business automation

ORLANDO, FLA., May 12, 2021 – Prolifics, a global digital transformation leader and a longtime IBM business partner, is thrilled to announce that IBM named Prolifics as a finalist in its 2021 Beacon Awards. Our “Outcome-based Process Automation” solution is recognized in IBM’s “Outstanding Business Automation Solution” award category.  

 Now in their 22^nd year, the IBM Beacon Awards celebrate the next generation of innovators, creators and thinkers that use IBM technology, like hybrid cloud and AI, to power innovative solutions for partners and their clients. 

 Prolifics has been successfully delivering business results from Process Automation projects for years. But these types of projects are often lengthy and expensive, which makes them difficult for an organization to cost justify. The Outcome-based Process Automation approach provides rapid visibility into specifically projected business results before an investment is made, reducing the risk typically associated with large scale automation projects and enabling a more agile, phased approach to implementation. 

 Our solution works through the combination of IBM Cloud Pak for Automation, myInvenio process mining, and Prolifics accelerators and repeatable outcome-based frameworks. Prolifics leverages process mining to accelerate the initiation and success of larger automation projects. 

The Prolifics Outcome-based Process Automation solution uses the following steps:  

1. Automate Process Discovery: Often problems have non-obvious causes. We are able to pinpoint those hidden root causes through process mining and our framework.  
2. Quantify the Benefits: We conduct process-mapping and add measurable cost and time measurements to the complete process – not just the problem areas.  
3. Quantify the Cost: Prolifics architects the proposed automation solution and phases to generate cost options. 
4. Guarantee the Outcomes: Using the quantifiable information from the above two steps, Prolifics creates a documented proposal with financial accountability and projected measurable outcomes.   
5. Automate the Process: Once approved, Prolifics initiates the project using our time-tested process automation methodology.   
6. Demonstrate the Results: Once the new process is live, Prolifics monitors its performance over a period of time and documents the results for the client, demonstrating the projected benefits. 
7. Provide Automation as a Service: An optional step, Prolifics may provide managed services to the client to monitor and adjust the process over time. 

Gartner’s Business Automation practice described our approach as compelling and unique in the market – and we agree. Prolifics Outcome-based Process Automation finds the real, hard-data reasons for process inefficiencies, and projects specific, measurable outcomes based on how the client wants to automate the process. 

Prolifics CEO Satya Bolli stated, “Companies can now take a fresh look at automation and the projects they may have been reluctant to start. We can show them exactly what is happening through process mining and quantify the benefits from the proposed automation. The guesswork is gone.”   

About Prolifics 

Prolifics is a global digital transformation leader with expertise in Data & AI, Integration & Applications, Business Automation, DevXOps, Test Automation, and Cybersecurity across multiple industries. We provide consulting, engineering and managed services for all our practice areas at any point our clients need them. Vision to Value. Faster. It’s not just the Prolifics’ tagline, it’s what drives us. 

 # # # 

You’ve heard the term process mining. But what is it really? And why should your business invest in more technology? This presentation answers those questions. It explores what makes process mining so valuable, and shows how it can help you save costs, improve efficiencies and increase revenue. Let’s start with this definition: Process Mining is an evidence-based solution designed to let DATA tell its TRUE story. What story does your data have to tell?

The AI Journal recently published “What is Robotic Process Automation and Hyperautomation?” by Prolifics UK Marketing Coordinator Vikesh Kaushal. As the title indicates, he covers RPA, intelligent automation – and more. Read the full article here.

Process Mining doesn’t have to be a huge archeological excavation. You can get surprisingly good results with just a shovel.

Process Mining – what we know

We’ve published several blogs recently on Process Mining, and we’ll take the opportunity to link some of them in this article. But for now, let’s quickly summarize what we know and have shared:

• Process Mining is a technique designed to discover, monitor and improve your business processes – fast
• Process Mining identifies process inefficiencies by following a digital trail of data
• Your workforce, customers, vendors, and others generate this digital trail when using your internal systems like ERPs, CRMs, databases, log files, audit tables, Excel documents and others
• Process Mining is based on real data – not opinions and assumptions from time-consuming process mapping exercises
• Process Mining applies equally well to any business in any industry
• Process Mining applies equally well at any point and level: a process, an operation, or end-to-end through an organization

How deep does this mining have to go?

