Process mining concepts and its role in hyperautomation
Hyperautomation, as defined by Gartner, is the use of various technologies to rapidly identify inefficiencies and automate as many business processes as possible. These technologies include:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
- Machine Learning
- Low-code/No-code Platforms
Gartner predicts that combining hyperautomation with process redesign could reduce operational costs by up to 30%. In this context, process mining—available in Microsoft Power Automate—is a key enabler. It helps businesses identify automation opportunities by analyzing existing processes and highlighting areas for efficiency gains and cost savings.
Core Concepts in Process Mining
At its core, process mining involves extracting actionable insights from event logs generated by business systems. It helps organizations discover, monitor, and improve real-world processes by providing a clear, unbiased view of how those processes actually operate.
Unlike traditional process analysis, process mining combines data science with process management, offering deeper visibility into how work is truly performed. Let’s explore the key concepts involved—and how Power Automate supports each one.
1. Data Extraction
Process mining starts with collecting data. Event logs come from systems like ERP, CRM, or BPM, capturing activity sequences, timestamps, and other relevant details.
How Power Automate helps:
Power Automate provides connectors to a wide range of systems, enabling automated, reliable extraction of event data without manual intervention.
Example in practice:
Set up automated flows to regularly pull and consolidate event logs from different platforms, ensuring process data stays current and accurate.
2. Process Discovery
Process discovery uses algorithms to automatically generate visual models of real processes from event logs—no manual mapping required.
How Power Automate helps:
Power Automate tracks activity across systems and services, creating a reliable foundation for visualizing true process flows.
Example in practice:
Use Power Automate flows to mimic actual business processes, then analyze execution data to build accurate process maps.
3. Conformance Checking
Once a process model is created, conformance checking compares it to an ideal or predefined version. This helps identify deviations such as skipped steps or incorrect sequences.
How Power Automate helps:
Monitor process flows and trigger alerts when actual behavior deviates from expected paths.
Example in practice:
Set up Power Automate to notify stakeholders in real time when a process diverges from its intended sequence, allowing for quick correction.
4. Process Enhancement
With insights from discovery and conformance checking, the next step is enhancement—making changes to improve performance.
How Power Automate helps:
Target repetitive, slow, or error-prone tasks for automation using flows, RPA, and AI capabilities.
Example in practice:
Automate data entry or reporting tasks identified as bottlenecks using Power Automate and AI Builder.
5. Continuous Monitoring and Analysis
Process mining isn’t a one-time effort. To maintain long-term improvement, ongoing monitoring is essential.
How Power Automate helps:
Continuously track workflow performance and generate insights via dashboards and reports.
Example in practice:
Use Power BI with Power Automate to create real-time dashboards showing metrics like process duration, task frequency, and automation success rates.
6. Advanced Analytics
Process mining can go beyond descriptive insights to deliver predictive analytics and machine learning-based recommendations.
How Power Automate helps:
Integrate with AI Builder or external AI services to predict delays, forecast trends, or suggest process changes.
Example in practice:
Use AI Builder to anticipate process slowdowns or recommend optimization strategies based on historical data patterns.
Summary
Process mining is a foundational element of hyperautomation. It helps organizations identify inefficiencies, automate intelligently, and continuously improve their operations.
Power Automate stands out by supporting every phase of process mining:
- Seamless data extraction
- Automated process discovery
- Real-time conformance checking
- Streamlined enhancement through automation
- Ongoing monitoring and analysis
- Predictive, AI-driven insights
By using Power Automate, businesses can unlock the full potential of process mining and take meaningful steps toward greater efficiency, compliance, and innovation.