Process Mining key terms

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Process Mining key terms

    This content defines essential terminology used in ServiceNow Process Mining, helping customers understand the concepts and components involved in analyzing and visualizing business processes through event logs and process maps.

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    Key Terms and Their Practical Use

    • Activity: Represents individual tasks or steps captured from audit logs, used to visualize the process flow with tracked fields.
    • Attribute of interest: Specific activities not shown visually but used in rule findings logic to analyze the process.
    • Audit log: The source data capturing system events like date, time, and activity, which forms the basis for process mining analysis.
    • Connection: Lines joining sequential activities or steps in a process map, illustrating the flow between them.
    • Finding: Key insights derived from performance analysis of processes, highlighting areas requiring attention.
    • Generate: The process of extracting data from event logs and applying algorithms to reveal process flows and trends.
    • Linked process: A subprocess connected to a main process, showing relationships within complex process models.
    • Process map: A visual representation created after data extraction, showing actual and target routes of a business process for performance comparison.
    • Project: A configured process model within Process Mining, representing the overall analysis setup.
    • Record: An individual instance of a process cycle moving through a route; the count can vary with applied filters.
    • Repetitions: Repeated activities or connections within a process that may indicate loops or recurring steps.
    • Route: A distinct sequence of activities representing one occurrence of a process, including optimal, variant, or exception paths. Multiple routes can be displayed simultaneously.
    • Sliders: Tools in the process map interface that adjust the level of detail shown for activities and connections, aiding in focused analysis.
    • Transition: Represents a change in the state of an activity within the process flow.

    Applying These Terms

    Understanding these terms equips ServiceNow customers to effectively interpret process mining outputs, configure process models (projects), analyze performance findings, and use process maps to identify improvement areas. Utilizing sliders and recognizing variations in routes help in detailed process diagnostics and optimization efforts.

    Key terms used in Process Mining.

    Table 1. Process Mining Key Terms
    Term Description
    Activity A selection of captured tasks or actions from the audit log that are used for visualizing the project, including tracked fields. An activity consists of one step within a process, or which occurred within a route. A connection runs between activities.
    Attribute of interest Activities that are not visible in the process graph, breakdowns, or in variance stats. These definitions are still available to use in rule findings logic.
    Audit log The record of operational system events or activities that occur when a task is performed, such as date, time, and activity.
    Connection Line joining two activities, or process steps, in a map. A connection reflects a part of a process with two sequential, connected steps.
    Finding Key performance insights discovered for a business process. Findings help you review areas that need further attention.
    Generate The process of extracting or mining data from an operational system's event logs and applying algorithms that reveal trends and a detailed picture of how a business process flows.
    Linked process A connected, or subprocess linked to a main process.
    Process map A project generated after a data extraction has been performed that visually represents events gathered from a system's audit log which are part of a defined business process. The map represents actual events, or routes, consisting of a series of steps taken from a defined start to finish. A process map also compares the actual routes to a defined target route to provide a view of business process performance.
    Project Process Mining term for a configured process model.
    Record A business record of a process cycle (project) that runs through a route. Many records can run through a route. In Process Mining, the number of records can change when filters are applied.
    Repetitions Repeated steps (activities) or step sets (connections).
    Route An occurrence of a process where at least one activity within the sequence of steps differs from all other occurrences of the process. Routes can include an optimally defined successful route, as well as variant or possible routes that may be alternate success paths or faulty exception paths. Several routes can be simultaneously represented on a process map.
    Sliders Activity and connection slider tools on the process map screen for showing process steps. Using the sliders can show sequential connections between them in a more or less detailed view.
    Transition A change of activity state.