Of course, this hype has not bypassed the giants of the software industry. At the beginning of 2021, the process mining provider Signavio was bought by SAP. Only a short time later, IBM acquired its competitor myInvenio. In April 2022, Microsoft finally found what it was looking for in the process mining market. The global corporation from Redmond took over the 50-employee start-up Minit. Its analysis tools are to complement the automation tools on the MS Power platform. Thanks to the takeover by Microsoft, the Slovakian provider of process mining solutions with headquarters in Amsterdam has received enormous attention. Whether this attention is justified will be examined in this blog post. For this purpose, we would like to take a look at the functionalities of Minit and explain how it compares to the global market leader Celonis.
In general, Minit can be classified alongside Celonis, UiPath and Software AG in the group of leaders in the process mining market. They stand out because they operate at the highest level in terms of technology, usability, interoperability and customer support. They are thus a step above challengers such as Signavio and myInvenio, which are still at an earlier stage of development.
Minit can therefore offer state of the art process mining. Its functionalities will be presented below and compared with those of the front-runner Celonis. Their similarities and differences as well as strengths and weaknesses will also be discussed.
Comparison categories of process mining providers
Process setup & data preparation
There are no significant differences between the two process mining providers with regard to this criterion. Both can pre-process, cleanse, transform event log data and detect outliers in the process. In addition, both have the ability to merge event logs from different information systems and modify case IDs, resources and any specific attributes in the event log data. Furthermore, event logs can be supplemented with data from IoT devices to track down additional processes.
Compatibility
When it comes to compatibility, both process mining providers are strong. They offer ready-made connectors for SAP, Oracle ServiceNow, Salesforce and Microsoft applications and run on Windows, Linux and Mac OS operating systems. They also both offer the ability to integrate with third-party tools via REST or SOAP web services. Celonis is slightly ahead overall, however, with the ability to access all functionality via open APIs and a public online repository for pre-built packaged solutions for specific systems and processes.
Integration with complementary technologies
Minit is narrowly inferior in this point as well. ETL tools, BI, data visualisation, robotic process automation and intelligent document processing are covered by both providers. Conversational AI, chatbots, business process management and process orchestration, however, can only be found with Celonis.
Insight into the processes
In this respect, both process mining providers are very broadly positioned and very deep and detailed process explorations are made possible. Thanks to the multilevel process mining capability, BPMN 2.0-compliant process models can be created. Furthermore, costs and resource consumption can be displayed for each process step, organisational and social networks can be uncovered, anomalies and failed transactions can be identified and multiple process models can be merged. It is also possible to use out-of-the-box dashboards to assess the percentage of rework for identified process loops and to generate customer journey maps by mining the relevant data for this purpose. Only the derivation of business rules is reserved for Celonis customers.
Conformity assessment
In this area, Minit is actually on par with the process mining market leader. BPMN models can be imported to identify a standard model. Furthermore, the system allows gap analyses and root cause analyses, which are used to identify unwanted deviations and their causes. Furthermore, target processes can be defined by the process modelling tool, which are then aligned with the built-in best practice process templates, for example. Last but not least, the adherence to compliance rules, such as the segregation of duties, can be checked.
Process monitoring & reporting
In this area, too, the two process mining providers are at the top end of the process mining market. Celonis trumps Minit here only by creating PDD files of the process under consideration and adding notes for the process steps. Otherwise, the two process mining providers can come up with comparable functions. These include the identification of the optimal process variant based on individual benchmarks, text search in the process map, near-real-time monitoring of KPIs and the possibility to share the analysis results with third parties. In addition, both also have predictive functionalities to estimate lead times and predict delays based on near real-time process information.
Process optimisation
In the area of theoretical process optimisation, both process mining providers perform at a similar level. Artificial intelligence can be used by both to automatically predict the violation of KPIs and also to report them preventively. Furthermore, the systems allow running multiple simulations, what-if analyses and scenario tests to highlight different future scenarios. Furthermore, processes and tasks that are suitable for automation are automatically identified. Furthermore, comparative analyses are facilitated by the ability to store virtual logs of the simulated processes.
