Process Mining and Simulation

Abstract

The purpose of this research project is to investigate the options and possibilities of combining the two powerful tools of process mining and business process simulation. On one hand, process mining is a tool that combines data science and process modelling to create accurate data driven process models to analyse the as-is situation of any given system. On the other hand, process simulation is a tool that uses human-created process models to analyse different to-be scenarios. Hence, a combination of these tools seems to provide great potential value for companies seeking to improve their business processes. The project reveals that the current state-of-the-art in the research field is far from having such an integrated tool. The second part of this project has therefore been to contribute to the further development. The result is a solution proposal for using process mining tools to calculate process capacity, which can be used as input parameter for process simulation models. Finally, the project value in a business context is considered. It is anticipated that the solution could have both direct and in-direct value for many companies. Direct value in terms of calculating accurate capacity measures, which can improve the ability to balance supply and demand. In-direct value in terms of contributing to the further development of an integrated tool that can create accurate simulations models based on data.