Process Mining Camp 2014 — Fireside Chat with Frank van Geffen

As a warm-up for Process Mining Camp, we asked some of the speakers for an up-front interview. Get ready for camp, and if you don’t have your ticket yet make sure to get one now, because there are not that many left!

Frank van Geffen

Today, you can read the interview with Frank van Geffen, Process Innovator at the Rabobank in the Netherlands and chairman of the special interest group on process mining within the Dutch society of information professionals (NGI NGN). He uses innovation to look at things in different ways and discover new connections. Frank was a speaker at the first Process Mining Camp two years ago.

Interview with Frank

Anne: Frank, it is fantastic to have you back at Process Mining Camp this year! We are excited to hear more about the successes and lessons learned of your process mining journey at the Rabobank over the past two years. You also have been an invited speaker at the Gartner BPM event in London this year. It seems that the interest in process mining is picking up steadily. What was the impression that you got from the analysts and the audience?

Frank: Hi Anne, it’s great to be back at camp this year. And yes, I have had an interesting journey to say the least. In 2012 I ended my presentation with the phrase “become a sponsor”. Well I can reveal already that many have joined the process mining efforts and became a sponsor in the past 2 years. At the Gartner BPM Summit my impression was that it was surprising to many attendees that we made it such a succes within the Rabobank. Apart from the people for whom this phenomenon is still new, there were many question on how we achieved the desired sponsorship and have gotten to the stage we are at right now.

Anne: I know you will talk about this in your presentation at camp, but is there one aspect that you can reveal already now, maybe one that surprised you too and you didn’t think was as important as it turned out to be?

Frank: What surprised me was that it took a lot of different disciplines and skills working together to achieve an acceptable result. It’s not only knowing what process mining is and how to operate a tool. A lot of emphasis needs to be placed on the management of stakeholders and presenting insights in a meaningful way for them.

Anne: Right! And this is what you will also cover in the workshop How to get management buy-in for process mining’ that you will give at camp. What can people expect from this workshop?

Frank: What they can expect is hands on experience with positioning and promoting this valuable subject in their own organisations. Where to start? Who to talk too? What to invest in? What not to invest in? And last but not least how to convince senior sponsors to invest time and money in real process mining value.

Anne: Excellent. This will be great and the workshop participants could not have a better person to practice with. Thanks again for making the time for this chat and we will see you at camp!

Come to Process Mining Camp!

Would you like to hear more from Frank about his experiences? Are you interested in sharing first-hand knowledge with fellow process miners? Register now to reserve your seat at Process Mining Camp on 18 June in Eindhoven. Tickets are going fast…

Anne Rozinat

Anne Rozinat

Market, customers, and everything else

Anne knows how to mine a process like no other. She has conducted a large number of process mining projects with companies such as Philips Healthcare, Océ, ASML, Philips Consumer Lifestyle, and many others.