A Goal-Based Approach for Learning in Business Processes - Intentional Perspectives on Information Systems Engineering - page 234

improvement. The knowledge an individual has can be manifested in decision cri-
teria used for selecting a process path at a specific situation or in deviations from
a predefined process model in order to solve specific problems. This knowledge is
gained through mistakes as well as successful process executions. The knowledge
can become shared by others to support organizational learning by embedding it in
a process model which evolves over time.
Organizational learning and business process redesign initiatives require in-depth
understanding of the current practices. In particular, it should be possible to identify
which actions have a positive or a negative effect on business measures in given
situations. Relying only on a static predefined process model in order to identify
opportunities for improving a process may be limiting or even impossible, since
the actual way processes are performed (including ad hoc decisions) is usually not
reflected in such models. The actual way in which a business process is performed
can be studied using process mining techniques [ 24] . Process mining analyzes an
event log of the information system that supports the process, and produces a model
of the process as it is actually performed. Process mining serves various purposes,
such as getting a clear and reliable model of the as-is process [ 24] , performing delta
analysis, in which the actual process is compared to the predefined process model
[ 2] , and analyzing the process with respect to specific performance measures, such
as execution time [ 1] . Process mining can provide an understanding of the as-is
process, including specific paths that reflect ad-hoc decisions made in exceptional
situations. However, the main emphasis of existing process mining approaches has
been capturing the control-flow of the process, namely, the sequence in which activ-
ities are executed. Hence, while process mining reflects the common as well as the
rarely taken process paths, the situations in which path selection decisions have been
made and the extent to which the corresponding executions were successful are not
systematically addressed.
This chapter proposes an approach for learning and gradually improving business
processes. The approach ties together three elements that comprise the experience
gained through ongoing process executions: what actions have been performed, in
what situations, and what has been achieved by the process in business terms. The
actions that have been performed are the actual process paths taken; the situations in
which they were performed are the context of the process; what has been achieved
can be assessed with respect to defined process goals .
2 How Goals and Context Facilitate Learning
2.1 The Role of Process Goals
Learning from experience means understanding what mistakes were made (lead-
ing to failure) to avoid repeating them, and what was done in successful process
executions. Success (or failure) can only be assessed when goals are known and
specified.