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I get asked quite frequently about the overlaps of Process Mining and Business Process Management (BPM). While they are related in that they both aim to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of business processes, they approach this goal from different perspectives and use different tools and techniques. Let me explain.

Process mining is a data-driven approach to understanding and improving business processes. It uses event logs, which are records of the activities that take place within a system, to automatically discover the processes that are being executed. This allows organizations to gain a detailed understanding of how their processes actually work, as opposed to how they are supposed to work. This information can then be used to identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and other issues that are hindering the performance of the process.

BPM, on the other hand, is a management approach that focuses on the design, execution, monitoring, and optimization of business processes. It involves a systematic and structured approach to identifying, analyzing, and improving business processes. BPM typically involves a range of techniques and tools, such as process modeling, process simulation, and process monitoring, to help organizations understand and improve their processes.

While process mining and BPM are distinct approaches, they are complementary and can be used together to achieve even greater improvements in business processes. Process mining can provide organizations with a detailed understanding of how their processes actually work, which can then be used to inform the design and optimization of processes using BPM. For example, process mining can identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in a process, which can then be addressed using BPM techniques such as process simulation and process monitoring.

Another way that process mining and BPM can be used together is through the use of process mining tools to monitor the performance of processes that have been optimized using BPM. This can provide organizations with ongoing visibility into the performance of their processes and allow them to quickly identify and address any issues that arise.

In conclusion, process mining and BPM are related in that they both aim to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of business processes. However, they approach this goal from different perspectives and use different tools and techniques. While they are distinct approaches, they are complementary and can be used together to achieve even greater improvements in business processes. By combining the insights provided by process mining with the management techniques of BPM, organizations can gain a more complete understanding of their processes and take more effective actions to improve them.

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