The practical implementation of the optimised processes, on the other hand, reveals the great strength of Celonis, which is unique in the world of process mining. Celonis sees itself not only as pure process mining software, but also as an execution management system. It can therefore optimise the considered processes directly in the source systems and close execution gaps. For this purpose, more than 10,000 ready-made automations from more than 700 Execution Apps can be used, which can be easily created by drag-and-drop. The Process Mining Celonis Studio also enables third-party providers to develop their own execution apps. This creates a constantly growing ecosystem of customised solutions that can be obtained via the EMS Store.
Security & Compliance
Of course, compliance and security in the information space are no longer mere wastepaper, but a basic condition for all further functionalities. Fortunately, both Celonis and Minit meet the highest standards. These include ready-made algorithms in system connectors for encrypting and decrypting event log data, role-based system access, versatile anonymisation options and Active Directory integration. On top of this, the possibility is offered to create different environments with restricted user permissions.
Training & Support
Celonis and Minit have clearly recognised that customer contact and support are two critical success criteria of the value proposition of its B2B software solution. This is readily apparent from their extensive training and support offerings. Training and certification can be obtained from both the process mining vendors and their partners. All possibilities for user training are exhausted both online and offline. Online learning portals are offered where interactive courses and certificates can be completed role-based and at individual speed. In addition, there are online user communities and support forums where all stakeholders of the products exchange information worldwide. In addition, classroom training is offered. There are also community editions of the products, although these are only released for academic use at Minit.
Business model & supply options
On-premise, software-as-a-service, private or public cloud - these are the purchase options that can be realised by both process mining providers. However, Minit and Celonis differ in their licensing options. Minit can be billed on a per-user basis or via a subscription. Celonis adds a hybrid form to the latter. Here, the user-related consideration is supplemented by the aspect of the volume of event logs used. In terms of price, both process mining providers belong to the premium segment.
Other
In addition to the hard facts about process mining, there are also other factors that distinguish the two software packages and the companies behind them. The strengths and weaknesses should be considered qualitatively here.
In Minit's favour is the fact that the company was taken over by Microsoft. It is therefore to be expected that process mining and the associated services can all be integrated smoothly into the Microsoft ecosystem. This could give Minit certain advantages related to the depth and breadth of integration of client companies into Microsoft systems. In addition, Minit will suddenly enjoy all the benefits of being part of a software giant through the acquisition. It can draw on a huge base of know-how, tap into a worldwide distribution network and use new financial leeway. In addition, being part of Microsoft creates a great deal of trust among customers.
Celonis has already earned this trust as well. It also helps that the Munich-based start-up is now one of the select group of "Decacorns". This means that a company is worth more than 10 billion US dollars. Investors even confirmed a valuation of 11 billion for Celonis. Another point in Celonis' favour is that it is the pioneer of the process mining market. Celonis has the most experience, the largest and broadest customer base and the most mature portfolio of offerings. It also already has a substantial workforce of nearly 2,000 and is well on its way to becoming a leading technology group.
Conclusion
The comparison of the two process mining providers shows that both Minit and Celonis have a well thought-out, performant and compatible process mining offering. It will be exciting to see how Minit's integration into the Microsoft ecosystem affects its further development. Minit does not have to hide from the process mining market leader Celonis in many respects. However, Celonis is the absolute benchmark in a worldwide comparison and has more to offer in some areas. Especially the functionalities of the Celonis Execution Management System, which enable the simple automation of tasks as well as the implementation of more advanced automations through the integration of real-time analyses by means of process mining, stand out. To pick the proverbial low-hanging fruit of process optimisation, both process mining providers are certainly suitable. For more complex tasks, the price, requirements and compatibility should be weighed up individually. We will be happy to support you in this!
