPO efforts for most organisations that have deployed them. They go way beyond mere process discovery and analysis to provide a platform for taking action, for collaboration, for measuring progress and ultimately having real, tangible impacts to business outcomes.