Process mining: discovering and improving Spaghetti and Lasagna processes

Process mining is an emerging discipline providing comprehensive sets of tools to provide fact-based insights and to support process improvements. This new discipline builds on process model-driven approaches and data mining. This invited keynote paper demonstrates that process mining can be used to discover a wide range of processes ranging from structured processes (Lasagna processes) to unstructured processes (Spaghetti processes). For Lasagna processes, the discovered process is just the starting point for a broad repertoire of analysis techniques that support process improvement. For example, process mining can be used to detect and diagnose bottlenecks and deviations in (semi-)structured processes. The analysis of Spaghetti processes is more challenging. However, the potential benefits are substantial; just by inspecting the discovered model, important insights can be obtained. Process discovery can be used to understand variability and non-conformance. This paper presents the L^* life-cycle model consisting of five phases. The model describes how to apply process mining techniques.