Complexity is the enemy of efficiency. And in manufacturing, where every second and cent counts, complex production processes hurt quality, yield, and reliability. Complexity also increases the risk of errors, defects, and breakdowns. So, how can manufacturers overcome these challenges and gain a competitive edge? Microsoft’s Power Automate Process Mining.
Power Automate Process Mining: A solution for process excellence
Launched in August, Power Automate Process Mining helps manufacturers discover, monitor, and improve business processes. It analyzes data from various sources, such as logs, databases, applications, and user interactions, to identify actionable insights and reduce waste, such as rework and wait time. Process Mining also reveals how manufacturers execute processes, how the processes perform, and how to improve them.
Power Automate Process Mining has two main components: process and task. Process mining gives a bird’s eye view, showing the flow of activities, events, processing time, idle time, and resources across different processes. Task mining zooms in on the user level, showing the steps, actions, and inputs that users perform to complete their tasks. Both components use advanced AI techniques to recommend process improvement and automation.
Power Automate Process Mining helps manufacturers answer questions like:
- What are the root causes of our process inefficiencies?
- What is the best way to streamline a process and reduce the time to complete?
- Is my workforce properly trained?
- Are we compliant? Do we sometimes skip required steps?
- What are the drivers contributing to a slow process?
- Where are my automation opportunities?
- How do we monitor a process for efficiency?
- Are there certain products or manufacturing processes which have longer wait times and require a different warehouse layout?
Power Automate Process Mining is the crucial tool for manufacturing process excellence, delivering end-to-end visibility and a blueprint for action.
Here are some examples of how manufacturers are finding value using Power Automate Process Mining:
Automate and save: Power Automate Process Mining can help manufacturers save time and money by uncovering repetitive tasks ripe for automation. A report from Microsoft shows that automation has the potential to save companies a staggering $2 trillion. Automation frees employees to focus on higher-value projects, which is vital in the face of the ever-growing manufacturing labor shortage.
Optimize warehouse activities: By providing visibility into material flow and stock levels, Power Automate Process Mining enables manufacturers to optimize warehousing activities such as receiving, put away, staging, and shipping. They can use these insights to reduce inventory costs, optimize warehouse operations, and increase accuracy.
Improve operational efficiency: Power Automate Process Mining also helps manufacturers identify and eliminate bottlenecks and inefficiencies, such as long cycle times, high rework rates, increasing idle time, or deviations from standard procedures. These insights can help manufacturers streamline their operations, boost productivity, and ensure compliance.
Enhance product quality: By detecting inefficiencies or non-conformities in your processes, Power Automate Process Mining can help manufacturers improve the speed and accuracy of their processes without affecting product quality. They can use these insights to implement corrective actions, preventive measures, or quality controls to ensure compliance with specifications and standards.
Need help?
Power Automate Process Mining is a powerful tool for manufacturers and distributors looking to improve their business operations. Contact us today to learn how we can help you optimize business processes and uncover opportunities for automation.
Dag Calafell
Director, Technology Innovation