Glossary

This glossary provides terms and definitions for IBM Process Mining.

The following cross-references are used in this glossary:

See refers you from a nonpreferred term to the preferred term or from an abbreviation to the spelled-out form.
See also refers you to a related or contrasting term.

A

activity: A task designed to achieve a particular result that is a part of a business process. See also event.
air-gapped environment: A network environment that does not have internet access.
as-is scenario: In Process Mining, a process in its current state that can be compared with a to-be scenario. See also to-be scenario.
asynchronous: Pertaining to computation or processing that runs in the background so that multiple tasks can be processed concurrently.
attribute: In Process Mining, contextual data that provides differentiation in process analysis, like a vendor or a material, and can be used in order to analyze the performance by attribute.
audit log: A record of all user interactions with the system or applications.
authentication: A security service that provides proof that a user of a computer system is genuinely who that person claims to be.
authorization: The process of granting permissions to a user or a user group. See also permission.
automated instance ratio: In Process Mining, the degree of automation for the selected activity. See also robotic quote.
automatic activity: In Process Mining, an activity that is marked with an automation attribute because it was not performed manually, but automatically (by a robot). See also manual activity, robotic quote, human task, robotic task.

B

backup file

A copy of a file that can be used to replace or reconstruct a damaged file, a specific configuration, or a specific dataset.

benchmark KPI

A value that is set as a standard so that other values can be compared with it. By comparing KPI values with benchmark values, the user can observe deviations from KPI benchmarks. See also key performance indicator.

BPMN

See Business Process Modeling Notation.

business hours

Hours in which humans performing a task operate. See also computation hours.
A specific time range that is set as computation hours.

business process

A defined set of business activities that represent the required steps to achieve a business objective.

Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN)

A standardized graphical notation for creating diagrams of business processes.

business rule

A representation of how business policies or practices apply to a business process. See also business rule mining.

business rule mining

The process of extracting business rules in a form of business logic. See also business rule.

C

CA: See certificate authority.
capture: In Process Mining, a chunk of data recorded by Task Mining that contains information about user interaction (key strokes, mouse clicks, and other actions).
case: In Process Mining, an instance of a process. For example, in a ticketing process, each ticket is interpreted as a case; in a procurement process, each purchase order is interpreted as a case.
certificate authority (CA): A trusted third-party organization or company that issues the digital certificates. The certificate authority typically verifies the identity of the individuals who are granted the unique certificate. See also Secure Sockets Layer.
chunk: An atomic portion of data.
clue: In Process Mining, the information used by Prescriptive Process Mining to generate an investigative report. The accuracy of the insights in the report depends on the clues available in the project. See also investigative report.
cockpit: A dashboard control panel that provides visibility into key processes and their related Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). It allows users to view process performance and main statistics without manual effort, facilitating faster decision-making.
computation hours: In Process Mining, the time in which IBM Process Mining application computes the duration of an activity (the service time and waiting time). By default, computation hours are set to 24 hours, but can be limited to business hours. See also business hours.
conformance check: In Process Mining, the process of comparing the data-derived model with the reference model. Running a conformance check allows the user to compare expected behavior with real behavior and identify deviations and their impact on process KPIs. See also model conformance.
conformant activity: In Process Mining, an activity that is included in the reference model. See also reference model.
conformant case: In Process Mining, a case that does not deviate from the expected behavior. A case is called conformant when all its activities, transitions, and start activities are compliant with the reference model. See also reference model.
connected mirroring: In Process Mining, a process of installation by directly mirroring content from the machine. It can be used if the user has a host that can access both the internet and the mirror registry, but not the cluster nodes. See also disconnected mirroring.
CRD: See custom resource definition.
CSV file: A text file that contains comma-separated values. A CSV file is commonly used to exchange files between database systems and applications that use different formats.
custom metric: In Process Mining, a KPI metric that is created by the user from a custom-built SQL code. It can be used, for example, for creating filters, comparing process models, or viewing process statistics.
custom process app: In Process Mining, a reusable package that contains a script for data preparation (extraction, transformation, and loading) aimed to generate an event log for IBM Process Mining, as well as a project backup with business assets (like dashboards, filter templates, reference model, and monitors). A process application is dedicated to a specific domain and source system (for example, SAP Procure-to-Pay, Salesforce Opportunity Management).
custom resource definition (CRD): A customizable YAML file that defines a logically related group of objects in a cluster. Custom resource definitions enable a custom resource to be used like any native Kubernetes object in the cluster.

