The root cause analysis enables to find reasons for certain optimization potentials in single process instances. This MPM module is optional, when used it unlocks the analytics in the sheet StartToEnd Lead Time.

 

MPM root cause analysis provides a set of 8 optimization potentials that are by default derived due to the MPM algorithms. These are:

•Low process governance = processes with a process governance below a defined threshold

•Target lead time missed = processes with a lead time above or below a defined threshold

•Reworked Case = processes that contain at least one rework activity

•Target processing time missed = processes with a summed processing time (event duration) above or below a defined threshold

•Target idle time missed = processes with a summed waiting time above or below a defined threshold

•B-Activity Case = processes that contain b-activities

•C-Activity Case = processes that contain c-activities

•Low automation rate = processes with an automation rate below a defined threshold

 

 

Furthermore, the Root Cause Analysis offers to analyze:

•critical process behavior detected by process query (see section QueryBuilder),

•optimization potential custom lead times (depending on the threshold value),

•customized optimization potential (see section How to Perform Root Cause Analysis on Custom Process Optimization Potentials).

 

 

Performing root cause analysis in the MPM Template App requires only five simple steps:

 

1.Go to the root cause analysis tab.

 

2.Define dimensions and attributes for the root cause analysis by adapting the inline table RootCauseAnalysisDimensions. These dimensions will then be compared with the occurrence of optimization potentials and marked as optimization target or not.

a.Define in which table the dimensions are found. It is required that all dimensions you want to check with the RCA are together in one table which includes the CaseID. Set the table with this variable:

Let RCADimensionTable = 'CaseInformation_$(mvProcessDescription)';

 

b.Define which dimensions of the previously set table you want to analyze with the RCA. Therefore enter the fieldnames as rows in the following inline table:

 

The MPM Template App will look like the first code example, once filled in the inline table might look as the example below taken from the helpdesk process. The MPM root cause analysis does only account for dimensions, in the previously given table and it is important that this table includes the field CaseID.

 

 

RootCauseAnalysisDimensions:

load * inline

 

 

Helpdesk example:

 

RootCauseAnalysisDimensions:

load * inline

 

 

3.Select the default optimization potentials that should be considered. They will appear in the root cause analysis dialog box on the related sheet, which is indicated in the table below.

The default optimization potentials are listed in the following inline table. To incorporate them into the root cause analysis, set the first colums "CalculateInRCA" to "y" for yes or "n" for no.

 

 

RootCauseAnalysisFlags:

load * inline 

 

 

4.Set the threshold for optimization of too fast or too slow cases

Define which percentage of cases will be analyzed regarding the time optimization potential.

To do so, perform the following steps:

a)Open the script tab "2A. Advanced Customization".

b)Set a value to the variable mvPercentageTimeLimit which indicates the percentage of cases that will be analyzed by the root cause analysis, regarding the "time missed" optimization potentials.

Set mvPercentageTimeLimit = 0.9;

 

c)Define an operator which indicates whether the values should be above or below the PercentageTimeLimit. The possible values are "<", "<=","=" and ">=".

Set mvPercentageTimeLimitOperator = <;

 

5.Set the threshold for automation rate optimization potentials

Define which percentage of cases will be analyzed regarding the time optimization potential.

To do so, perform the following steps:

d)Open the script tab "2A. Advanced Customization".

e)Set a value to the variable mvPercentageAutomationRate which indicates the percentage of automated events that a case needs to have to be labeled as a well automated case. If the automation rate for the case is lower, the root cause analysis will analyze the case regarding the "missed" automation  potentials and their context.

Set mvPercentageAutomationRate  = 0.5;

 

6.Set the threshold for optimization of the process governance

Define which percentage of cases will be analyzed regarding the process governance optimization potential.

f)Open the script tab "4. Conformance Checking".

b)Set the value, which indicates the maximum percentage of the happy path fitness that is considered as optimization potential. The default value is 80%. In this example, cases with less than 75% process governance are considered as optimization potential.

Set mvProcessGovernanceOptimizationThreshold = 0.75;

 

7.Decide with this variable if you want the RCA to only calculate relationships between optimization potentials and the process context for closed cases. This makes sense e.g. regarding lead times, because open processes will clearly have a shorter lead time and thus could misrepresent process contexts that trigger a high (or low) lead time. The default value is 0, which means that the relationship is calculated for all cases.

Let mvRCAForFinishedProcessOnly = 0;

 

8.Optional: Define critical process paths by queries to explain their occurrence.

By adding lines to this inline table, cases which follow the critical process variant will be marked and the reasons for this critical deviation will be extracted from the data. To do so, perform the following steps:

a)Open the MPM Extension QueryBuilder and define a critical process query.

b)Open the QueryBuilder in edit mode and copy paste the resulting process query to the first column "CriticalPathQuery".

c)Give it a unique and speaking name, as the name will be displayed as the problem description in the root cause analysis' front end.

d)If you do not want to employ this type of analysis, just delete the rows from the inline table.

 

[CriticalQueries_$(mvProcessDescription)]:

load * inline 

 

9.Optional: Explain too long or too slow custom lead times by the root cause analysis by setting the variable mvCustomLeadTimeInRCA to "1". When set to "0", the root cause analysis will not derive reasons that have caused cases to have an extremely high or low custom lead time. The optimization potentials use the same threshold to determine optimizable cases as in step 4.

 

LET mvCustomLeadTimeInRCA = 1;

 

10.Lastly, the MPM root cause analysis will be called. You do not need to change anything here.

 

call  mw_perform_root_cause_analysis('$(mvProcessDescription)','$(mvCustomLeadTimeInRCA)','RootCauseAnalysisDimensions','RootCauseAnalysisFlags','$(RCADimensionTable)',SubprocessDefinition_$(mvProcessDescription)');