Want AI to Work for You? Start with Process Discovery

AI is everywhere right now, and it’s easy to get swept up in the race to adopt it. But if your starting point is data or models, you’re missing a critical step: Real AI success starts with understanding your business processes. 

Yes, you need clean, well-governed data. But before you train a model or automate a workflow, you need to be crystal clear on what you're automating and why. That means starting with process discovery. 

At Pace, we’ve seen too many organisations jump into AI with the best of intentions, only to realise they don’t fully understand how their work actually happens. That’s where process discovery comes in. 

Process discovery is the act of uncovering how work gets done across your organisation. There are two ways to approach it: 

1. Manual process mapping 
   Involves engaging directly with teams, documenting workflows, surfacing pain points, and aligning on goals. It captures the real-world nuance of how people work and why.
2. Automated process mining
   Uses system data and activity logs to generate a data-backed view of your operations, revealing inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and variations that might otherwise go unnoticed. 

When used together, these approaches offer a powerful combination: human insight plus data-driven evidence, and they create the foundation for meaningful transformation. 

Process discovery is just the beginning. Once you understand your current state, the next step is to reimagine what’s possible. Instead of layering AI on top of inefficient workflows, we work with clients to design AI-enabled processes that are purpose-built for better outcomes. 

That’s how you unlock the real value of AI: not by chasing hype, but by building from a solid foundation. 

The takeaway 

If you want AI that delivers impact, rather than just noise, start by understanding and redesigning your processes. It’s the smartest move you can make. 

Curious about how this could work in your organisation? Get in touch with me or one of my colleagues at Pace.