SAP Process mining: Top 3 use cases & case studies in 2024

SAP process mining can achieve data integrity, transparency, operational efficiency, and increase return on investment (ROI) for the SAP migration. However, businesses may lack understanding of process mining and how to deploy it in SAP.

This article explains how SAP leverages process mining and what are the benefits of pairing these two solutions.

What is SAP process mining?

Systems Applications and Products (SAP) is a widely-used enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. SAP enables every department to access and share common data by centralizing the system for businesses.

SAP pairs with process mining to model, discover and optimize business processes in ERP systems. SAP and ERP systems trace all companies’ financial, inventory, and production-related information, which are crucial for business continuity and integrity. Incorporating process mining into SAP and ERP data enables businesses to improve their overall processes and find areas for improvement.

What are the benefits of process mining for SAP systems?

The advantages of process mining for SAP include:

ERP migration

Process mining enables businesses to standardize their processes and evaluate performances before and after they migrate to a new SAP environment. PM uses real-time data derived from ERP systems to generate a transparent summary of all the processes. Thus, transparency allows detecting gaps and mistakes in the data and data workflows, and achieve data integrity before system integration.

Operational efficiency

Process mining provides insights about operational KPIs in real-time, enabling business to simulate new process scenarios and make data-driven changes accordingly. This allows them to maximize the innovation potential of their business processes.

Continuous monitoring

After PM analyzes the process and provides insights about areas for improvement, it continues to monitor processes to capture any new issues that arise. 

What are the use cases of process mining in SAP systems?

Some specific and general use cases of process mining in SAP include:

Automate ERP Processes

Process Mining supports RPA implementation in ERP processes by identifying the activities that are best suited for automation. Users of advanced process mining solutions can also dive into activity performance and cost to see how an activity will be affected once automated.

For example, Process mining can help discover automation areas for Procure-to-payment (P2P) process, which is a critical ERP process. Business analysts complain that P2P is complex to monitor and understand because it includes multiple stakeholders such as customers, procurement, and accounts payable departments. 

For other ERP solutions with AP automation capabilities, check:

• Dynamics 365 in Accounts Payable Automation: In-Depth Review
• NetSuite Accounts Payable (AP) Automation in 2024
• Blackbaud Accounts Payable (AP) Automation in ’24: In-Depth Review
• Sage Accounts Payable (AP) Automation in ’24

Optimize HR operations

SAP systems include data from HR software and processes, therefore they can be used to improve the recruitment processes, query management and document generation process by implementing process mining.

Our article on top applications of Process Mining in Human Resources might be useful to dig into process mining use cases in Human Resources.

Optimize logistics operations

Logistics SAP modules provide shipment schedules, shipment tracking, warehouse inventory, and reports which can be visualized and monitored by leveraging process mining. PM enables logistics teams to detect areas of improvement, suggest adjustments and identify potential problems with predictive analytics.

To gain a better understanding of process mining in logistics, you can check our article on process mining in logistics.

What are the challenges of process mining in SAP systems?

Rollout time

ERP systems integrate into process mining, which requires time, resources, and support from IT teams. Such an integration period can delay and hinder the rollout of process mining projects.

Further reading

For more on process mining or SAP, read:

• Top 14 Use Cases of SAP Intelligent RPA
• 44 Use Cases / Applications of Process Mining
• 5 Ways SAP Job Scheduling Optimizes IT Operations
• 11 Benefits of Process Mining

If you believe your business will benefit from process mining software, feel free to scroll down our data-driven list of process mining software and tools.

Check out our comprehensive and constantly updated process mining case studies list to learn more real-life examples for process mining SAP.

Let us guide you in finding the right vendors: