Graduate Spotlight – Azumah Mamudu

What was your PhD in?

My PhD explores the impact of process mining in organisations. Initially, process mining was a purely academic field focused on developing techniques to extract insights from event logs for discovering and improving business processes. However, since its commercialisation, it has gained significant traction in industry. Despite this increased interest, there is still a notable lack of frameworks to identify and categorise the impacts of process mining, making it challenging to justify its benefits.

To address this critical issue, my study identifies key impact categories, success factors, and their interrelationships. Through qualitative analysis of case reports, case studies and expert interviews, I develop frameworks for process mining impacts and process mining success factors. Furthermore, my research emphasises the importance of adopting a structured approach and implementing change management to achieve meaningful outcomes at both the process and organisational levels.

How did you come to do a PhD on this? Did things change along the way?

A friend recommended QUT to me when I began seeking PhD opportunities. With a background in information systems, I was interested in focusing on data analytics or business analytics. Although I was unfamiliar with process mining, I found it intriguing as it offers a process-oriented perspective of organisations.

I initially chose a research topic centred on data quality dimensions for event logs and IoT data. However, after encountering some challenges, I shifted my focus to process mining impacts. This new topic aligned perfectly with my background and skill set. Moreover, process mining research emphasised technical aspects rather than managerial ones, which made this new research topic a relatively unexplored area around 2020. Four years later, it is remarkable to see how this area has gained significant interest and attention, especially with the increasing commercialisation of process mining tools.

How was your PhD journey? Any surprises?

My PhD journey has been unique. As a first-time visitor to Australia with no relatives here, I began my studies just a few months before the onset of a global pandemic. This situation forced me to face many new challenges. Throughout this journey, I received tremendous support from my supervisors—Prof. Moe Wynn (pictured above on right), A/Prof. Wasana Bandara (pictured above on left), and Prof. Sander Leemans—who are also involved with the Centre for Data Science (CDS). The camaraderie between faculty and Higher Degree Research students (HDRs), the inclusive culture at QUT and the exceptional support available for HDR students made a significant difference for me as an international student.

Did you do anything else at QUT besides your PhD?

In addition to my PhD studies, I was involved in several engaging projects. One significant opportunity I had was presenting a paper from my PhD at the 2022 International Conference on Business Process Management (BPM Conference) held in Münster, Germany. Through this experience, I secured an internship as a visiting researcher with the Blue Skies team at SAP Signavio in Germany. The primary focus of this research project was to explore business process observability and identify the factors that enhance the observability of business processes. I have also been involved in QUT industry showcase events and the annual IS School doctoral consortia.

I also worked as a sessional academic at the School of Information Systems, tutoring undergraduate and postgraduate students in databases, business process modelling, and the fundamentals of business process management (BPM). I also participated in various research initiatives as a research assistant.

How was your experience with the Data Science Centre?

My experience with the Centre for Data Science has been incredible. I have thoroughly enjoyed the workshops and seminars, which provided me with insights into how data science operates in Australia and other parts of the world. It has been a pleasure to interact with and learn from experts about how various aspects of data science are utilised to solve real-world problems in healthcare, manufacturing, education and climate change.

What are you doing now?

I look forward to transitioning into a permanent research position in either academia or industry. Currently, I am working as a sessional academic with the School of Information Systems. Additionally, I am involved in data analysis and report writing for CPE projects between QUT and the Philippine government agencies. I have recently participated as a research assistant in the Securing Critical Agriculture Technology and Emerging Solutions (SCATES) CRC project.

Congratulations, Azumah!