Process Mining Camp took place this year on May 14-16 in Eindhoven. We had a great time! The weather was lovely, and it was a joy to dive into process mining for three whole days.

It all started with the boot camp on May 14, where new campers received an in-depth introduction to how process mining works in practice. After an initial online session the week before, they spent the whole day at the campsite learning the most essential process mining concepts and applying them hands-on.

On Thursday, May 15, a number of process miners shared their experiences in the practice talks. First, Martine Truijman & Stanley Wirjadi showed us how they analyzed the usage of the MRI scanners at Maastricht UMC+ in the Netherlands. Then, Linda Jantz from BVV Pension Management in Germany convinced us that all-day workshops are the most effective way to drive change within an organization. After lunch, Lucas Vousten from Joanknecht in the Netherlands shared his approach for process mining in assurance engagements. Shinobu Saito from NTT in Japan presented a novel way to visualize processes in a 3D environment. Then, Daniel Kaße from VKPB in Germany demonstrated how he navigated the concerns of data protection, the works council, and the process owner for his process mining project. Finally, Iris Beerepoot from Utrecht University in the Netherlands reminded us that the data that is in the logs is only a part of the truth.

In the afternoon, we continued with the discussion roundtables. In small groups, everyone talked about the challenges they face in their daily process mining practice. We built on the Process Mining Challenges that were captured during last year’s camp to see which categories were most prevalent and whether we were missing any (stay tuned for an update on the challenges soon!).

We closed the day with a nice multi-course dinner, a short walk, and a last round in one of the best brewpubs in Eindhoven.

The last day, Friday, May 16, was a full day of hands-on workshops. In the first workshop, we focused on data preparation. Creating an event log can be complex, especially if you lack context about the system, its processes, and the organization. Therefore, we broke down the data preparation into smaller, intermediate goals, each with concrete results. Each sprint included analyzing the data, transforming it into the event log, and checking the results in Disco. In the second workshop, we then continued with the analysis of the process. Like in every process mining project, we performed the analysis in two stages: discovery and targeted analysis. In the discovery stage, we focused on the explorative analysis to understand how the process works. In the targeted analysis stage, we then answered concrete questions about the process. Finally, in the last workshop, we returned to the process mining challenges and collected best practices to address them.

In the end, everyone left full of new ideas and motivation for their process mining adventures. Sign up at our mailing list here to receive the video recordings when they become available and to be the first to know about next year’s camp!

Process mining is not something that you buy but something that you do. That’s why meeting other process miners and learning from each other is so important.

At Process Mining Camp, we share our experiences for multiple days. We do this at the roundtables, workshops, and the boot camp.

One of the traditions at camp are the practice talks, where a few practitioners show in detail what they have done. Because of this level of detail, you can take away something for yourself.

Lucky for those of you who could not attend last year’s camp, we have just published the videos of the practice talks from Process Mining Camp 2024.

The last speaker was Erik Scroggs from Serco in the USA. Erik shared his experience of combining process mining with automation. With an increased use of automation techniques, this is a topic that is relevant for many companies today.

Serco has supported the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) since 2013, when the Affordable Care Act was first implemented in the United States. Erik is a software engineer working for Serco on the CMS project since it began in 2013. He has been using process mining to help senior leadership make key decisions.

With a mix of humans and RPA bots, the goal is to assign the right task to the right user at the right time. For example, robots start processing documents to take care of simpler tasks before humans come in to make calls and handle complex issues. Erik showed how he used process mining to identify inefficiencies in the workforce assignments: Due to a missing configuration in the system, humans were taking up newly sent documents in the middle of the process, while robots should have pre-processed them first.

In addition to these improvements, Erik also used process mining to identify new opportunities for automation, calculate cost vs. benefit metrics, and accurately project future production.

Tip: You can also watch this Process Mining Café, where Erik and Lloyd talk more about the combination of process mining and automation.

Here is an overview of all the practice talk videos from Process Mining Camp 2024:

• Gerardo Rodriguez Oviedo & Rafael Herrera Carpio (BAC, Costa Rica) — Boosting data-driven culture through process mining.
• Lieven Bewaert (Atlas Copco, Belgium) — How to use process mining as an internal auditor.
• Alexandros Kakakis (Online Dialogue, The Netherlands) — Customer journeys in e-commerce.
• Ghada Zakhama & Caleb Borges (DHL Group, Germany) — Reducing the risk of medical device deliveries.
• Aljoša Jankov (OTP Bank, Serbia) — Using process mining to deliver a new credit card on time.
• Erik Scroggs (Serco, USA) — Dynamic workforce assignment with automation.

The last tickets for this year’s Process Mining Camp are being sold right now, so if you’re still on the fence, now is the time.

See you at camp next week!

We are currently publishing the practice talks from last year’s Process Mining Camp. You can already watch the talks by Gerardo and Rafael from BAC, Lieven from Atlas Copco, Alex from Online Dialogue, and Ghada and Caleb from DHL.