D

dashboard

In Process Mining, an interface presenting a collection of widgets that helps users analyze specific aspects of a process. See also widget.

data-derived model

In Process Mining, a model created from the data uploaded by the user. It can be compared with the reference model to check the model conformance. See also reference model.

data anonymization

The process of encrypting data to reduce the risk of disclosing sensitive information. See also data obfuscation.

data cleansing

The process of detecting, correcting, or removing incomplete, inaccurate, and irrelevant parts of data to improve data quality.

data mapping

In Process Mining, the process of defining which CSV columns are relevant for the analysis and which information they contain. The user must map at least ProcessID, Activity, and StartTime to be able to visualize a process from an event log. See also data structure.

data obfuscation

The process of obfuscating screen captures to reduce the risk of disclosing sensitive information. See also data anonymization.

data quality

In Process Mining, the quality of an uploaded event log. Factors that adversely affect data quality include nonstandardized activity names, duplicate records, or data mapping not representing an actual process.

data stream

A string of information that serves as a source of package data.

data structure

In Process Mining, the way in which data is organized, arranged, and represented, which is determined by the column names and how they are mapped. See also data mapping.

decision rule

A guideline or formula used to make a choice between different options based on specific criteria or data. Often used in decision-making processes, it suggests actions to achieve specific outcomes.

dependency

A requirement that one managed resource has on another managed resource in order to operate correctly.

deploy

To place files or install software into an operational environment.

deployment

The process of installing and configuring a software application and all its components.
A model or application package that is available for use.

deviation

In Process Mining, differences between the reference model and the data-derived model, such as unexpected activities, unexpected initial activities, and unexpected process flows.

dimension

A data category that is used to group business process data. Resource, Case ID, Activity, or Date are examples of dimensions.

direct transition

In Process Mining, a connection between two tasks that is present when, from a temporal perspective, they occur one after the other and part of the same case.

disconnected mirroring

In Process Mining, a process of installation by mirroring the images to a file system and then bringing the host or the removable media into the restricted environment. It can be used if the user does not have a host that can access both the internet and the mirror registry. See also connected mirroring.

duration

In Process Mining, the combination of service time and waiting time. Throughput time and leadtime are duration metrics. See also service time, waiting time, throughput time, lead time.

E

elastic widget: In Process Mining, a widget that enables the user to visualize data as charts and customize, among other things, the type of chart, color, filters, and chart axes they want to use.
end activity: In Process Mining, an activity marked as the one that ends a process. If that activity is the last event of a case, the case is considered completed.
endpoint: The system that is the final destination of an operation.
entry point: In Process Mining, a dedicated function in the logic file that serves as the entry to the data transformation process.
environment: A user-defined collection of resources that hosts an application.
ETL: See extract, transform, and load.
event: In Process Mining, an instance of an activity. An event occurs every time an activity of the process is performed. See also activity.
event log: A database table that contains information about certain system-level events related to work item processing.
event log data: In Process Mining, data focused on events and activities, typically containing the "what" (process ID, order number, ticket number, activity name), "when" (start time and end time), "who" (resource that worked on the activity) information. See also master data, object table.
execution time: The time it takes to complete an activity. If both start time and end time are mapped in a dataset, execution time equals the service time. If only start time is mapped, only the working time component is considered. See also working time.
Extensible Markup Language (XML): A standard metalanguage for defining markup languages that is based on Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML).
extract, transform, and load (ETL): The process of collecting data from one or more sources, cleansing and transforming it, and then loading it into a database.

