Building on a long process extraction historic, BMW Group will leverage GenAI to maximize the use of process mining enterprise-wide, co-create with Celonis to ensure product features closely align with core business objectives and advance cross-business collaboration for supply chain resilience.
BMW began using Process Mining in 2016 for purchasing and production use cases and has seen steady growth to the point where it now has 90 processes under analysis, according to Dr. Patrick Lechner, Head process mining, robotic process automation and low-code/no. -code for the Munich-based luxury car brand.
Production use cases include process analysis in the paint shop, where process mining can identify performance improvement opportunities, such as how variations caused by different colors can have a impact on cycle time.
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While expanding its dozens of use cases, BMW also deployed a center of excellence model on a centralized basis, complemented by “competence centers” to leverage expertise within each department while eliminating silos within its global operations.
Power for end users
Like most process mining systems, Celonis has long exploited artificial intelligence and machine learning in its platform. Process mining-oriented functions that are well suited to AI include processing huge volumes of data, detecting patterns to determine how processes are working, and identifying deviations or anomalies from optimized processes.
Last year, Celonis detailed plans to offer GenAI functionality and the resulting natural language querying capabilities will enable BMW to increase the number of end users with access to process mining. Celonis said that when AI is trained with standardized process knowledge and data from its Process Intelligence Chartclients will be able to extract maximum value from process mining.
“We can expand our user base much further than we have done so far, because anyone can use the tool without having a deeper knowledge of Process Mining,” explains Lechner. “They can ask the right questions and get the answers they need. I think this will be the biggest advantage of AI from our point of view.
BMW plans to start testing the Celonis Process co-pilot shortly after it becomes available.
The expansion of the use of Process Mining is a positive development considering BMW’s Center of Excellence/Competence Center model which aims to achieve maximum ROI from their investment (wider use should lead to a greater return on investment) and the need to accelerate the time to profitability.
Co-creation and resilient supply chains
BMW software developers will work closely with Celonis for early access to software and to ensure that upcoming process mining features meet its business needs. The two companies described their co-creation work as a way to realize process mining innovation within BMW and across the automotive industry as a whole.
Lechner cites mutual benefits when both companies embark on these initiatives. “We really want the software to be ready to use very early. This is why it is very important for us to get involved in software development,” says Lechner. “For Celonis, they benefit from the experience of large companies like BMW with all the requirements for security, authentication and scalability possibilities.”
The companies said their collaboration would focus on integrating AI technology into production functions with the aim of improving operational transparency and accountability.
As a founding member of CatenaX, BMW has long focused on data exchange between supply chain partners in the automotive industry. The company presents its co-creation work with Celonis as supporting initiatives around data sharing and breaking down silos between companies, just as CatenaX aims to do.
“One example of this is looking at the end-to-end supply chain and determining early on whether a supplier has issues in terms of their ability to supply parts well in advance,” says Lechner. “If we know there might be problems, we can respond much more quickly. Additionally, the supplier may see that there is demand at BMW for that part and perhaps change production accordingly. The end result, he says, could result in more resilient supply chains.
Although it would be beneficial for several or more value chain actors to use process mining for greater visibility, this is not considered a prerequisite for effective collaboration in this context. According to Lechner, software companies’ openness to collaborating with other vendors to meet customers’ business needs is essential.