The fifth speaker was Aljoša Jankov from OTP Bank in Serbia. Aljoša analyzed the credit card transfer process and found that less than 40% of the cases are finished within the expected time. Watch Aljoša’s talk to see how he discovered that people filling in at different branches caused most of the delays in the process.

Get your ticket for this year’s camp here!

Process Mining Camp is already in two weeks! The full program for 14-16 May is now available here.

In addition to practicing your process mining skills hands-on, you will meet other process mining professionals to learn from them.

One of the traditions at camp are the practice talks. At this year’s camp, you will hear from the following process miners about their experiences:

Planning scarce resources based on actual usage patterns

Martine Truijman & Stanley Wirjadi (Maastricht UMC+, The Netherlands)

Martine Truijman and Stanley Wirjadi work at Maastricht UMC+. Martine is a neurologist and advisor on capacity management. Stanley is a data analyst. As an academic hospital, Maastricht UMC+ uses its MRI scanners both for research and for diagnosis and treatment purposes. The scanners are a scarce resource everyone wants to utilize in the best possible way.

At camp, Martine and Stanly show how they apply process mining to the logging of the MRI scanners. They discover the procedures and their variations for different types of scans. As a result, their more profound understanding of the actual usage allows them to create benchmarks and make optimal use of their capacity.

Creating a team of improvement advocates

Linda Jantz (BVV Pension Management GmbH, Germany)

BVV is Germany’s largest pension fund for the financial industry and a company with nearly 125 years of tradition. They run processes, and they make decisions. However, until a few years ago, data played a minimal role. What insights remained hidden? How could they be unlocked?

Linda Jantz leads a multi-disciplinary team in the customer service department that she is evolving into advocates of process improvement. Using process mining, they identify inefficiencies and transform scattered data into actionable insights. At camp, Linda shares how she fosters a culture of continuous optimization using workshops. By actively involving operational staff, she ensures that changes are shaped by those most familiar with the processes.

Using process mining for assurance engagements

Lucas Vousten (Joanknecht, The Netherlands)

Lucas Vousten started the IT audit and assurance service line at Joanknecht in 2010. Since then, he has been bridging the gap between traditional accountancy and modern technology. He applies process mining in audits, IT security & privacy, and governance risk & control.

At camp, Lucas shows how he leverages process mining to enhance the efficiency and reliability of financial audits and ISAE 3402 and SOC2 assurance engagements. His approach improves auditing processes and provides valuable insights into the performance of IT processes.

Exploring experimental approaches to processes visualization

Shinobu Saito (NTT, Japan)

NTT is a multinational corporation headquartered in Japan. One of their services, DX services, supports the advancement of customers’ businesses and business processes. Shinobu Saito is a distinguished researcher at the NTT Computer and Data Science Laboratories.

At camp, Shinobu presents ProcessCity, a three-dimensional approach to process visualization. He shows how they use Disco and ProcessCity together to move between analytic and spatial views of the process through different departments.

Building trust and overcoming stakeholder concerns

Daniel Kaße (VKPB, Germany)

VKPB provides pension benefits to pastors and church civil servants. Daniel Kaße is responsible for optimizing quality and operational processes. Data protection and the works council (the employee representatives) play a vital role in all parts of their digitalization strategy.

When Daniel wanted to use process mining in one of his projects, he realized that multiple people had concerns about his use of process mining. At camp, Daniel shares how he addressed these concerns from data protection, the works council, and the operational managers.

Unveiling hidden process behavior

Iris Beerepoot (Utrecht University, The Netherlands)

Iris Beerepoot is an Assistant Professor in the Process Science research group at Utrecht University. In her talk, she explores how process behaviors that do not typically appear in event logs can shape — and sometimes distort — process mining insights.

Drawing on various studies that leverage alternative data sources and methods beyond traditional event logs, she highlights the hidden dimensions of process behavior that often go unnoticed. She reflects on the risks of drawing conclusions from incomplete data and the potential biases this introduces.

At camp, she offers practical guidelines for interpreting process mining results in light of missing information. She also provides strategies to prevent premature termination of process mining initiatives by ensuring a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of processes.

→ See you all in Eindhoven very soon. If you have not signed up yet, you should get your ticket now!

To get ready for Process Mining Camp from 14 to 16 May, we have started to publish the practice talks from last year’s camp. You can already watch the talks by Gerardo and Rafael from BAC, Lieven Bewaert from Atlas Copco, and Alexandros Kakakis from Online Dialogue.

The fourth speakers were Ghada Zakhama & Caleb Borges from DHL, Germany. Ghada and Caleb showed how they review data quality and check compliance with Disco. Watch Ghada’s and Caleb’s talk to see how they use process mining to avoid poor service quality, contract penalties, and loss of reputation.

Get your ticket for this year’s camp here!