Task Mining vs. Process Mining

The Two Best Tools in Your RPA Toolbox

Before you can run, you must learn to walk. And before implementing Robotic Process Automation (RPA), you should understand what makes the most sense for your business.  

Whether you are an RPA newcomer or an existing client looking to identify more processes to automate, it is our job to ensure you are well equipped with the tools to embark upon your RPA journey; this is where Task Mining and Process Mining come into play. 

First Things First: Identify Areas of Automation Opportunity

Task Mining and Process Mining are process discovery solutions that work by capturing unique process and user data. This data can then be analyzed to discover meaningful pathways and opportunities for automation. 

Where the two differ, though, is in their scope. Task Mining works on the desktop level, while Process Mining operates on an enterprise level.  

In other words, if Process Mining is a bird’s eye view of the complex end-to-end processes that make up a company’s operation, think of Task Mining as its zoomed in companion, looking at the day-to-day tasks an individual employee performs. 

Task Mining vs. Process Mining

Task Mining: Explained

Task Mining is essentially a recording of an employee’s day-to-day activities to determine highly repetitive and redundant areas.  

Installed at an employee’s workstation, Task Mining runs in the background, tracking in real-time any action that individual takes, including the precise keystrokes, clicks, and applications, portals, and web-based navigation visited. 

Over a period of several weeks, Task Mining applies Artificial Intelligence (AI) to identify those repetitive tasks with high potential for automation. 

Process Mining: Explained

Process Mining best suits large organizations with established processes, large sets of data, and a broad inventory of business processes.  

Rather than task-based data, Process Mining analyzes available existing process data to determine the ‘as is’ to help a business visualize the flow of that data and to determine where automation might fit in to the overall process.  

For example, consider leads in a sales department. Process Mining examines how the sales lead process runs from the moment the lead is generated, to determining if the lead is a qualifying lead, to the lead becoming a prospect and customer, to a completed sales order. It also helps determine where along this sales tree makes sense to implement automation.  

Use Cases for Task Mining

Task-based processes: 

• Report generation 
• Data collection 
• Data entry 
• Downloading orders or invoices 
• Accessing the same portal or application regularly 
• Discovering automation opportunities 

Use Cases for Process Mining

Larger-scale, data-driven, and high-impact processes:  

• Customer journey 
• Auditing and compliance 
• Process discovery and analysis
• Financial operations such as procure-to-pay and accounts receivable 
• IT processes 
  
  

The Importance of Process Mining and Task Mining

When it comes to implementing RPA, figuring out where to begin can be overwhelming. Fortunately, you aren’t alone on your automation journey. 

Considering Process Mining and Task Mining as tools in your figurative RPA toolbox, think of these offerings like you would when approaching any home repair project; you wouldn’t use a hammer where a you need screwdriver, would you? While both tools are equally important, their uses and applications are uniquely different.  

Similarly, Process Mining and Task Mining have vastly different purposes. Both, however, guide your overall RPA strategy, with the goal of eventually enabling more efficient and productive work. ​ 

Whatever your business needs are, Process Mining and Task Mining work in tandem with your existing process and user data to identify opportunities to implement Robotic Process Automation (RPA).