First steps in Process Mining for Telcos

Process mining allows us to obtain a dynamic and accessible visual representation of a data sequence, enabling a fresh look at and in-depth understanding of what is happening in a telco process.

Once this insight is gained, and the big “Eureka!” moment happens, behavioral analysis is more easily taken care of. This snowballs to more actionable strategies, resulting in improved operations, optimised KPIs, a larger vision, and constant improvement and increased efficiency across the board.

The step-by-step process mining process

Nowadays, customers are looking for the fastest and most convenient answer to their needs. To wit, telecom providers are always striving to improve the efficiency in procedure, seeking to avoid delays that decrease customer retention. But how does process mining come into play? We can define three key stages for the application of Process Mining to customer service operations:

Process discovery

At this point, processes and goals are identified and defined. For example, if we are faced with a service activation process (such as contracting a new line). The customer expects this to be done immediately. Therefore, it is important to consider the flow of service or order provisioning in this stage of discovery. In that vein, several common deviations such as rework, delay in execution, and strategies implemented out of time should be immediately identified.

From there, areas for improvement can be implemented, thus avoiding loss of revenue. In short: meet deadlines and reduce customer interaction and friction. This is done by:

• Identifying areas for improvement
• Developing a system (process map) to identify and assesses the efficiency of its components
• Compiling of the functional processes of value
• Isolation of bottlenecks and duplication
• Establishing key metrics to validate improvements

Continuous improvement of process mining

After analysis, work must be done in several areas: customer experience, streamlining of cost and execution, and team efficiency. Therefore, modifications are implemented based on the following:

• The automation of process analysis
• The formulation of improvement hypotheses and proposals based on AI analysis

KPI monitoring

This last phase consists of real-time monitoring of performance improvements through KPIs or critical parameters for achieving chosen objectives: customer satisfaction, rework, automation, etc.

In short, thanks to process mining, it is possible to detect the various problems that may arise in telco processes, review metrics, and establish a healthy feedback loop of improvements and monitoring.

Where to start?

The ideal beginning is to name a relevant process to the company. The process in question should be relatively simple, so that the results provide immediate value. From here, the solution can be extended to the rest of the company’s areas, achieving a differential value within the competitive telco market.