F

filter: A set of conditions that exclude a portion of data in accordance with specified critera, and thus focus only on a subset of data.
filter template: In Process Mining, a filter or a few filters that are saved together in order to be reused later and shared with others in the same organization.
flow precedence: In Process Mining, the sequential relationship between the events in the process flow filter.

G

gateway: In Process Mining and modelling, a decision point in a business process which directs the flow of activities based on defined conditions.

H

human task: A task that is performed by a human and not by a robot. See also automatic activity, robotic task, manual activity, robotic quote.

I

identity provider (IdP)

A provider who offers user authentication as a service. Authentication of a user's sign in details is performed by the identity provider who creates, manages, and maintains the user's identity information. Identity providers enable users in an organization to single sign-on (SSO) to one or more systems.

IdP

See identity provider.

ignored activity

In Process Mining, an activity that is intentionally excluded from the process analysis because it was not relevant in the context.

incremental update method

In Process Mining, a method of refreshing data sources by adding a new version of the existing data source to the project data source instead of replacing it. See also replacement method.

instance

A runtime occurrence of an application deployment. An application can have multiple instances of an application deployment running in a deployment environment.
In Process Mining, a specific case ID.

interim fix

A certified fix that is generally available to all customers between regularly scheduled fix packs, refresh packs, or releases.

investigative report

In Process Mining, insights on the major performance KPI influencers of a process. The accuracy of the insights in the report depends on the clues available in the project. See also clue.

J

JavaScript Object Notation: A lightweight data-interchange format that is based on the object-literal notation of JavaScript. JSON is programming-language neutral but uses conventions from various languages.
Java virtual machine (JVM): A software implementation of a processor that runs compiled Java code.
JSON schema: A JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) document that describes the structure and constrains the contents of other JSON documents.
JSON Web Encryption (JWE): A JSON web token (JWT) that is digitally encrypted. It can be used to verify the integrity and protect the content.
JSON web token: A set of JSON claims that are signed, encrypted, or both, and are encoded into a web safe form.
JSON Web Token: An open standard (RFC 7519) that defines a compact and self-contained way for securely transmitting information between parties as a JSON object.
JVM: See Java virtual machine.
JWE: See JSON Web Encryption.

K

key-value pair: Information that is expressed as a paired set of parameters. For example, if you want to express that the specific sport is football, this data can be expressed as key=sport and value=football.
key pair: In computer security, a public key and a private key. When the key pair is used for encryption, the sender uses the receiver's public key to encrypt the message, and the recipient uses their private key to decrypt the message. When the key pair is used for signing, the signer uses their private key to encrypt a representation of the message, and the recipient uses the sender's public key to decrypt the representation of the message for signature verification.
key performance indicator: A quantifiable measure that is designed to track one of the critical success factors of a business process. See also benchmark KPI.

L

LDAP: See Lightweight Directory Access Protocol.
lead time: In Process Mining, the time between the start and the end of a case. It is computed as the end date of the last activity of the case minus the start date of its first activity. See also duration.
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP): An open protocol that uses TCP/IP to provide access to directories that support an X.500 model and that does not incur the resource requirements of the more complex X.500 Directory Access Protocol (DAP). For example, LDAP can be used to locate people, organizations, and other resources in an Internet or intranet directory.
log: A collection of records that sequentially describes the events that occur in a system.
logic: The instructions in an application arranged in a prescribed order to solve a problem.

