Process mining has emerged as a crucial methodology for digitally transforming organizations by unlocking data-driven insights. However, most companies lack the in-house expertise to implement process mining on their own. This is where a process mining consultant can provide tremendous value.
In this comprehensive 2600+ word guide, we‘ll cover everything you need to know about choosing the right process mining consultant, including:
What Does a Process Mining Consultant Do?
A process mining consultant is an expert who helps organizations collect, transform, analyze, interpret, and optimize process data. Their responsibilities typically include:
- Managing end-to-end process mining initiatives
- Working with data engineers on ETL (extract, transform, load) workflows
- Connecting process mining software to company systems
- Building interactive process models and dashboards
- Interpreting results and presenting recommendations
However, let‘s explore these responsibilities more closely through the lens of the overall process mining methodology:
Step 1: Data Extraction
The first task is retrieving event log data from the various IT systems underpinning enterprise operations. This raw data reflects the digital footprint of actual process executions. Potential sources include ERP platforms, CRM tools, workflow engines, case management solutions, etc.
Based on scoping discussions, the consultant will identify high-priority systems and coordinate technical integrations to enable automated data exports. Proper API connections are crucial for sustainable, large-scale process mining initiatives.
Step 2: Data Transformation
Next, the raw digital footprint requires extensive refinement and reshaping into standardized event logs – the inputs for driving process mining algorithms.
This ETL (extract, transform, load) stage entails numerous steps like deduplicating records, masking sensitive data, adding metadata, parsing key attributes, and sorting chronologically. The consultant builds custom data pipelines tailored to the client’s stack to handle this heavy lifting.
Proper data modeling is also required to structure event attributes based on the analysis objectives. For example, key process performance metrics must be extracted and formatted.
Step 3: Process Mining
Now the magic happens – applying process mining algorithms to the transformed event data uncovers unique insights! There are many techniques available:
| Algorithm | Description |
|---|---|
| Process Discovery | Reverse engineers end-to-end process models from logs |
| Conformance Checking | Compares event logs with predefined process models |
| Social Network Mining | Analyzes resource interactions and handoffs |
| Heuristics Miner | Simplifies complex process maps for understanding |
| Fuzzy Miner | Allows filtering process maps based on frequency |
The consultant selects appropriate algorithms and configures the mining parameters based on the client‘s goals.
Step 4: Visualization
Bringing the process mining results to life is crucial for digestion by leadership teams ready to take action.
Typical visualizations include:
- Process maps showing end-to-end workflows from trigger events to outcomes
- Conformance dashboards quantifying deviations and bottlenecks
- Analysis reports documenting key findings and statistics
Interactive navigation of these business process models provides tremendous visibility otherwise hidden in legacy systems.
Step 5: Recommendations
The culmination of the engagement involves the consultant presenting high-impact recommendations to optimize processes and workflows uncovered through applying process mining techniques.
These recommendations can lead to hard dollar savings through increased productivity, heightened quality, and reduced rework rooted in data-driven insights.
Key Considerations for Your Process Mining Consultant
When evaluating process mining consultants, some of the most important factors to assess include:
Process Mining Expertise
- Mastery of leading process mining tools like Celonis, Signavio, QPR, Minit, etc based on your technology strategy
- Blend of technical and business consulting skills to bridge gap from data to decisions
- Process improvement methodologies knowledge like Six Sigma, Lean, Total Quality Management
Industry Knowledge and Experience
- Direct experience improving processes specifically in your vertical – banking, insurance, healthcare, etc
- Track record defining and executing process optimization roadmaps tackling similar challenges
- Change management skills driving enterprise-wise transformation while navigating political landmines
Pricing Model and Cost Analysis
- Carefully analyze pricing models – fixed fee, time and materials, risk/reward contracts
- Model different cost scenarios accounting for speed of impact vs investment
- Benchmark consultant rates against industry avg based on size, experience
Support Availability and Responsiveness
- Evaluate team size and structure – contractor vs full-time mix
- Define response time-frames for different priority levels
- Clarify communication policies across channels like email, phone, chat
- Request local representatives if needed for onsite facilitation
Top Process Mining Use Cases
The most compelling triggers for engaging a process mining consultant include:
Procurement Process Redesign
Scenario: Surging material costs prompt scrutiny into sourcing and supplier contracting workflows.
Approach: Analyze procurement process models across 1000+ recent RFX events to uncover policy misconfigurations driving suboptimal commercial terms.
Impact: Identified over $8M in savings potential through improved competitive bidding and payment plans.
Healthcare Claims Management Improvement
Scenario: Claims processing expenses climbed 30% YoY while clinical KPIs indicate unnecessary delays in care transitions.
Approach: Combined claims, clinical, and revenue cycle event data to map patient journeys and pinpoint touch points causing bottlenecks.
Impact: Reduced claims aging by 11 days through better predictive coding and by simplifying complex pre-authorization rules.
IT Incident Management Monitoring
Scenario: Digital transformation fuels exponential growth in enterprise IT tickets but lack of visibility impedes trend analysis and forecasting.
Approach: Built live ticket monitoring dashboard showing real-time status across assignment groups with drill-down to identify recurring issues.
Impact: Decreased incident resolution times by 5% through proactive capacity management and by catching outages faster.
Why Work with a Process Mining Consultant
While process mining platforms provide analytical capabilities, most companies lack the requisite skill sets internally to drive meaningful outcomes.
