Most manufacturers already have defined processes inside their ERP system. The problem is that day-to-day operations don’t always follow them. In systems like Infor CloudSuite Industrial (CSI), workflows are carefully designed, but what’s documented isn’t always what happens in practice.

Over time, teams create workarounds, skip steps, or handle exceptions outside the intended process. Those small changes create delays, rework, and reporting issues that are hard to see from inside the ERP alone.

On the shop floor and across back-office operations, teams often introduce manual workarounds, skip steps, or create unofficial processes to handle exceptions. Over time, these inefficiencies (whether in production, procurement, or finance) add up. In some cases, they can erode 20% or more of annual revenue.

The challenge is visibility. Most companies try to understand processes through meetings, whiteboards, and spreadsheets. The problem is that those methods rarely show what’s actually happening transaction by transaction inside the system.

What is Process Mining in Infor CloudSuite Industrial?

Process mining uses the data already captured in your ERP system to show how processes actually run. Every transaction in Infor CloudSuite Industrial generates event logs: timestamps, user actions, and activity records.

See Also: Infor Velocity Suite: What It Means For Manufacturers

Infor Process Mining analyzes this data to create a visual map of real workflows. Instead of relying on assumptions, you get a clear, data-driven view of how work flows across your organization, including all the variations and inefficiencies.

Because it’s purpose-built for Infor ERP environments, it includes pre-mapped models for CSI. That means you can start analyzing key processes quickly (often within days) without adding new data entry or complex integrations.

Where Hidden Inefficiencies Appear

Process mining quickly reveals issues across core manufacturing and business processes:

• Order-to-Cash delays: Identify where orders slow down between credit approval, fulfillment, and invoicing.
• Production inefficiencies: Analyze Manufacturing Orders to uncover bottlenecks, downtime, or scrap patterns impacting cost and throughput.
• Maverick buying: Detect purchases made outside approved procurement processes.
• Excessive approvals: Find unnecessary loops and rework in accounts payable or sales order management that extend cycle times.

Instead of guessing where problems exist, teams can pinpoint exactly where and why they occur.

The Role of AI and GenAI

Process mining already gives teams a clearer view of how work moves through the system. AI helps speed up the analysis by summarizing patterns and highlighting problem areas automatically.

See Also: How AI Is Already Working Inside Infor CloudSuite Industrial

Instead of manually sorting through reports, users can ask questions in plain language and quickly identify issues like approval delays, excessive rework, or process variations.

Benefits for CSI Manufacturers

For manufacturers using Infor CloudSuite Industrial, process mining delivers measurable value:

• Faster ROI: Identify and resolve bottlenecks quickly to maximize ERP performance
• Improved compliance: Ensure processes align with standard operating procedures and regulatory requirements
• Better automation decisions: Focus RPA efforts on the right processes before automating inefficiencies

By aligning actual operations with intended workflows, organizations can reduce costs, improve throughput, and increase visibility across the business.

Where Manufacturers Usually Start

The most effective approach is to start small.

Focus on a high-impact process like Order-to-Cash or Procure-to-Pay. With Infor’s pre-built dashboards, you can gain immediate insight into lead times, process variations, and inefficiencies.

From there, expand into other areas and treat process mining as part of an ongoing continuous improvement strategy, not a one-time project.

Conclusion

Infor Process Mining helps you move beyond assumptions and uncover the hidden inefficiencies impacting performance. By turning ERP data into actionable insight, you can optimize processes, improve decision-making, and unlock greater value from your Infor CloudSuite Industrial investment.