M

manual activity: An activity that is not performed automatically. See also automatic activity, human task, robotic quote, robotic task.
master data: All the contextual data that is critical to the operation of a business, typically containing information about people (for example, customers, employees, vendors), places (offices, locations), and things (products, materials). See also event log data, object table.
measure: A performance indicator that is quantifiable and used to determine how well an organization is operating.
metric: A quantifiable measure that is used to track and assess the performance of various business activities and processes.
mirroring: The process of writing the same data to multiple disks at the same time. The mirroring of data protects it against data loss within the database or within the recovery log.
mirror manifest: A YAML file that directs the ibm-pak tool what images to mirror and where to mirror them.
model conformance: The similarity between a data derived model and a reference model. See also conformance check.
model coverage: In Process Mining, the number of possible relationships that are visualized in the process model. The level of relations is adjustable. If the model coverage of an activity is 100%, the current process model shows all possible relationships of this activity.
monitor: A facility that triggers a specific service (API or SMTP) whenever a specific behavior is detected in the process. Behaviors are checked when new data is uploaded or on a frequency or calendar basis. Users can monitor KPIs, activity occurrences, and any custom logic defined in analytics widgets.
multiprocess project: A project composed of multiples processes that shows the full end-to-end flow of multiple interconnected processes.

N

NGINX: An open-source HTTP and reverse proxy server, a mail proxy server, and a generic TCP/UDP proxy server.
non-conformant activity: In Process Mining, an activity that not included in the reference model.
non-conformant case: A case that deviates from the expected behavior. A case is called non-conformant when any of its activities, transitions, or start activities are not compliant with the reference model.

O

object table: In Process Mining, a data source for contextual master data stored separately from the event log data. See also master data, event log data.
on-prem: See on-premises.
on-premises (on-prem): Pertaining to software that is installed and run on the local computers of a user or organization.
organization: In Process Mining, a collection of projects and object tables shared among a group of users (under a common tenant). When a user is added to an organization, by default, they can access all projects in the organization. Different organizations are typically used to segregate data between different group of users.
outlier: In Process Mining, a case or an activity whose performance is very distant from the average.

P

path: In Process Mining, one of the alternative routes that a flow can take through the activities in a process.
permission: The ability to perform a specific action, or access a feature or object. See also authorization.
persistence layer: A part of software architecture that handles the storage and retrieval of data so that it persists beyond the lifetime of the application process.
pipeline: In Process Mining, stages of data processing connected together in a particular order.
plug-in: A separately installable software module that adds function to an existing program, application, or interface.
PM: See process mining.
pod: A group of containers that are running on a Kubernetes cluster. A pod is a runnable unit of work, which can be a either a stand-alone application or a microservice.
process app: A reusable package that is used to analyze a specific use case for a specific application. It includes assets such as a Python script in order to extract and transform data and a backup file with project dashboards and configurations specific for the use case.
process evolution: In Process Mining (specifically in the Simulation), a change in the as-is baseline to create a what-if scenario. Evolutions include changes in workforce availability and allocation, automation ratios, path probabilities and activity durations and waiting times.
process flow: The representation of interdependencies between activities in a structured format.
process ID: In Process Mining, a distinctive identifier of every new process instance that is every new case. During data mapping the user can choose one element to be the Process ID, for example, an order number or a ticket number.
process mining (PM): The practice of examining processes, cases, and events logged by enterprise applications by using specialized data mining algorithms. Process mining provides data-driven insights to manage, monitor, and control business processes.
process mining project: In Process Mining, event logs that are uploaded and mapped in the IBM Process Mining application to perform a detailed analysis. After creating a process mining project, the user can perform the analysis with the help of IBM Process Mining features such as process models, process variants, attribute statistics, conformance checks, filters, widgets, business metrics, and simulations.
process model: A representation of a real-time business process. A business process model is composed of the individual steps or activities that make up the process, contains the conditions that dictate when the steps or activities occur, and identifies the resources that are required to run the business process.
process variant: In Process Mining, a unique path that a case takes to cross the process (from the start to the end). Being able to analyze different variants is important to identify, for example, best practices, common deviations from a reference model, and inefficiencies.
proxy: An application programming interface that forwards requests to a user-defined backend resource and relays responses back to the calling application.

