Apromore simplifies pulling data into open source process mining platform

Apromore, a provider of an open source process mining platform, this week announced it has added tools that make it simpler to aggregate the data required to identify inefficient processes.

The graphical no-code extract, transform, and load (ETL) tools that are now part of the platform automate the loading of data into the platform without requiring any intervention on the part of an internal IT team, said Marlon Dumas, company cofounder and partnerships manager. End users can schedule and configure data pipelines to ingest data as they see fit, with new logs either being allowed to overwrite existing ones, be appended, or simply be stored alongside others, he added.

In addition, Apromore has added support for open source Apache Airflow software to manage workflows across disparate data sources. The company has enhanced the filtering performance for handling large logs. New controls make it easier to securely share dashboards and simpler to transfer ownership of models, logs, and other artifacts to a new owner.

Finally, Apromore has added support for secure access markup language (SAML) and OpenID to enable single sign-on capabilities and the ability to store event logs in a dedicated user-encrypted data volume in a cloud environment.

The rise of process mining

Interest in process mining tools has risen sharply as organizations attempt to either launch or accelerate various digital business transformation initiatives. The challenge they encounter is that unseen dependencies between processes result in a bottleneck that thwarts their efforts, said CEO and cofounder Marcello La Rosa. Platforms like Apromore provide a way for business analysts working within a line of business to uncover those bottlenecks, he added.

The open source approach also makes it simpler to get started using a platform that is designed to collect data from multiple applications. Rather than waiting on a commercial licensing agreement to be approved, Dumas said business analysts are empowered to experiment as required. Apromore can then be contracted to provided enterprise support, just like any other provider of open source software, he noted.

Process mining has also drawn the attention of vendors such as SAP, which recently acquired Signavio, a rival provider of process mining software, for an undisclosed sum. However, process mining by definition needs to span multiple application environments that well beyond SAP platforms, Dumas noted. “We’re seeing a lot of inquiries from Signavio customers that are concerned the platform will become too SAP-centric,” he said.

Over time, process mining tools optimized for a specific application environment will be deployed alongside other best-of-breed process mining tools that enable organizations to analyze federated processes spanning a hybrid environment, added Dumas.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it had been quite some time since many organizations revisited their business processes. Now many of those processes are being re-engineered as part of digital transformation initiatives that are uncovering a slew of exceptions to rules that have been made over the span of years. In some cases, those exceptions may make sense. In other cases, they reflect decision made long ago that are no longer relevant. Many business leaders are even unsure how some processes are actually executed across an extended portfolio of applications that have been augmented by thousands of lines of custom code.

Untangling those processes requires a level of analysis that can’t be achieved by an analyst on their own. In fact, it’s hard to envision how to transform a process without first understanding how it really works. Unfortunately, the rush to embrace digital business transformation at a pace that often borders on irrational exuberance may mean organizations forget to focus on the fundamentals.

Source Link