There are a lot of things, some of which are: Firstly, being able to see for the first time how our order to cash processes really look like and becoming aware of the many existing process variations is quite a revealing experience – for top management as well as for process owners. Getting information about KPIs like automation rates and throughput times for any step in the process within any data constellation based on data from the ERP-System is something we do not want to miss anymore. Secondly, the user interface is well-thought-out and fun working with. Setting filters on any attribute or data field and getting real time response from Celonis is outstanding. Thirdly, the project for the technical implementation of Celonis within our company was frictionless. Data validation ate up a lot of project time but was worth the effort. And finally, the support of Celonis and our chosen implementation partner is flawless.
The following points are not things I especially dislike about Celonis. They should be reminders of obstacles we had and still must overcome to reap the benefits of process mining in general and implications one must be aware of when embarking on data-based process mining. Firstly, big improvements might be achievable without a process mining tool because they are so obvious to the organization and might have been already fixed in past. What remains are the “left over potentials” in much smaller size pertaining to value. So, to gain measurable benefits one must be prepared to implement a lot of smaller process improvement projects, each providing a bit of value. The benefit will be visible as the sum of the value of those realized projects will increase. It is like Gulliver who is tied up by thousands of strings in Lilliput. Cutting or loosening any string only has small value. But once you solved a critical mass of small problems you can really improve your organizations process performance. Secondly, one cannot put process mining into practice as an en passant activity. An organization must commit resources to this area on a regular basis. The topic is much too complex to have it carried out part time. So, clear responsibilities and a decision from top management to allocate capacity of the work force to process mining are success factors which come with a cost. Finally, you might not have the personnel with the skill and/or mind set required for working with a process mining tool. Taking time for exploration, developing a curiosity of underlying correlations and delving deeper and narrower into the processes and data is a skill which is scarcely found in companies where problem solving with quick fixes is the norm.
1. Problems we are solving with Celonis: We implemented the order to cash process with Celonis. In this context we want to increase the automation rate, reduce process costs and raise service levels for our customers. Specifically, we target: - manual process steps - unnecessarily repeated process steps - unwanted process steps - missing process steps - Throughput times and lead times - Customer complaints 2. Benefits we have realized - Reduced process costs by detecting a software bug in an online Shop as a cause of process irregularities which led to manual post-processing of order items. - Increased automation by detecting unnecessary manual process steps with external interfaces. - Reduced process-costs and lead times by detecting wrong data in customer master data records. - Quicker and low-cost responses to complex requests of information regarding process status and process KPIs
One of the standout features of Celonis is its advanced process mining capabilities. As a developer, I appreciate how Celonis effortlessly connects to various data sources, allowing us to gain deep insights into complex processes. Its ability to automatically reconstruct end-to-end processes, identify bottlenecks, and pinpoint areas for improvement has been instrumental in our optimization efforts.
Cost Considerations: As a robust and feature-rich platform, Celonis can come with a significant price tag. Depending on the organization's size and needs, the licensing and implementation costs may be perceived as a disadvantage, particularly for smaller businesses with limited budgets. It's essential to carefully assess the return on investment and evaluate if the benefits justify the cost.
Problem - Lack of Process Visibility: Celonis tackles the issue of limited process visibility by providing a comprehensive view of end-to-end processes. By connecting to various data sources and analyzing process data in real time, Celonis uncovers hidden process inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and variations. This enhanced visibility allows organizations to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions. Benefit - Improved Process Efficiency - With a clear understanding of process inefficiencies, organizations can implement targeted optimizations, streamline workflows, and eliminate bottlenecks. This results in improved process efficiency, reduced costs, and enhanced productivity. Problem - Siloed Data and Lack of Collaboration: Celonis helps break down data silos by integrating data from various systems and sources. It creates a centralized platform that allows stakeholders from different departments to collaborate, share insights, and align on process improvement initiatives. Benefit: Cross-Functional Collaboration - By facilitating collaboration and information sharing, Celonis fosters cross-functional collaboration, breaking down communication barriers. This promotes a culture of continuous improvement, enabling teams to work together towards common process optimization goals.
