With uncertainty, we look for security in data and information. This article is a refresher on the importance of implementing process mining to maximise ROI and streamline business processes.
As the world faces unprecedented economic uncertainty in the face of COVID-19, organisations need to rethink the way they approach creating a strategic plan. Why? Because there is an equally unprecedented opportunity to use process mining to understand the impact of the decisions being made – before they’re rolled out.
Don’t create a strategic plan on gut feel
We’ve all been there. The big strategy meeting where everything’s on the line. Words like “pivotal”, “game-changing” and “never to be repeated” are frequently repeated. For such big decisions, you would expect there to be some monumental analysis, number crunching, and soul searching to be done.
Yet, how often is leaving decisions to someone’s “gut instinct” the right decision? It can be a collective instinct – but it’s still built on the sum total of the experience of those in the room. It can also be driven by the person who strives the hardest to be heard and seldom is that the person with real data to back them up.
End to the old school strategic plan
This old-school approach to strategic planning and resultant decision making is thankfully behind us. Today there is no excuse for making decisions that haven’t been mined, modelled and tested.
For example, if you’re considering cutting staff to cut costs – you can understand the different impact of cutting hours versus totally removing head count. Not just for the team involved, but across the business. The impact on customer service levels – now, in six months, a year, and beyond. And will it save you money, or be zeroed out by increased costs in support?
Get the true picture
There are so many different process scenarios you can model all mined from data that is already being collected by your business. It also gives you a true picture of what is happening across the business right now. Hold ups in the supply chain. Inefficient processes. Staff that are constantly dropping the ball. Are all discoverable through using process mining.
It means you can have real and meaningful strategic planning discussions about where potential cost savings could be made. Then test out what the impact of any decision could be. Instead of guessing what might happen, you start those strategic discussions from 100% accurate, insights.
Get your strategic plan started now
As Australian and New Zealand companies prepare for 2022 strategic planning, there has never been a better time to introduce process mining into the conversation. Given the highly critical nature of the decisions in front of most organisations we are honoured to be in a position to remove a lot of the guesswork.
Process mining will never replace the full package of human intuition and analysis. But it will ensure key decisions moving forward aren’t left entirely to gut feel and a loud voice. If you’re not sure this works – contact us for a demo and we’ll show you how!
