This document summarizes a study applying process mining techniques to analyze processes in the blood bank division of a Greek public hospital. Process mining was used to model the workflow from blood donation to transfusion. While the process is well-defined, setting a high level of detail revealed a more complex "spaghetti" model. The study found process mining correlated well with the systemic approach, as it can help discover systems, structures, and provide a reference to compare models to reality. Process mining techniques are useful tools that can address emerging complexity when combined with systemic methodologies.

1. Process Mining Applications and a correlation with the Systemic Approach
Panagiotis Papaioannou
University of Piraeus, CSAP, PhD cand.
p.papaioannou@gmail.com
HSSS 11th
National & International Conference, 10-12 July 2015, Athens, Greece
This contribution presents a Process Mining application in the Blood Bank division of a public
hospital in Greece and aims to explore the relation between Process Mining and the Systemic
Approach.
Process Mining is a set of methods, tools and techniques that allows business process analysis
based on event logs produced by the information systems. Process Mining can be used for
three main purposes: (1) To discover the process model from the event log (2) To check
process conformance with an existing process model and (3) To improve an existing process
model based on actual process information found in the event log. Process Mining (PM) can be
applied in a variety of domains.
This specific application comes from the healthcare area and, more specifically, from the blood
bank division of a hospital. In this division the blood is collected from donors, separated into
blood products, stored, and prepared for transfusion to patients. The PM “Case” is the Blood
Unit and its route from donation to transfusion. Activities in blood unit lifecycle include:
Donation, Laboratory Testing, Splitting into products, Compatibility testing, Sending,
Returning, Transfusion, Destruction etc. The events data correspond to blood units donated in
a period of 3 months.
A lot of Process Mining techniques offered by “Disco” and “ProM” software tools were applied
in order to extract useful conclusions regarding the route of a blood unit. A surprising finding
was that, although the process is well defined and the operation steps seem to be predictable,
setting high level of details in software a too complex model of processes was revealed. The
causes were discovered exploring event data and employing PM techniques.
In PM literature it is widely accepted that a holistic approach is needed to derive the right
conclusions from event data. Holistic approach refers to Systemic Approach or to Systems
Theory methodologies and tools. In this study we argue that there is a strong relation between
Process Mining and Systemic Approach.
PM concerns about systems of processes existing in the context of Process Aware Information
Systems, operated by people and forming the so called sociotechnical systems. A malfunction
of such systems seems to be a perfect field to apply Systemic Approach in order to design and
implement successful interventions. Concepts like systems hierarchy, causal loops, feedback
and emergence as well as various systemic methodologies can influence the PM practitioner
towards understanding complex behaviors exposed by a sociotechnical system of processes.
Much more important can be the contribution of PM to the Systemic Analysis. PM can help to
discover systems and their structure and to provide a reference point for comparing mental
models with the reality which is the final objective of any systemic methodology.
Keywords: SYSTEMICS, PROCESS MINING

2. Applied Process Mining in a Blood Bank
and correlation with the Systemic Approach
Panagiotis Papaioannou
University of Piraeus, CSAP, PhD cand.
p.papaioannou@gmail.com
Prof Nikitas Assimakopoulos
University of Piraeus
Aris Antoniadis
University of Piraeus, CSAP, PhD cand.
HSSS 11th National & International Conference, 10-12 July 2015, Athens, Greece
Applied Process Mining in a Blood Bank and correlation with the Systemic Approach CSAP
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Process Mining
Methods, tools and techniques that allows business process analysis
based on event logs produced by the information systems.
Log File Process Model

3. Applied Process Mining in a Blood Bank and correlation with the Systemic Approach CSAP
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Process Mining
Process Mining can be used for three main purposes:
1) To discover the process model from the event log
2) To check process conformance with an existing process model
3) To improve an existing process model based on actual process
information found in the event log.
Applied Process Mining in a Blood Bank and correlation with the Systemic Approach CSAP
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Process Mining
Event Log Description
Case, Time, Activity, Resource

4. Applied Process Mining in a Blood Bank and correlation with the Systemic Approach CSAP
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Process Mining
Software Tools
Process Mining framework for developers and users
Open Source framework for process mining algorithms
Prof Wil van der Aalst and others
Eindhoven University of Technology
ProM
Disco A complete, easy to use, process mining software
by Fluxicon
Applied Process Mining in a Blood Bank and correlation with the Systemic Approach CSAP
Storing
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The Blood Bank (processes)
Donation Lab Tests
Splitting into
Products
Compatibility
Testing
Sending
Returning
Whole Blood RBC
Destruction
Transfusion
PLT FFP
FP

