Understanding the behavior of process mining analysts: a catalogue of exploratory process mining behaviors

Abstract

Introduction Process mining is a data-driven discipline focusing on extracting valuable insights from process data consisting of process execution data captured by business information systems. Process mining analysts analyze process data, to gain insights into how the process actually works, which enables them to spot inefficiencies (Van Der Aalst and Van der Aalst 2016). The way the process data is analyzed and insights are gained is better known as the process of process mining. The focus of this research topic is on the human aspect of process mining, investigating the behavior of process mining analysts. Within this research topic, the focus has been mainly on exploratory process mining, a practice focused on gaining an initial understanding of the data, identifying patterns, and Abstract Most research on the process of process mining has focused on exploratory process mining, which is defined as a first exploration of process data to find interesting insights and develop hypotheses. Within this research topic, the focus has been so far on better understanding the behavior of the process mining analysts. However, a comprehensive overview of exhibited behaviors has yet to be established. Such an overview enables a direct comparison of empirical findings and serves as a tool for documenting exploratory process mining behavior. Drawing from (human) ethology, the study of behavior, this paper introduces a catalog of behaviors for exploratory process mining, better known as an ethogram. Through a systematic analysis of published process mining case studies, we identified a first list of behaviors performed during exploratory process mining. This first list was validated and updated using 15 interviews with experienced process mining analysts. The final ethogram consists of 31 behaviors, including "Inspect graphic", "Check assumption", and "Define question". This ethogram provides a vocabulary to describe exploratory process mining behavior in a structured way, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the role of a process mining analyst.