Q

query: A request for information from a database that is based on specific conditions: for example, a request for a list of all customers in a customer table whose balances are greater than USD1000.

R

recording

A collection of information about user actions performed on a monitored application for some time.

reference model

In Process Mining, a model with information about how the customer expects the process to perform. Uploading a reference model allows the user to check the model conformance. See also conformant activity, conformant case, data-derived model.

registry

A storage and distribution service that contains public or private images that are used to create containers.
A repository that contains access and configuration information for users, systems, and software.

relation

In Process Mining, a connection between activities. The connection happens if, inside the same case, the two activities are subsequent from a temporal perspective.

relation complexity

In Process Mining, the percentage of visible relations between the activities. When a high percentage is selected, the process model displays the less frequent paths and provides a detailed view of the process.

replacement method

In Process Mining, a method of refreshing data sources by replacing the existing data source (instead of adding new data sources). See also incremental update method.

resource

One who performs an activity (a person or a robot).

REST API

An application programming interface that defines the architectural design principals used to create web services.

return on investment (ROI)

The amount of profit or cost saving that is realized for a given expenditure.

reverse proxy

An IP-forwarding topology where the proxy is on behalf of the back-end HTTP Server. It is an application proxy for servers using HTTP.

rework

In Process Mining, the repetition of the same activity inside the same case. See also self loop.

robot

A performer of an activity that is non-human and thus performs the work automatically and without interruptions.

Robotic Process Automation candidate (RPA candidate)

In Process Mining, an activity that Task Mining detects as an opportunity to introduce new or additional automation.

robotic quote

The percentage of an activity that is managed by robots. See also automated instance ratio, automatic activity, human task, robotic task, manual activity.

robotic task

A task that is not performed by a human, but by a robot. See also automatic activity, human task, robotic quote, manual activity.

ROI

See return on investment.

role

A set of permissions assigned to a user or a user group.

root cause analysis

The process of finding the principal, or root, causes of a problem.

RPA candidate

See Robotic Process Automation candidate.

rule

A set of conditional statements that enable computer systems to identify relationships and run automated responses accordingly.

S

SAML

See Security Assertion Markup Language.

secret

Sensitive information, such as a password or an API key, that is used by an application to access a protected resource.

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)

A security protocol that provides communication privacy. With SSL, client/server applications can communicate in a way that is designed to prevent eavesdropping, tampering, and message forgery. See also certificate authority.

Secure Sockets Layer certificate

A digital document that binds a public key to the identity of the certificate owner, thereby enabling the certificate owner to be authenticated. A certificate is issued by a certificate authority and is digitally signed by that authority.

Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML)

An XML framework for exchanging authentication and authorization information.

self-signed cert

See self-signed certificate.

self-signed certificate (self-signed cert)

In cryptography, a public key certificate that is signed with its own private key rather than by a certificate authority.

self loop

A rework in which the same activity is repeated multiple times without other activities in the middle. On the process model, self loops are visualized by an arrow that begins and ends at the same activity. See also rework.

service

In Process Mining (specifically Action Hub), a Rest API or SMTP server that is invoked after a monitor returns some results, for example, when a KPI exceeding thresholds is detected.

service level agreement (SLA)

A contract between a customer and a service provider that specifies the expectations for the level of service with respect to availability, performance, and other measurable objectives.

service time

The time that elapses between the start and the end of an activity, including interruptions and idle times. The service time of the activity is greater than or equal to the working time. The service time of a robot is assumed to be equal to its working time, with no interruptions occurring during the robotic activities. See also duration, throughput time.

session

In Process Mining (more specifically in Task Mining), a specific timeframe in which a group of chunks is recorded. Audit records can be grouped into sessions.
The time during which an authenticated user is logged on.