Many clients have asked us about Process Mining – with some angst – in terms of it being a major undertaking. We think a lot of this worry is a hangover from their experiences with process mapping – the endless meetings, the sticky note flowcharting, defensive co-workers, assumptions not backed by data, and lengthy action plans that were never implemented.

However, we admit that we may have caused some of this concern ourselves. In our enthusiasm over the many (many) benefits of Process Mining, we’ve written, “… Process Mining can support your entire digital transformation strategy – it allows you to track and measure whether your digital transformation initiatives are working as planned…” While true, it’s also just as important to realize that a Process Mining project doesn’t have to be about your entire digital overhaul.

We like the analogy of the “busted pipe” versus the “leaky faucet.” A busted pipe is a big project that definitely gets your attention, you realize it needs to be fixed immediately to stop the loss. The leaky faucet is small. You may not know it’s happening or don’t really pay much attention to it. However, your water bill is higher than it should be, month after month after month. Leaky faucets need to be fixed too. 

[For complete information, check out this definitive guide to process mining we put together.]

“Any point and level”

So, it’s that last bullet point from above that we’d like to address now: “Process Mining applies equally well at any point and level.” You’ll get surprisingly good results from smaller scope projects. This will get you comfortable with how Process Mining works, and you’ll be able to see how the benefits are directly identified, measured and supported. Here are just a few examples:

• A business was incurring contractual penalties and extra fees because they were missing deadlines on vendor payments. They used Process Mining to find bottlenecks and breakdowns in accounts payable procedures. With some refresher training, fees and penalties became rare.
• A financial institution used Process Mining to analyze its HELOC document production process. It identified time wasted on transferring data fields between applications and documents – a potential savings of up to 33 percent.
• A healthcare company applied Process Mining to identify how and why supplies were being transferred between its branches. This led to optimizing purchasing and reducing costs.

So, think about that one workflow that doesn’t seem to go quite right or that department that’s always a little over budget each month. Find the leaky faucets – big benefits can come from small Process Mining projects.  

Talk with us

You have a vision for your organization – don’t let your technology slow you down. Our Process Mining solutions and experience will get you there. Sit down with us – let’s talk about your challenges, review and reevaluate your plans and get you started where it makes the most sense. Vision to Value. Faster. It’s not just our tagline, it’s what drives us. It’s how we deliver solutions and services. It’s our commitment to you – and it’s needed today more than ever. Visit www.prolifics.com or email solutions@prolifics.com.

For a larger conversation about Process Mining, watch Innovation Sandbox Episode 1:3 – Process Mining with Anant Gupta, Global Head of Digital Automation and Cloud Solutions with Prolifics.

Dive into the world of Process Mining. Learn what it really does and watch it in action – Learn how Process Mining accurately identifies areas for continuation and improvement across a full spectrum of lines of business. And find how how quickly you can really get started. For all of us, Process Mining can be a game changer – let’s not get left behind!

Process Mining is a term circulating across industries and with good reason. It has the power to impact all areas of your business and getting started is a lot easier than you probably think. Don’t miss this overview with our digital technology experts as they reveal what process mining really is and how it can define your business objectives and tactics for success.

Featured presenters: Kelli Chastonay, Sr. Account Executive and Solution Director and Anant Gupta, Global Head of Digital Automation and Cloud Solutions.

Want to learn more about process mining? Check out this comprehensive guide to process mining we did.

What Is Process Mining?

Gartner defines Process Mining as a technique used to discover, monitor, and improve real business processes by extracting knowledge from event logs within information systems.

Simply put, Process Mining helps organizations uncover inefficiencies by following the digital trail of data across their systems. It allows leaders to see how processes truly operate — not how they assume they work.

Quick Insight: Process Mining identifies gaps between how processes are designed and how they actually run.

How Does Process Mining Work?

Every time your employees, customers, or vendors interact with systems — whether ERPs, CRMs, or other applications — they leave behind digital footprints.

