“Manual process analysis is a bottleneck for digitalisation,” says Prof. Dr. Anna‑Maria Oberländer, lead author of the white paper published under the auspices of the University of Bayreuth. AI‑supported process analysis tools could significantly reduce this bottleneck by automating repetitive tasks and enabling data‑driven analyses. “AI is not a replacement, but a complement to human expertise,” emphasises Dr. Thomas Kreuzer, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bayreuth and co‑author of the white paper.
Based on a comprehensive market analysis, a structured evaluation approach and a practical trial lasting several months, the researchers identified three particularly relevant fields of application for AI‑supported process analysis in the white paper:
- Process modelling: AI-supported creation of process models
- Process compliance: Automated comparison of process workflows with legal and regulatory requirements
- Process improvement: AI-generated recommendations for process changes aligned with specific objectives
At the same time, the study shows that the successful use of AI depends largely on the quality of the input data and on human validation of the results.
In addition to evaluating specific AI‑supported process analysis tools, the white paper provides practical recommendations for action regarding the selection and sustainable integration of AI into organisational processes. The findings are not only relevant for public administration, but can also be transferred to other sectors.
The study was conducted as part of the project “Bridging the Gap: Human‑Centric Digital Transformation in Public Administration”, in which the University of Bayreuth works together with the FIM Research Institute for Information Management and byte – the Bavarian Agency for Digital Affairs. The project is funded by the Volkswagen Foundation.
The white paper (in German) is available at the following link: https://epub.uni-bayreuth.de/id/eprint/8942/1/KI_in_der_Prozessanalyse.pdf