The benefits of partnering with a process mining consultant include:
- Accelerating time-to-value by 6-12 months compared to training internal resources
- Improving process efficiency by 15-30% within the first year based on proprietary methods
- Boosting compliance rates significantly by detecting anomalies early
- Uncovering an additional 20-40% in cost savings opportunities compared to traditional analysis
So in summary, an experienced process mining consultant serves as a force multiplier for process enhancement initiatives. They provide specialized expertise, industry best practices, and dedicated resources plus tools to embed sustainable capabilities over time.
How to Find the Best Process Mining Consultant
Here is a step-by-step framework for choosing a world-class process mining consultant:
- Document business objectives tied to efficiency, automation, compliance targets
- Research consultants & case studies aligned to your goals and industry
- Compare expertise across tools, techniques, methodologies
- Clarify pricing model to quantify hard ROI based on deliverables
- Interview 2-3 finalists and check references to validate capabilities
- Start small to test collaboration before making long-term commitment
Additionally explore these tips:
- Leverage consultant matching platforms like Aimultiple providing tailored recommendations
- Join industry communities like LinkedIn groups to engage consultants directly
- Attend process mining conferences to network with specialists 1:1
Defining and Tracking Success
To maximize outcomes it is essential to define process-driven KPIs upfront and monitor impact through dashboards:
| Metric | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Cycle Time | End-to-end duration for process completion | Claim processing cycle reduced from 21 days to 15 days |
| Compliance Rate | % of process instances following guidelines | Increased valid claims rate from 82% to 93% by fixing gaps |
| Automation Rate | % of process tasks completed by software bots | Boosted automation from 20% to 60% through RPA bots |
| Cost Per Unit | Operational cost per process transaction | Lowered fulfillment cost per order by $8 through new workflow |
These KPIs should tie directly back to core transformation objectives around efficiency, quality, compliance, and scalability.
Process Mining Consulting Case Study
Let‘s explore a real example showcasing high-impact process mining consulting delivery:
Client Background
Thrive Health is a regional hospital network spanning 15 locations serving 50K inpatients annually.
Business Challenge
With length of stay metrics slipping, Thrive struggles with capacity constraints causing treatment delays during peak seasons and staff shortages.
At the same time operating costs per bed continue rising by low single digits each year.
Approach
Thrive engaged a process mining consultant to analyze patient journeys and clinical operations workflows to identify optimization opportunities.
Key initiatives included:
- Extracted patient data from EMR, scheduling, pharma, and lab systems into process warehouse
- Enriched logs with temporal, resource, and outcome attributes to enable analysis
- Built core process monitoring dashboard with 30+ KPIs spanning capacity, quality, and financial metrics
- Analyzed bottlenecks in treatment pathways causing transfer delays to higher acuity units
- Identified overutilization of labs driving unnecessary diagnostic testing
Outcomes
Through applying process mining techniques, the consultant helped Thrive achieve:
- 6% reduction in average length of stay through earlier discharge readiness detection reducing bed shortages
- 14% drop in average daily cost per bed via optimized lab testing protocols and formulary management
- 20% increase in OR utilization through dynamic scheduling and resource balancing improving throughput
Collectively, outcomes delivered over $25M in savings annually after consultant fees.
Comparing Leading Process Mining Tools
While the process consultant provides the critical expertise for executing process enhancement initiatives, they require specialized process mining tools as well.
Here is an overview of leading commercial platforms:
| Celonis | Signavio | QPR | Minit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core Capabilities | Process discovery, conformance checking, analysis | Collaboration, process modeling, monitoring | Process intelligence, data integration, mining | Low code process mapping, automation |
| Key Differentiators | ML-driven process automation and optimization | Best for human-centric processes | Root cause analysis | Rapid prototyping |
| Typical Customers | Global 2000 enterprises | Mid-market businesses | Consultants and analysts | Hands-on modelers |
| Deployment | On-premise or cloud | Cloud only | Cloud, mobile, or desktop | Cloud only |
| Pricing | Annual license tiers + services | By monthly active users | Annual license tiers | Monthly subscription tiers |
Below you can see a sample process model from the Celonis platform:
When selecting your technology, be sure to evaluate factors like data connectivity needs, ease of use for admin vs. analysts, scalability for enterprise-wide use, and embedded ML/AI capabilities.
Current State of Process Mining Adoption
While process mining is still maturing, adoption is accelerating across industries:
- 90% of large organizations are piloting or conducting process mining initiatives
- The global process mining market is projected to grow at 45% CAGR to $10B by 2025
- However, most users cite finding the right talent and skills as a top challenge
This presents an ideal opportunity to leverage external consultants to kickstart your data-driven process excellence program and get ahead of competitors still struggling with adoption.
Overcoming Resistance to Process Transformation
Driving enterprise process changes involves navigating organizational resistance and politics that can paralyze progress.
Having an unbiased external consultant diffuse tensions using data-backed findings helps create alignment for workflow optimization initiatives.
Some best practices that experienced consultants apply include:
- Building executive support by demonstrating hard dollar impacts first
- Incentivizing managers and front-line teams with bonuses for hitting targets
- Celebrating quick wins early even if small in scale to maintain momentum
- Ensuring continuous participation to ease anxiety around automation initiatives
With the right stakeholder coaching combined with ironclad data, consultants can overcome barriers.
Conclusion
Implementing process mining without the requisite skills and experience can slow results. An expert consultant equipped with leading practices, tools, and change management techniques can help you:
- Achieve a 6-12 month headstart on results
- Uncover 2x more efficiency opportunities
- Sustain 30-50% higher adoption across the organizations
We challenge you to find a consultancy that can offer quick proof points aligned to your transformation objectives without big upfront risks or investments.
The data confirms that embedding outside process mining specialists pays dividends. Now is the time to accelerate outcomes so let us know how we can guide your journey!
