Task mining and process mining are essential elements in any Intelligent Automation project. There is a lot of confusion around the two tools and how they can be used interchangeably.

Both serve different purposes and have various applications for businesses. However, when combined, task and process mining can transform how companies work.

What is the difference between task mining and process mining?

In the broader business sense, process mining examines the efficiency with which a system flows between people and machines. Task mining reveals how efficiently each part of a process is being managed. Both process mining and task-mining are complementary because they look at how to improve an entire system from different perspectives.

Process mining

Process mining is a collection of techniques used by organizations to analyze processes and sub-processes. It also monitors key performance indicators (KPIs) and identifies potential problems. This approach examines the entire process from beginning to end, as well as elements that cross over different IT systems or teams. It allows you to see how each step relates to the others and how they contribute toward a particular outcome or set of results.

Process mining can help organizations identify bottlenecks, duplicate steps, or other problems that could make the process inefficient.

Task mining

Task mining is a technique that focuses on smaller parts of a process. It's usually done on an employee's computer. 

Task mining allows organizations to see the frequency, complexity, and time required to complete a task. This is done by recording keystrokes and clicks as well as copying and pasting activities in order to build a picture of how tasks are typically completed.

Task mining provides data that helps organizations understand how to complete a task and the variations among users, giving you a clear picture of how tasks could be improved and optimized and where they can be automated.

Why is it necessary to combine task and process mining?

Organizations that rely solely on task mining or process mining tools to automate and digitally transform their business are missing out. Companies need to have visibility into the operations performed by their employees, processes, and tasks in order to succeed with digital transformation. They also need to know where bottlenecks are and how efficient automated processes are in practice.

It isn't easy to achieve results quickly with traditional methods such as interview process owners or those who do the tasks. It is not only time-consuming but can also introduce bias. Combining process mining and task mining allows organizations to rely on real-time data that provides them with insights on how to move forward in intelligent automation.