Celonis helps to display complex processes in a transparent way. Especially the speed in identifyfing process paths which do not match with the defined process standards is outstanding. Furthermore Celonis gives you the ability to drill down from the whole data set, e.g. of 2 years, to a rather specific data set with just those showing the "friction" in a certain processes is extremly helpful. Especially the different abilities to filter through the data are very helpful. You can define specific process patterns and the set of cases fulfilling the restrictions will be generated. Based on that set single cases can be selected and examined in the ERP-System together with the assistance of Celonis. The ability to find a selection of cases meeting certain criteria and the ability to examine them very fast is a real driver for finding friction in processes. The graphical programming opportunity for the actual analysis is very helpful. It gives you the ability to modify existing tables very fast and helps to implement new components which address further analysis question easily.
The basic idea in Celonis is that you connect it to your ERP-System. Based on the actions taken place, this means that specific fields in the tables of your ERP-System has been addressed, Celonis builts up an activity table. That activity table is the backbone of the whole process mining model. So in fact you need very good skills in SQL in order to build up that acitvity table. If you could not provide those skills in-house you have to get them by deploying a consulting company, which provides them. Often this generates high costs. It is desirable that Celonis implements a more easy way, e.g. an graphical coding opportunity to build the required activity table. Especially for customers who have a highly customized ERP-/SAP-System this would give them the ability to build up the backbone of their data mining model on their own, which on the on hand side increases the understanding for the data mining model and on the other hand side save high costs in the implementation and validation phase.
Mostly we address the problem of generating process transparency. We feel that we have an enormous number of paths/ variants in order to get a specific thing done. Celonis is able to show this high number of paths. So we can identify rather disirable paths and non-disarble. The idea is that Celonis is used as a tool in order to ensure that we will take the easy and efficient way, which we have identified with Celoins, in the future to getting things done. Furthermore we want to use Celonis as an assistance tool, e.g. to ensure that we use all the available cash discounts. This will directly save us important money.
Capabilities to generate insights never being able before due to the combination of process mining and ML. The opportunity to directly take action for business transactions that (might) become critical according to identified patterns brings process management/-improvement to the next level.
The effort to implement use cases is often higher than promised. In 90% of the cases plug&play of content and analyses is not possible because the meaningfulness of results on this level is not sufficient. The real value unfolds if digging deeper which also means more implementation effort due to complexity.
Reduce process inefficiencies such as rework Cash discount realization Cash Collection optimization Generate insights into delivery tracking to steer and optimize carrier performance and increase customer experience Generate insights into complaint handling to increase customer satisfaction, reduce internal lead times, and reduce internal process costs
Celonis allows you to easily identify, quantify and objectify the bottlenecks in any given process. Even for non advanced programmers, it is possible to get results fast. The Community and customer support are always available to answer questions and explore new ways to evolve and address any issues.
This is a difficult one. Probably one of Celonis greatest problems is how easily you can overcomplicate your analysis and loose focus, depending on your company's organization and hierarchy's. So, one simple advice would be, if you feel your analysis are getting to complicated, stop, go back to basics, back to the drawing board, and try to follow the success examples of other companies in implementing Celonis.
Main focus as been: - Credit Recovery process (broad-spectrum intervention with the aim of optimizing the process E2E) - Credit Decision (identifying bottlenecks and gains with RPA and other improvement opportunities) - Costumer Experience (global analysis) In terms of benefits, we've been able to provide real-time data that wasn't available. We also were able to identify bottlenecks (that are being addressed) and quantify how much the activities in the processes we are analyzing cost and how much we can "win" with some simple otimizations.