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)

An Internet application protocol for transferring mail among users of the Internet.

simulation

In Process Mining, an imitation of a process derived from real data or BPMN files, which enables organizations to observe how this process will perform in response to variations of inputs to the process, just as in a real-life work environment.

simulation baseline

In Process Mining, the starting point for the simulated to-be scenario. When a user identifies an optimal as-is process as a baseline, the simulation allows to add evolutions according to the desired to-be.

single sign-on (SSO)

An authentication process in which a user can access more than one system or application by entering a single user ID and password.

SLA

See service level agreement.

SMTP

See Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.

SQL

See Structured Query Language.

SSL

See Secure Sockets Layer.

SSO

See single sign-on.

storage class

The type of media that an object is stored on. It is not directly associated with a physical location; however, it is directly associated with the device manager.

Structured Query Language (SQL)

A standardized language for defining and manipulating data in a relational database.

synthetic event log

An event log generated by a simulation.

T

table join: A relationship between object tables and the event log, or between different object tables. It establishes a connection between one or more fields of the joined tables. The fields selected for the join must include the primary key of at least one of the two tables.
task: In Process Mining, a specific activity or action that is recorded and analyzed. It includes details such as its frequency, the application or website where it was performed, the specific page and URL, and a custom name given for identification. See also task mining.
task mining (TM): In Process Mining, the process of collecting and analyzing user interaction data from desktops. Data collected by the Task Mining feature can be analyzed by the Process Mining application prior data preparation. See also task.
task mining project: In Process Mining, the recording of on-screen activities and the later analysis of them, such as generating insights about the user interactions regarding productivity, working patterns, automation, and preparing the data for IBM Process Mining.
tenant group: A user group who shares a common access with specific privileges to the software instance. The user can create single-tenant and multitenant environments. There can be multiple organizations under a tenant group.
throughput time: The sum of waiting time and service time of an activity. See also duration, waiting time, service time.
TLS: See Transport Layer Security.
TM: See task mining.
to-be scenario: In Process Mining, the results of a simulation where one or more evolutions were introduced, compared to the as-is process. See also as-is scenario.
Transport Layer Security (TLS): A set of encryption rules that uses verified certificates and encryption keys to secure communications over the Internet. TLS is an update to the SSL protocol.
two-factor authentication: An authentication method in which a user must present two pieces of pieces of evidence in order to gain access to a resource. For example, a user has to provide not only a password, but also a code sent through an application in order to log in.

U

UI: See user interface.
user: In Process Mining, an individual or an organization with an account. Users can be members of groups, organizations, and tenant groups.
user group: In Process Mining, users that were grouped together in order to assign them the same permissions. Users can create new groups and set permissions for them. The default groups include Administrators, Analyst Users, Business Users, MultiTenantAdministrators, TutorialAdmin, and TutorialUser.
user interaction: In Process Mining (more specifically in Task Mining), the actions that the user performs on their device such as keystrokes, mouse clicks, or data entries on selected applications and web pages. User interaction can be recorded and analyzed.
user interface (UI): The hardware, or software, or both that enables a user to interact with a system, program, or device.

V

virtual host: A configuration that enables one host to resemble multiple logical hosts. Each virtual host has a logical name and a list of one or more DNS aliases by which it is known.

W

waiting time: A period time that elapses between the end of the last activity and the beginning of the next activity. It can be caused by different factors, such as lack of resources (queues), idle time, waiting for an external factor, scheduling, etc. See also duration, throughput time.
widget: In Process Mining, a user interface element, such as a chart or a table, that helps visualize data with graphics. Widgets can be added together to create a dashboard. See also dashboard.
workflow: A sequence of activities and tasks that define work, such as a business process, case, or workstream.
working pattern: The most frequent sequence of actions or activities that occurs in a process. Recognizing these patterns helps in understanding the most efficient ways to complete a process and can reveal deviations and inefficiencies, aiding in identifying root causes and setting up recommended practices for employees.
working time: The actual time allocated for a resource to complete an activity. In other words, the time it took to perform an activity without interruptions. See also execution time.

X

XML: See Extensible Markup Language.