How do Process Mining Users Act, Think, and Feel?

Abstract Process mining, a family of techniques for analyzing large amounts of data collected on business processes, has gained significant practical and academic importance. Extant process mining research mainly examines technical aspects. Only recently has research started to investigate organizational aspects of process mining, such as how organizations use process mining to create business value. On an individual level, research has examined the analysis strategies of individual process mining analysts. So far, however, the literature does not provide a holistic investigation of individual process mining use, including individuals’ behavior, cognition, and affective states. Yet, understanding individual process mining use is pivotal for realizing its organizational value. To address this shortcoming, this paper examines the individual use of process mining employing a multiple case study with process mining users from six large organizations in a post-adoption context, i.e., in organizations that have several years of experience with process mining. Based on the configuration of how process mining users act, think, and feel in practice, four distinct process mining user categories were identified: (1) process mining influencers, (2) power users, (3) process participants, and (4) strategic users. For practitioners, the findings provide insights into the actual process mining use of individuals and what shapes their use patterns. This information enables tailoring process mining training and algorithms to specific user categories.