Interactive workflow mining—requirements, concepts and implementation

Many information systems log event data about executed tasks. Workflow mining is concerned with the derivation of a graphical workflow model out of this data. Experience from applying our workflow mining system InWoLvE in experiments and practical applications has shown that workflow mining is a highly interactive process. The mining expert iteratively approaches the result by varying the parameters of the mining tool and verifying the mined models. Our tool InWoLvE was not designed for intensive interactive usage. In this paper, we report about a rigorous requirements analysis and about possible solutions related with the support of such interactivity. Two selected solution concepts are explained in more detail. First, a special layout algorithm that is stable against small changes of the model thus allowing the workflow mining expert to maintain a mental map of the workflow. Second, a validation procedure that helps the expert to check event sequences against the (preliminary) mined model. These and other important concepts have been implemented in a prototype called ProTo.