Preprocessing support for large scale process mining of SAP transactions

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Preprocessing support for large scale process
mining of SAP transactions

• Jon Espen Ingvaldsen
• Jon Atle Gulla

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Overview

• Motivation
• Process mining SAP data
• EVS ModelBuilder
• Preprocessing steps
• Algorithm for constructing process instances
• Mapping to MXML
• Discussion Experiences

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Process mining project
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Process mining SAP data

• Documents that refer to each other
• Example
• Manual document operations are done by use of
  transactions
• ME21 Create Purchase Order
• VA02 Change Sales Order
• All document operations are logged with user
  reference and timestamp

OC
PO
PR
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Process mining SAP data

• n to n mapping between business processes
  transaction codes
• n to n mapping between transaction codes and
  tasks
• Large amounts of data
• Multiple of database tables involved

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EVS ModelBuilder

• Developed as a set of plugins to Eclipse
• Tested and applied at Nidar AS to investigate
  their purchase agreement processes

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Preprocessing process

• Define a process mining project
• Define access properties for involved database
  sources
• Define event types
• Define business object types
• Define relationships between event types and
  business object types

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How do we define event types?

• Type name
• Key attributes
• Ensure unique identification
• Timestamp attribute and format
• Tells when the event occurred and how to parse
  the timestamp values
• Relationships to BO types
• Tells which BOs that were involved in the event
• Discriminators

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Example of an event description

• Type name
• ALTER PURCHASE ORDER
• Key attributes
• CDHDR.CHANGENR
• Timestamp attributes
• CDHDR.UDATE (ddMMyyyy) and CDHDR.TIME (hhmmss)
• Discriminators
• CDHDR.OBJECTCLAS EINKBELEG

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Examples of constructed events
Type ALTER PURCHASE ORDER Key CDHDR.CHANGENR
00021 Timestamp 1. June 2007, 140123
Type ALTER PURCHASE ORDER Key CDHDR.CHANGENR
00024 Timestamp 4. June 2007, 115204
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How do we define Business Object types?

• Type name
• Key attributes
• Ensure unique identification
• Value attribute
• Provides a textual description of the BO
• Analysis features
• Information that describe the BO
• Relationships to other BO types
• Discriminators

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Examples of Business Object descriptions

• Type name USER
• Key attributes USR01.BNAME
• Value attribute USR01.NAME1
• Analysis features (NONE)
• Discriminators (NONE)

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Examples of constructed business objects
Type USER Key USR01.BNAME JACKSON Value
Michael Jackson
Type USER Key USR01.BNAME SIMPS Value Homer
Simpson
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How do we define relations?

• Relations consist of
• Two end points
• Textual description
• Mapping attributes / path

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Example of a relation
Type USER Key USR01.BNAME JACKSON Value
Michael Jackson
Relation name Has user /
Executes Mapping attributes
CDHDR.USERNAME USR01.BNAME
Type ALTER PURCHASE ORDER Key CDHDR.CHANGENR
00021 Timestamp 1. June 2007, 140123
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Example of an event and its relations
Type DEPARTMENT Key USR01.ABTLG Los
Angeles Value Los Angeles
Type USER Key USR01.BNAME JACKSON Value
Michael Jackson
Type ALTER PURCHASE ORDER Key CDHDR.CHANGENR
00021 Timestamp 1. June 2007, 140123
Type PURCHASE REQUISITION Key EBAN.BANFN
007866 Value 007866
Type TRANSACTION Key TSTC.TCODE ME21N Value
Create Purchase Order
Type PURCHASE ORDER Key EKKO.EBELN
002121004 Value 002121004
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Construction of process instances
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Process instances
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MXML

• The input format for ProM
• Requirements for events (AuditTrailEntries) in
  MXML
• Reference to an activity
• Reference to a process instance
• Reference to a performer
• Labeled with a timestamp
• Ordered on timestamp within the process instance

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Mapping to MXML
To construct AuditTrailEntries inMXML we need to
Type USER Key USR01.BNAME JACKSON Value
Michael Jackson
Selects the BO type that represents the
orginators
Selects the BO type that represents the workflow
element
Type ALTER PURCHASE ORDER Key CDHDR.CHANGENR
00021 Timestamp 1. June 2007, 140123
Make use of the event timestamp
Type TRANSACTION Key TSTC.TCODE ME21N Value
Create Purchase Order
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Discussion Experiences

• Still a effort is required!
• Preprocessing support have most value
• When mining longer process chains
• A lot of database tables are involved
• Stores data source descriptions, not the process
  of transforming the data
• Ensures reusability across process mining
  projects.
• Enable process mining of processes that spans
  multiple information systems

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Thank you!