The Process Mining Use Case Canvas: A Framework for Developing and Specifying Use Cases

Abstract

Process mining has emerged as a crucial technology for digitalization, enabling companies to analyze, visualize, and optimize their processes using system data. Despite significant developments in the field over the years, companies - notably small and medium-sized enterprises - are not yet familiar with the discipline, leaving untapped potential for its practical application in the business domain. They often struggle with understanding the potential use cases, associated benefits, and prerequisites for implementing process mining applications. This lack of clarity and concerns about the effort and costs involved hinder the widespread adoption of process mining. To address this gap between process mining theory and real-world business application, we introduce the "Process Mining Use Case Canvas", a novel framework designed to facilitate the structured development and specification of suitable use cases for process mining applications within manufacturing companies. We also connect to established methodologies and models for developing and specifying use cases for business models from related domains targeting data analytics and artificial intelligence projects. The canvas has already been tested and validated through its application in the ProMiConE research project, collaborating with manufacturing companies.