1) Process mining uses event data to discover, monitor and improve real processes. It serves as a new type of spreadsheet to analyze event data and discover processes. 2) Process mining tools like ProM can be used to perform process discovery from event logs, conformance checking by comparing modeled and observed behavior, and other types of analysis without requiring process modeling. 3) The main challenges in data science and process mining include dealing with high volume and velocity data, extracting useful knowledge from data to answer known and unknown questions, and ensuring responsible use of data and algorithms that considers fairness, accuracy, transparency and other factors.

1. Process Mining
Based on the
Internet of
Events
Wil van der Aalst
Scientific Director Data Science
Center Eindhoven (DSC/e)
Distinguished Univ. Professor
Eindhoven University of Technology
@wvdaalst vdaalst.com
February 2017, Düsseldorf

2. Data science is changing
any industry (including
manufacturing)!
Event data are
everywhere!
Agenda
• Setting the scene: uptake of data
science (in the Brainport region)
• Using event data: process mining as
a new type of spreadsheet
• Process mining tools and
applications
• Taking a step back: main challenges
in data science

3. From Analog to Digital
An example
World's earliest
surviving camera
photograph (1826)
Kodak box camera
developed by George
Eastman (1888)
First digital camera
by Steve Sasson
from Kodak (1975)
Sales digital cameras
exceeds analog
cameras (2003)
Release of first
iPhone (2007)
Release of iPad 2
(2011)
2.8 million apps in
Google Play and 2.2
million apps in Apple
App Store (2017)
analog
digital

4. World's earliest
surviving camera
photograph (1826)
Kodak box camera
developed by George
Eastman (1888)
First digital camera
by Steve Sasson
from Kodak (1975)
Sales digital cameras
exceeds analog
cameras (2003)
Release of first
iPhone (2007)
Release of iPad 2
(2011)
2.8 million apps in
Google Play and 2.2
million apps in Apple
App Store (2017)
analog
digital
Around 1800, Thomas Wedgwood attempted
to capture the image in a camera obscura by
means of a light-sensitive substance. The
earliest remaining photo dates from 1826.
1826

5. World's earliest
surviving camera
photograph (1826)
Kodak box camera
developed by George
Eastman (1888)
First digital camera
by Steve Sasson
from Kodak (1975)
Sales digital cameras
exceeds analog
cameras (2003)
Release of first
iPhone (2007)
Release of iPad 2
(2011)
2.8 million apps in
Google Play and 2.2
million apps in Apple
App Store (2017)
analog
digital
George Eastman founded Kodak
around 1890 and produced “The
Kodak” box camera that was sold
for $25, thus making photography
accessible for a larger group of
people.
1888

6. World's earliest
surviving camera
photograph (1826)
Kodak box camera
developed by George
Eastman (1888)
First digital camera
by Steve Sasson
from Kodak (1975)
Sales digital cameras
exceeds analog
cameras (2003)
Release of first
iPhone (2007)
Release of iPad 2
(2011)
2.8 million apps in
Google Play and 2.2
million apps in Apple
App Store (2017)
analog
digital
In 1976, Kodak was responsible
for 90% of film sales and 85% of
camera sales in the United
States. Kodak developed the
first digital camera in 1975, i.e.,
at the peak of its success.
0.01 megapixel black
and white pictures
1975

7. World's earliest
surviving camera
photograph (1826)
Kodak box camera
developed by George
Eastman (1888)
First digital camera
by Steve Sasson
from Kodak (1975)
Sales digital cameras
exceeds analog
cameras (2003)
Release of first
iPhone (2007)
Release of iPad 2
(2011)
2.8 million apps in
Google Play and 2.2
million apps in Apple
App Store (2017)
analog
digital
In 2003, the sales of digital cameras
exceeded the sales of traditional
cameras for the first time. Kodak
and others could not adapt.
2003

8. World's earliest
surviving camera
photograph (1826)
Kodak box camera
developed by George
Eastman (1888)
First digital camera
by Steve Sasson
from Kodak (1975)
Sales digital cameras
exceeds analog
cameras (2003)
Release of first
iPhone (2007)
Release of iPad 2
(2011)
2.8 million apps in
Google Play and 2.2
million apps in Apple
App Store (2017)
analog
digital
Soon after their introduction,
smartphones with built-in
cameras overtook dedicated
cameras.
2007

