{"id":2842,"date":"2020-07-24T15:34:37","date_gmt":"2020-07-24T19:34:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prolifics.com\/us\/?p=2842"},"modified":"2025-10-24T14:05:56","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T08:35:56","slug":"process-mining-vs-process-mapping-what-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prolifics.com\/usa\/resource-center\/blog\/process-mining-vs-process-mapping-what-you-need-to-know","title":{"rendered":"Process Mining vs. Process Mapping &#8211; What You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The concept of <a href=\"https:\/\/prolifics.com\/usa\/resource-center\/case-studies\/using-prolifics-process-mining-leading-chemical-distributor-uncovers-hidden-inefficiencies\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/prolifics.com\/usa\/resource-center\/case-studies\/using-prolifics-process-mining-leading-chemical-distributor-uncovers-hidden-inefficiencies\">process mining<\/a> has been around for years; it\u2019s only recently become popular as advances in digital technology make it an attractive alternative to traditional process mapping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is Process Mining?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As Gartner defines it, <em>\u201cProcess mining is designed to discover, monitor and improve real processes (i.e., not assumed processes) by extracting knowledge from event logs readily available in today\u2019s information systems.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Simply put, process mining identifies process inefficiencies by following the digital trail of data through a targeted system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Is It Different from Traditional Process Mapping?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Process mining is significantly quicker and more accurate than mapping through interviews and flowcharting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Process mapping<\/strong> is like asking a lot of people for directions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Process mining<\/strong> is like using your GPS.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a detailed comparison:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Process Mapping: Talk\u2026 Talk\u2026 Talk<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Traditional process mapping starts with <strong>interviews<\/strong> \u2013 lots of them \u2013 to understand a process completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It usually begins top-down: senior leaders \u2192 department heads \u2192 supervisors \u2192 staff \u2192 internal customers \u2192 other stakeholders.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Interviews are time-consuming and subjective. Facts may differ due to opinions or competing agendas.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Missing key stakeholders can result in an inaccurate and costly process map.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Process Mapping: Might As Well Jump<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After interviews, the actual mapping begins:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Often done manually on whiteboards or using software.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The team then analyzes the \u201cas-is\u201d map and creates the \u201cmodel-to-be.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Without hard metrics, it\u2019s easy to jump to conclusions about needed fixes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Departments may resist changes if no measurable data supports them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Process Mining: Data\u2026 Data\u2026 Data<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In contrast, process mining automatically visualizes processes from transaction data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It discovers what is actually happening using event data captured in enterprise systems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Employees, customers, and vendors generate digital footprints in ERPs, CRMs, databases, log files, and audit tables.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Process mining creates visualizations and analysis charts for process improvement faster and more accurately than traditional methods.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It identifies process variations and exceptions that interviews might miss.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Process Mining: Here\u2019s the Issue, Here\u2019s What You Do<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Process mining significantly reduces discovery time and effort while improving accuracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Outcomes of Process Mining<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>User Training:<\/strong> Enhance employee efficiency through better training.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Process Change:<\/strong> Add, change, or remove business activities for improved workflows.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Process Optimization:<\/strong> Automate tasks for better performance, compliance, customer engagement, or cost reduction.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Because it\u2019s data-driven, process mining delivers measurable impact. Over time, it can evolve into process monitoring, continuously analyzing current performance \u2013 something traditional mapping struggles to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Work With Prolifics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Prolifics brings the experience and expertise to help organizations leverage process mining effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The \u201cNew Normal\u201d is here. You have a vision \u2013 don\u2019t let technology slow you down. Our solutions and experience will help you achieve it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Review and reevaluate your plans<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Start where it makes the most sense<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Deliver measurable results<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Vision to Value. Faster. It\u2019s more than a tagline; it\u2019s how we deliver solutions and services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Email <a>solutions@prolifics.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The concept of process mining has been around for years; it\u2019s only recently become popular as advances in digital technology make it an attractive alternative to traditional process mapping. What [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":2843,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[185],"class_list":["post-2842","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-business-automation","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author",""],"acf":[],"builder_content":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prolifics.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2842","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prolifics.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prolifics.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prolifics.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prolifics.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2842"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/prolifics.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2842\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prolifics.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2843"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prolifics.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2842"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prolifics.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2842"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prolifics.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2842"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}