Process Miner – Process Models
Within the context of the ‘Process Miner’ application, a ‘Process Model’ is the definition of event log data required to analyse a process associated with a task. To create a Process Model, open the ‘Process Models’ module within the ‘Process Miner’ application. Below are details of all main form fields, sections and their fields, actions and related lists.
Main Form
Field | Description |
Number | System generated unique number of the model, prefixed with PME |
Name | The name of the model e.g., ‘Incidents – Assignment Group’ |
Description | A description of the purpose of the model |
Notification Users | The users to be notified by email when actions have completed e.g., generation of event log, exporting of data to CSV |
Sections
Process Parameters
Field | Description |
Task Table | System generated unique number of the model, prefixed with PME |
Filter | Filters to be applied to the task table. e.g., if the task table is incidents, then a filter my be on category = ‘Service Request’ |
End Timestamp | The timestamp indicating when the workflow for a task ends. For incidents, this is often the ‘Resolve Time’ as the ‘Close Time’ is system generated and of no value in analysing the overall process |
Data Parameters
Field | Description |
Load Type | Indicates a full refresh (based on from/to date), or an incremental refresh (based on past x days) |
From Date | If Load Type = ‘Full’, the start date for generating the event log data |
To Date | If Load Type = ‘Full’, the end date for generating the event log data |
Previous Days | If Load Type = ‘Incremental’, the number of previous days to process the event log data for. Existing records will be deleted and re-inserted |
Model Parameters
Field | Description |
System User | The ServiceNow audit log records the user as ‘SYSTEM’ if an audit log entry is system generated. This field allows you to override this entry with a selected user. |
Inherit Step Compliance | The Process Miner application allows you to specify a step (transition from one activity to another) as been compliant i.e., conforms to a given process. By default, the variants containing a step that has been marked are marked as compliant, likewise for non-compliant. If this field is not checked, variants need to be marked as non-compliant separate to steps |
Process Start Label | The first step in a process variant by default has a blank activity. This field allows you to specify the label to be used for this activity |
Process End Label | The final step in a process variant by default has a blank activity. This field allows you to specify the label to be used for this activity |
Activity Separator | The separator to be used between activities in a step i.e., State: New -> State: In Progress |
Minimum Variant Tasks | Specifies the minimum number of tasks that need to be related to a variant in order for the variant to be created. |
Merge Occurrences | Multiple events often occur at the same time i.e., a reassignment is associated with a state change. If multiple activity types are specified for a model, checking ‘Merge Occurrences’ will cause activities that occur within a specified time frame to be merged e.g., ‘State – In Progress, Assignment Group: Service Desk’. |
Merge Occurrence Separator | The text separator to be used when merging activities that occur within the specified threshold |
Merge Occurrence Threshold (seconds) | The number of seconds to use when merging activities. Typically, the default of 2 seconds will not be changed |
Export Parameters
Field | Description |
Append Task Attributes to Event Log | Flag to indicate if the selected task attributes should be appended to the related event in the event log extract |
Statistics
Read only fields summarising the events, tasks, variants and steps associated with the generated event log file
Actions
Process Model
This action will trigger a background script that processes the event log. This may take some time, based on the Data Parameters defined. The status of event log generation can be checked by accessing the Model Execution Log related list and selecting the latest model execution record
Process Metrics
This action updates the selected metrics for the tasks within the process model. It should be executed if a metric is added/deleted to the process model
Process Attributes
This action updates arrays required by the Process Explorer with the task attributes selected. If should be executed anytime the task attributes are changed
Export CSV
Exports the CSV files as per the attributes defined in the ‘Export Parameters’ section. These files are saved as Attachments and can then be downloaded. The export process may take several minutes for large event logs e.g., 100K records
Count Tasks
Counts the number of tasks that will be processed based on the parameters in the ‘Process Parameters’ section
Clear Event Log
Delete’s the current event log and all related data e.g., variants, steps, activities, etc
Clear Execution Log
Delete’s the current execution log history for the process model
Update Arrays
Updates the internal arrays required by the Metricus Process Miner application
Related Lists
Activity Types
This list allows the editing of activity types for the model. Note that selected activity types must related to the same task table as specified in the ‘Process Parameters’ section
Events
Displays the individual event log records generated when the model was last processed.
Activities
Displays all process variants generated with the process model event log was processed
Steps
Displays all process variants generated with the process model event log was processed
Variants
Displays all process variants generated with the process model event log was processed
Tasks
Displays all tasks that were processed when the process model was last generated
Execution Log
Displays the execution history of the process model (each generation of the event log)