Evaluating activities performed by employees and the impact they have on the business may sound challenging. However, there is a technology capable of automatically capturing detailed steps of tasks performed by professionals in your company, either independently or collaboratively. This technology is known as task mining.
Understand, in the following, how task mining works, the differences compared to process mining, and the benefits of this technology for your IT!
What is task mining?
Task mining is a data analysis technique that allows the capture and analysis of information about tasks performed by users in a system. This information can include data about task execution time, the applications and systems used, as well as manipulated data.
The data is captured automatically through software installed on desktops or mobile devices. It’s a practical way to understand how employees are performing tasks and help them improve task execution if needed.
How does task mining work?
In essence, task mining involves the following steps:
Data Capture
The first step is capturing data about tasks performed by users, which can be done in two ways:
- Recording-based tools that capture user actions while performing tasks. Recorded data includes mouse clicks, keystrokes, and data changes.
- Log analysis-based tools that analyze system event logs to identify patterns and trends in user-performed tasks.
Data Preparation
The captured data is then prepared for analysis, including cleansing information, identifying missing values, and standardizing data.
Data Analysis
The final step is data analysis, which can be performed using techniques such as:
- Cluster analysis grouping similar tasks.
- Workflow analysis identifying sequences of tasks frequently executed together.
- Performance analysis evaluating inefficiently performed tasks.
Difference between task mining and process mining
Task mining and process mining are two data analysis techniques used to understand how processes are executed. However, there are some important differences between them:
- Focus: Task mining focuses on individual tasks within a process, while process mining looks at the entire process, including interactions between tasks.
- Data: Task mining uses event data like mouse click records and data change logs, while process mining utilizes workflow data such as process models and event logs.
- Applications: Task mining is often used to improve processes and automate tasks, while process mining identifies bottlenecks and improvement opportunities.
Benefits of task mining
Task mining offers several benefits. Check out the main ones below!
Process Improvement
Task mining helps companies identify inefficiencies and improvement opportunities in processes, leading to cost reduction, performance improvement, and increased customer satisfaction.
Automation
This technology also helps companies identify tasks that can be automated through automation software, directing employees to focus on more strategic activities.
Training
Task mining facilitates the identification of skills and knowledge required for specific tasks, helping companies train their professionals more effectively.
Read also: How to combine AI and RPA for intelligent automation?
Main use cases of task mining
Here are some examples of task mining application in different sectors:
- Financial services: Improve customer service processes, payment processing, and risk management.
- Healthcare: Enhance diagnostic, treatment, and patient management processes.
- Manufacturing: Improve manufacturing processes, logistics, and inventory management.
- Logistics: Enhance transportation, distribution, and order management processes.
Types of task mining tools
There are two main types of task mining tools, as mentioned earlier: recording-based and log analysis-based.
While recording-based tools are more accurate, they can also be more invasive for users. Log analysis-based tools are less invasive but may provide less precision.
Increase productivity by combining task mining and RPA!
Task mining is a powerful tool that can help companies improve processes, automate tasks, and train employees. In this regard, an RPA orchestrator is essential to support the task mining strategy, helping manage the efficiency of each automated process and task. It also aids in analyzing tasks with the greatest impact on the business, such as those saving more human hours and generating higher return on investment (ROI).
BotCity allows technical teams to manage task queues, batch processing of documents and files, and user groups with access to specific automation repositories. BotCity Insights, for example, is a dashboard supporting the management of automated tasks, showing the return on each task based on a series of indicators.
Sign up for free on the BotCity website and explore this and other technologies that can assist your automation journey. Alternatively, schedule a meeting with our experts!