5. Applied Process Mining in a Blood Bank and correlation with the Systemic Approach CSAP
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Blood Bank Process Mining with DISCO
Full view - All Processes
Applied Process Mining in a Blood Bank and correlation with the Systemic Approach CSAP
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Zoom in: 50% of Processes

6. Applied Process Mining in a Blood Bank and correlation with the Systemic Approach CSAP
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Zoom in:
20% of Processes
Absolute Freq.
Applied Process Mining in a Blood Bank and correlation with the Systemic Approach CSAP
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Zoom in:
20% of Processes
Mean duration

7. Applied Process Mining in a Blood Bank and correlation with the Systemic Approach CSAP
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Process Mining with Disco: Statistics Overview
Applied Process Mining in a Blood Bank and correlation with the Systemic Approach CSAP
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Process Mining with Disco: Statistics : Activities

8. Applied Process Mining in a Blood Bank and correlation with the Systemic Approach CSAP
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Process Mining with Disco: Statistics : Resources
Applied Process Mining in a Blood Bank and correlation with the Systemic Approach CSAP
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Process Mining in the Blood Bank: RBC cases only

9. Applied Process Mining in a Blood Bank and correlation with the Systemic Approach CSAP
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Using Prom 6 to discover Social Networks
Interactions between employees in the Blood Bank
ISOMN Layout
ISOMLayout is a layout for self-organizing graphs. It arranges the data according to a low
dimensional structure.
Data is partitioned into as many homogeneous clusters as there are units, in such way that
close clusters contain close data points in the original space.
Applied Process Mining in a Blood Bank and correlation with the Systemic Approach CSAP
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Using Prom 6 to discover Social Networks
Interactions between employees in the Blood Bank
FR Layout
Fruchterman-Reingold layout: A system of masses. Node=Mass Edge=Spring.
The algorithm tries to minimize the energy of this system.

10. Applied Process Mining in a Blood Bank and correlation with the Systemic Approach CSAP
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Findings regarding processes
1) A well defined process (operates under a QM system, ISO 9001 certified)
2) The designed model is a lasagna process (vs spaghetti process)
3) Setting a high level of details in Disco or ProM the process map becomes
a spaghetti process. Possible causes:
• Delays in data entry
• Deviations from the normal workflow
• Misinterpretation of the sequence of events by the PM tools due to
the nature of the events
4) PM tools:
• confirmed the process execution and workload of the employees
• they revealed data entry deviations and some process deviations
• they showed the “big picture” of the operations.
Applied Process Mining in a Blood Bank and correlation with the Systemic Approach CSAP
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Process Mining: The systemic perspective
Van Der Aalst, Wil. Process mining: discovery, conformance and enhancement
of business processes. Springer Science & Business Media, 2011.

11. Applied Process Mining in a Blood Bank and correlation with the Systemic Approach CSAP
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Process Mining: The systemic perspective
Process Aware Information Systems, operated by people (sociotechnical systems)
“A holistic approach is needed to derive the right conclusions from event data”
Holistic approach … … Systemic Approach (methodologies and tools)
A perfect field to apply Systemic Approach in order to design and implement
successful interventions.
Applied Process Mining in a Blood Bank and correlation with the Systemic Approach CSAP
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Systemic concepts useful in Process Mining
• Systems hierarchy
• Causal loops
• Feedback
• Emergence
• Sociotechnical systems exposing complex
behaviors
• Various systemic methodologies

12. Applied Process Mining in a Blood Bank and correlation with the Systemic Approach CSAP
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Process Mining contribution to the Systemic Analysis
• Help to discover systems and their structure
− Process models
− Social systems (human resources utilization)
− Equipment modeling (other resources utilization)
• Provide a reference point for comparing mental models with the reality
which is the final objective of any systemic methodology
• PM techniques as well as tools like ProM and Disco are excellent tools to
model the world of processes and to address its emerging complexity
(zooming in and out in ProM or Disco is similar to creating models at
different abstraction level)
Applied Process Mining in a Blood Bank and correlation with the Systemic Approach CSAP
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Conclusion
This case confirms the value of Process Mining in the Healthcare field.
What is emerging is the relation between Process Mining and Systemic
Approach.
Systemic approach can be very useful when conducting a Process Mining
project or study.
Process Mining can be a systemic tool which can be combined with other
systemic tools or methodologies in order to expand their capabilities.

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Thank you for your attention