9. World's earliest
surviving camera
photograph (1826)
Kodak box camera
developed by George
Eastman (1888)
First digital camera
by Steve Sasson
from Kodak (1975)
Sales digital cameras
exceeds analog
cameras (2003)
Release of first
iPhone (2007)
Release of iPad 2
(2011)
2.8 million apps in
Google Play and 2.2
million apps in Apple
App Store (2017)
analog
digital
The first iPad having a camera
(iPad 2) was presented on March
2nd, 2011 by Steve Jobs.
2011

10. World's earliest
surviving camera
photograph (1826)
Kodak box camera
developed by George
Eastman (1888)
First digital camera
by Steve Sasson
from Kodak (1975)
Sales digital cameras
exceeds analog
cameras (2003)
Release of first
iPhone (2007)
Release of iPad 2
(2011)
2.8 million apps in
Google Play and 2.2
million apps in Apple
App Store (2017)
analog
digital
Most photos are made using mobile phones and tablets. Photos can be shared online (e.g. Flickr,
Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter) and changed the way we communicate and socialize. Smartphone
apps can detect eye cancer, melanoma, and other diseases by analyzing photos. A photo created
using a smartphone may generate to a wide range of events (e.g., sharing) having data attributes
(e.g., location) that reach far beyond the actual image.

11. World's earliest
surviving camera
photograph (1826)
Kodak box camera
developed by George
Eastman (1888)
First digital camera
by Steve Sasson
from Kodak (1975)
Sales digital cameras
exceeds analog
cameras (2003)
Release of first
iPhone (2007)
Release of iPad 2
(2011)
2.8 million apps in
Google Play and 2.2
million apps in Apple
App Store (2017)
analog
digital
Data explosion

12. Brainport
Europe's leading innovative top technology region
12 0110100110011100111010101010100100010110

13. 13 0110100110011100111010101010100100010110

14. Internet of Events
14

15. Uptake of Data Science
15

16. Uptake of Data Science
data
science
science
society
business
health
industry
mobility
government

17. Uptake of Data Science
data
science
science
society
business
health
industry
mobility
government

18. Data & Processes
18

19. Process Mining: The missing link
19

20. Process Mining
Spreadsheets
for behavior
20
General Motors managers update “spreadsheet” to keep track of
the flow of materials needed for the wartime production (1941).

21. Spreadsheets
Killer App for early computers
VisiCalc
(killer app for Apple II, Oct. 1979)

22. Spreadsheets
Killer App for early computers
Followed by
Microsoft Excel
(1985).
Lotus 1-2-3
(killer app for IBM PC 1983)

23. Spreadsheet: Static data
23

24. Spreadsheet: Static data
24
fact derived

25. Spreadsheet: Static data
25
31 items
sold
total
value
average
distribution

26. Spreadsheet: Static data
26
How to analyze operational processes?

27. 27
case identifier activity name timestamp
resourcerow = event

28. Event data
28
• Input: events (“things
that have happened”)
• Mandatory per event:
− case identifier
− activity name
− timestamp/date
• Optional
− resource
− transaction type
− costs
− …
case
identifier
activity
name
timestamp
resourcerow = event

29. Excel cannot deal with events and
analyze dynamic behavior
29
208 cases
5987 events
74 activities

30. Exploring event data with ProM
30
batching for activities
“opstellen eindnota” and
“archiveren”

31. 31
Loesje van der
Aalst
desire line
Process Discovery

32. Process Discovery
32
NO
modeling
needed!

33. Process Discovery
33
NO
modeling
needed!

34. 34
event data
process
model
Conformance Checking

35. 35
desire line
very safe
system
Conformance Checking

36. Conformance Checking
36
+
Input: Event data and process model
(discovered or hand-made)
Question: Where do modeled and
observed behavior disagree?

37. Conformance Checking
37

38. Conformance Checking
38
• Which cases deviate?
(including being late)
• Why do they
deviate?
• How do the deviate?
• What do they have in
common?

39. Assume this is the normative model
39
“happy flows”

40. Deviations
40

41. Deviations
41
skipped 15 times skipped 12 times skipped 16 times
21 activities were
executed that should not
have happened here

42. Deviations
42

43. Deviations
43

44. Deviations
44
shows the cases
that skipped the
1st inspection
(activity 070)

45. Deviations
45
shows the cases that
executed activity 030
(address) or 070 (inspection)
at the wrong point in time

46. Performance
46
NO
modeling
needed!

47. Animation
47
NO
modeling
needed!
real cases

48. Demo?
48

49. ProM: Open Source
49
1500+ plug-ins available covering the
whole process mining spectrum
>130k downloads

50. Commercial process mining tools
50
• 25+ software vendors sell
software based on our
algorithms, ideas, etc.
• Several focussed process
mining companies, e.g.,
Celonis, Fluxicon,
ProcessGold, Minit,
myInvenio, etc.