What sets Celonis apart and makes it truly remarkable is its ability to unlock hidden insights within complex business processes. Its process mining technology provides unparalleled visibility into the inner workings of an organization, revealing bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement. By analyzing vast amounts of data from various sources, Celonis empowers businesses to optimize their processes, streamline operations, and make data-driven decisions. With its intuitive user interface, powerful analytics capabilities, and a focus on continuous improvement, Celonis stands out as a game-changer in driving operational excellence and achieving transformative outcomes.
While Celonis offers numerous benefits and is widely regarded as a leading process mining solution, there are a few areas where some users may have concerns. One potential drawback is the learning curve associated with mastering Celonis's advanced features and functionalities. The platform's complexity and depth of analysis can be overwhelming for users who are new to process mining or those without a strong technical background. Additionally, depending on the size and complexity of the organization, the implementation and integration process can be time-consuming and require significant resources. Another consideration is the cost associated with licensing and maintaining Celonis, which may be a limiting factor for smaller businesses or budget-constrained organizations. Lastly, while Celonis offers extensive customization options, some users may find the configuration process challenging and require additional support from Celonis experts or consultants. Despite these potential drawbacks, the value and insights gained from Celonis often outweigh these concerns, making it a valuable tool for process optimization and business transformation.
Celonis solves the problem of inefficient and opaque business processes by providing powerful process mining capabilities. It allows organizations to gain deep visibility into their operations, uncover hidden bottlenecks, and identify areas for improvement. By analyzing vast amounts of data from various systems, Celonis enables businesses to understand how their processes truly function and make data-driven decisions to optimize them. This benefits organizations in multiple ways. Firstly, it helps identify and eliminate inefficiencies, reducing costs and increasing productivity. By pinpointing process bottlenecks, Celonis enables businesses to streamline operations and allocate resources more effectively. This optimization leads to improved customer experiences, as processes become faster, smoother, and more reliable. Moreover, Celonis provides real-time insights, allowing businesses to monitor process performance and identify potential issues before they escalate. This proactive approach enables timely interventions and helps prevent errors or delays. Additionally, the ability to simulate process scenarios and conduct what-if analyses empowers organizations to make informed decisions about process changes or new strategies, minimizing risks and maximizing outcomes. Overall, Celonis enables organizations to transform their operations by driving continuous improvement and fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making. By solving the problem of opaque and inefficient processes, Celonis helps businesses achieve greater efficiency, effectiveness, and agility in today's competitive landscape.
Celonis software visualizes the actual purchase-to-pay process. Now we can see from an undistorted perspective the entire course of each order, from creating the order proposal to the payment of the invoice to the supplier. The Celonis company provides us with many benefits beyond the application. They regularly consult with us on application development, offer training and presentations, and provide us with a Business Value Architect who does an excellent job. Software implementation was super easy thanks to the prepared installation packages and well-processed documentation.
The implementation was easy, but the real challenge was to start generating value. Celonis is not miraculous. It is necessary to inspire all users within the organization to use it and begin to generate value requires hard work. Otherwise, everyone's considerable time and effort will be lost.
Celonis optimizes purchasing processes. The implemented solution brings the following benefits: >> Streamlining the purchasing process >> Increased transparency >> Reduction of costs
Once enabled, the Celonis process mapping technology allows for visualizing detailed process flows, identification of key bottlenecks, and KPI creation. It would have taken a team of experts multiple weeks to outline the top value streams for a process such as Order to Cash, and we still would not have had the residence time in each step. Celonis does it all.
Any customization of your ERP system will require additional tables to be pulled and integrated into the process being mapped; a true mapping of a process will take considerably more time for those with heavy ERP customization.
We didn't know what we didn't know about our O2C and AR processes, so the first benefit was understanding the complexity of these initial processes. We quickly identified and have realized value in AR on unearned early payment discounts and supplier financing opportunities. Within O2C, we are pursuing opportunities identified around order blocks and holds to reduce the overall O2C cycle.