Process Mining uses this data to:

• Identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies
• Visualize workflows in real-time
• Track performance metrics automatically

As Gartner explains, “Process Mining helps you look at your business processes in an unbiased and transparent manner.”

Process Mining vs. Traditional Process Mapping

Traditional process mapping relies heavily on interviews and manual flowcharts, often based on assumptions. These methods are time-consuming, subjective, and static.

In contrast, Process Mining is data-driven and dynamic, providing real-time insights. Because it uses actual system data, organizations can:

• Measure process changes with precision
• Document measurable improvements
• Transition from process discovery to process monitoring

Think of it this way:

Process Mapping is asking for directions.
Process Mining is using GPS.

Key Benefits of Process Mining

Implementing Process Mining offers several measurable advantages:

• Faster identification of inefficiencies across workflows
• Data-backed decisions instead of assumptions
• Continuous process monitoring for improvement tracking
• Alignment with digital transformation goals
• Enhanced ROI through process visibility and automation readiness

In essence, Process Mining empowers smarter operations and ensures that transformation initiatives deliver the intended outcomes.

Top Use Cases for Process Mining

Process Mining applies across industries and business functions. Below are the most impactful use cases:

1. Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Identify repetitive tasks that consume employee time. Process Mining pinpoints automation opportunities, allowing RPA bots to handle routine work 24/7 with minimal errors — freeing employees for high-value tasks.

2. Customer Journey Optimization

Visualize and analyze the customer journey using real behavioral data. Understand how customers interact with your brand and identify friction points to improve experiences.

3. Work-from-Home (WFH) Operations

Monitor how remote work impacts processes. Process Mining reveals workflow deviations, inefficiencies, and policy compliance gaps introduced by distributed work models.

4. Data Governance and Compliance

Track how data moves through your organization to detect silos, ensure compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA, and support audits through data-backed process visualization.

How to Prepare for Process Mining

To ensure successful implementation, follow these key steps:

1. Define Business Goals:
   Identify clear objectives and KPIs — such as improving customer experience, reducing process time, or enhancing data governance.
2. Ensure Data Quality:
   Confirm that your system data is accurate, complete, and accessible. Essential attributes include:
   • Time stamp
   • Unique case ID
   • Activity ID
3. Adopt a Data-Driven Mindset:
   Let real data guide decisions. Avoid biases and assumptions that could limit your insights.

Pro Tip: The quality of your Process Mining output depends directly on the quality of your data.

Real-World Examples of Process Mining in Action

Below are summarized case studies across industries that highlight the versatility of Process Mining:

Financial Services

• Claims Processing: Identified inefficiencies and optimized claim resolution time.
• RPA Implementation: Discovered repetitive tasks and validated automation outcomes.
• Customer Onboarding: Compared performance across regions to detect best practices.
• Loan Approval: Reduced processing time using automated dashboards.

Healthcare

• Medication Tracking: Improved pharmacy workflows and reduced supply inefficiencies.
• Invoice Verification: Saved 900+ man-hours annually and reduced SLA violations by 97%.

Manufacturing & Industrial

• Maintenance and Repairs: Standardized machine recovery procedures.
• Supplier Payments: Reduced late fees through compliance monitoring.
• Equipment Usage: Optimized MRI machine utilization for physicians.

Telecommunications

• Customer Journey Analysis: Enhanced IVR system to reduce call transfers.
• Fraud Detection: Identified SIM activation anomalies indicating potential fraud.
• Debt Collection: Improved payment recovery rates with behavioral insights.

Why Choose Us for Process Mining

Our team brings deep industry expertise across banking, finance, healthcare, insurance, manufacturing, and the public sector.

With us, you gain:

• Faster outcomes — typically within three weeks
• Lower costs through automation-driven efficiency
• Integrated services including AI, hyperautomation, and security
• Proven ROI with measurable process improvements

Because we use real data, our Process Mining projects deliver results you can trust.

Ready to Transform Your Processes?

The “new normal” demands agility and insight. Let’s discuss your challenges and build a data-driven path to efficiency.

