Glossary
Process Simulation: Find Bottlenecks Before You Rebuild
Process simulation means executing a process model with times, resources, and branching logic—without disrupting operations. The goal is to expose bottlenecks, wait times, and utilization before measures go live.
How simulation works in BPM
Paths are derived from BPMN models; tasks get duration and wait assumptions (estimates, as-is data, or mining). Token-based simulators (e.g. BPMN token simulation) show where work queues up or parallel branches underperform.
Compare as-is and to-be
Simulating as-is and to-be side by side quantifies expected benefit from optimization—e.g. after eliminating manual print steps or parallelizing approvals. That reduces the risk of costly wrong-way rebuilds.
Link to agentic BPM
In agentic scenarios, models explicitly mark agent tasks vs. human tasks. Simulation checks whether agent steps truly shorten cycle time and where humans remain needed for approval or exceptions.
FAQ
- Do I need historical data?
- Helpful but not mandatory. Start with plausible estimates; mining data improves accuracy.
- What does simulation provide that process mining does not?
- Mining shows what was. Simulation shows what would happen if—for planned to-be processes and hypothetical load.
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Updated: 2026-06-29