51. Overview of tools (incomplete)
51
Short name Full name of tool Version Vendor Webpage XES support
Academic program
(available online) Webpage Academic program
Celonis Celonis Process Mining 4 Celonis GmbH www.celonis.de yes yes
www.celonis.de/en/company/academic-
alliance
Disco Disco 1.9.5 Fluxicon www.fluxicon.com yes yes fluxicon.com/academic/
EDS Enterprise Discovery Suite 4 StereoLOGIC Ltd www.stereologic.com no
Fujitsu
Interstage Business Process
Manager Analytics 12.2 Fujitsu Ltd www.fujitsu.com no
Icaro Icaro EVERFlow 1 Icaro Tech www.icarotech.com no
Icris Icris Process Mining Factory 1 Icris
www.processminingfact
ory.com yes no
LANA LANA Process Mining 1 Lana Labs www.lana-labs.com not yet no
Minit Minit 1 Gradient ECM www.minitlabs.com yes no
myInvenio myInvenio 1 Cognitive Technology www.my-invenio.com yes yes
www.my-invenio.com/myinvenio-
academic-alliance/
Perceptive Perceptive Process Mining 2.7 Lexmark www.lexmark.com no no
ProcessGold ProcessGold Enterprise Platform 8
Processgold International
B.V. www.processgold.com yes not yet
ProM ProM 6.6 Open Source hosted at TU/e www.promtools.org yes open source www.promtools.org
ProM Lite ProM Lite 1.1 Open Source hosted at TU/e www.promtools.org yes open source www.promtools.org
QPR QPR ProcessAnalyzer 2015.5 QPR www.qpr.com yes no
RapidProM RapidProM 4.0.0 Open Source hosted at TU/e www.rapidprom.org yes open source www.rapidprom.org
Rialto Rialto Process 1.5 Exeura www.exeura.eu yes yes
www.exeura.eu/en/products/rialto-
process/
Signavio Signavio Process Intelligence Signavio www.signavio.com
SNP SNP Business Process Analysis 15.27
SNP Schneider-Neureither &
Partner AG www.snp-bpa.com yes no
PPM
webMethods Process Performance
Manager 9.9 Software AG www.softwareag.com no
Worksoft
Worksoft Analyze & Process Mining
for SAP Worksoft www.worksoft.com

52. Ecosystem
52
challenges
ideas
new techniques
and approaches
data

53. 53
We have applied
process mining in over
200 organizations
(hospitals,
municipalities,
governments,
universities, logistics,
manufacturing,
insurance companies,
banks, etc.)

54. Applications
54

55. Applications
55

56. 56
data-
driven
process
centric
performance
compliance
always the same questions …

57. 57
Let’s take a step back

58. 58
infrastructure analysis effect
11010101010111101
1001011101001011101
00100111111001110
o networks & sensors
o distributed systems
(e.g. Hadoop)
o databases (NoSQL)
o programming (MapReduce)
o security
o ...
o statistics
o data/process mining
o machine learning
o operations research
o algorithms
o visualization
o ...
o ethics & privacy
o human technology
interaction
o operations management
o business models
o entrepreneurship
o ...
“volume and velocity” “extracting knowledge” “people, organizations, society”
t h e d a t a s c i e n c e p i p e l i n e

59. infrastructure analysis effect
“volume and velocity” “extracting knowledge” “people, organizations, society”
Challenge:
Making things
scalable & instant

60. infrastructure analysis effect
“volume and velocity” “extracting knowledge” “people, organizations, society”
Challenge: Providing
answers to known and
unknown unknowns

61. infrastructure analysis effect
“volume and velocity” “extracting knowledge” “people, organizations, society”
Challenge: Doing all of this
in a responsible manner!

62. www.responsibledatascience.org
Fairness
Accuracy
Confidentiality
Transparency
Value

63. 63
infrastructure analysis effect
11010101010111101
1001011101001011101
00100111111001110
“volume and velocity” “extracting knowledge” “people, organizations, society”
All three
challenges also
apply to process
mining
But there is no reason
not to start today!

64. The Internet of Things will not shut up, so let’s
try to use it effectively and responsibly!
Wil van der Aalst
 vdaalst.com
 processmining.org
 @wvdaalst

65. Learn more?
• www.vdaalst.com
• www.processmining.org
• www.coursera.org/learn/process-
mining
• www.promtools.org
• www.springer.com/9783662498507
• www.win.tue.nl/ieeetfpm/
• www.tue.nl/dsce/
• @wvdaalst
65