Contact us: solutions@prolifics.com

Process Mining and the New Working-From-Home Normal

The pandemic has made a lot of things the New Normal. One of them is having a remote workforce, also known as working from home (WFH). How are processes and procedures changing to accommodate people working remotely? How do you control – or even know about – the changes that may be happening ad hoc or even unintentionally throughout your organization? Process Mining may be the key.

Working from home (WFH) is part of the New Normal

Salesforce Research offers a “Snapshot Research Series – Insights on How Consumers and the Workforce are Navigating Change.” In its “Future of Work” section (filtered for US responses only), we find these interesting responses from worker surveys in early May and mid-June:

• 67% agree with the statement “The pandemic will permanently change the nature of work.”

• 42% agree, with only 8% disagreeing, with the statement “Expect employer to reassess long-term remote work policy.”

• For “most appealing work scenario,” 73% would want a home or split home/office scenario.
  • 43% – Work from home full-time
  • 30% – Split between home and workplace
  • 27% – Work from workplace full-time

In its May survey titled “Navigating Covid-19, Returning to the Workplace,” the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that 68% of organizations report that they “probably or definitely” will adopt broader or more flexible work from home policies for all workers.

How will WFH affect processes and procedures?

It may be too early to tell – there are a lot of ad hoc situations going on for processes and procedures to accommodate people working remotely. But there are those giving thought to it.

Writing in techradar.com, Camilla Winlo’s article Remote Working & COVID-19: 5 Things Companies Need to Consider Before Employees Work From Home asks “How will your existing processes be affected?” She succinctly provides a complete answer:

“Some processes will be easier to move to remote working than others, so it’s important to firstly identify and thoroughly understand how all of your processes operate. You should establish:

• Which processes are critical and/or high-risk?
• Are there any processes that require someone’s physical presence to complete? This includes any processes to maintain your IT infrastructure.
• Have you locked any systems down so they can only be accessed from the office, or only from specific named IP addresses?
• Do you have any paper-based processes or processes that cannot be easily moved online?

It is much easier to get a handle on this if you have comprehensive, up-to-date process and data flow maps. If you don’t, I would suggest you begin by identifying and mapping your critical and high-risk processes – these are the ones where any problems will cause the biggest impact.”

Unfortunately, most companies did not have the luxury to do this as lockdowns and quarantines came down pretty quickly and organizations had to scramble with a sudden WFH staff. So, as the New Normal progresses, what’s the best way to get “comprehensive, up-to-date process and data flow maps?” In our view it’s through Process Mining.

What is process mining and how does it work?

Process mining identifies how a process works by following the digital trail of data through the targeted system. Every day you have employees, customers, vendors and others generate a digital footprint when they utilize your company systems. These digital footprints get captured in these systems, such as ERPs, CRMs, application databases, log files, audit tables, Excel documents and many others. Process mining uses these digital footprints to create visualizations and analysis charts for the process.

Many of you may be familiar – unfortunately too familiar – with process mapping and its interviews and flowcharting. Process mining is significantly quicker and more accurate than traditional process mapping. Think of it this way: Process mapping is like asking a lot of people for directions. Process mining is like using your GPS.

For more information about process mining, check out the ultimate guide to process mining we put together.

So, how does that help with the WFH New Normal?

Process mining discovers what is actually happening based on the event data captured in enterprise systems.  – which is probably now different from what was happening pre-pandemic. Process Mining shows you how data moves through your organization – diagraming the actual (including variations, exceptions, gaps and siloes) against what you want: an instituted policy or procedure; defined standard; or best practice. Don’t take the chance of thinking you know what’s happening in the New Normal – Process Mining will let you know exactly what’s happening.

Prolifics can help.

The “New Normal” is here. You have a vision – don’t let your technology slow you down. Our Process Mining solutions and experience will get you there. Sit down with us – let’s talk about your challenges, review and reevaluate your plans and get you started where it makes the most sense. Vision to Value. Faster. It’s not just our tagline, it’s what drives us. It’s how we deliver solutions and services. It’s our commitment to you – and it’s needed today more than ever. Visit www.prolifics.com or email solutions@prolifics.com.