What is process mining, and what do event logs reveal about a company's records?

What process mining is

Process mining takes the event data that business applications already write and reconstructs the real path each case followed: every order, ticket or invoice, step by step, with the time between steps. The output is a map of the process as it ran, including detours, rework and exceptions, rather than the process as the flowchart says it should run.

What an event log needs

An event log is a table with three required ingredients and a few useful extras.

ERP and CRM platforms already record most of this as they run, which is why process mining projects often start in finance or order management.

How a process mining project runs

1. Pick a process with clear start and end points, such as procure-to-pay or ticket-to-resolution.
2. Extract event data from the relevant systems and join it on a shared case ID.
3. Clean the log: align timestamps, remove test records, standardize activity names.
4. Discover the as-is process model and measure variants, loops and wait times.
5. Compare against the intended process and find where cases deviate.
6. Act on the findings, then re-measure.

The difficult part is nearly always step 2. Companies whose systems carry consistent IDs across tools get a usable log quickly; companies with spreadsheets between steps do not.

Process mining vs task mining

Why this matters to an ERP consultant

If a client can feed a process mining tool, its systems already contain what AI developers look for in agent training and evaluation: multi-step workflows, decisions, exceptions and outcomes tied to dates and owners. Those histories sit inside companies and are scarce on the public web. A process mining pilot is therefore a quick, non-intrusive indicator that the client keeps connected, outcome-labeled records. The referral opportunities for ERP consultants page covers how implementation partners can raise the topic.

The signal is not a promise. A company still has to meet the baseline: US company, 50+ full-time employees at peak (contractors excluded), several years of documented operations, rights to license the records and an authorized sponsor. Process mining output often contains personal data about employees and customers, and rights have to be checked separately. The exit readiness guide explains how record questions sit alongside sale planning.

Signals from a process mining engagement

• Case IDs carry across ERP, CRM and ticketing systems.
• Several years of event history are available, including archived systems.
• Outcomes such as approved, rejected, refunded or escalated are captured.
• The sponsor owns the process and can discuss a license with an authorized representative.

Run the company fit checker if most of these are true. It is a preliminary, non-binding screen that needs no contact details.

What partners do and do not do

Partners make the introduction and give basic fit information. They do not share event logs, extracts or screenshots from a client. The company completes a data inventory with SourceX, redaction rules are agreed before any work begins, and delivery happens only after an executed agreement and the company's authorization.

How rewards work

Partners earn 25% of the eligible platform fees SourceX actually collects from the referred company's licensing deals, capped at $100,000 per referred company. The reward is paid only after the buyer pays and SourceX receives its fee; an introduction, meeting or signed agreement alone does not trigger payment, and no reward is guaranteed. Review your consulting agreement and client confidentiality terms before referring anyone.

Next step

If a client engagement already involves event data, ask the sponsor whether they would consider a data licensing conversation, then register as a partner. The who qualifies page lists the full company baseline.