---
title: "What is process mining data?"
description: "Process mining data is the event log your business systems already keep. What it records, how it pairs with SOPs, and what it means for licensing it."
canonical_url: https://www.fearofgod.ai/glossary/process-mining-data
last_updated: 2026-10-26
site: "fearofgod.ai"
lang: en
---

# What is process mining data?

Process mining data is an event log exported from a company's business systems, in which each record ties an activity to a case, usually with a timestamp and the person or system that performed it, so the real sequence of work can be reconstructed.

## What does process mining data look like?

It is a table of events, one row for each step taken in each case. The IEEE Task Force on Process Mining's 2011 manifesto describes the starting point as an event log in which "each event refers to an activity (i.e., a well-defined step in some process) and is related to a particular case (i.e., a process instance)", often with the timestamp and the "resource (i.e., person or device)" that carried it out ([Process Mining Manifesto, IEEE Task Force on Process Mining](https://www.tf-pm.org/upload/1580737614108.pdf)). Your ERP, ticketing, CRM and workflow tools write these rows every time a status changes.

## How does process mining data relate to SOPs?

An SOP says how a process should run; the event log shows how it did run. Side by side, they reveal which steps get skipped, repeated or done out of order, and how long cases wait between steps. For a model learning how work is really done, that gap between the written procedure and the recorded sequence is often the most useful part of the record.

## What does process mining data mean for what you get paid and control?

It is a byproduct of systems you already pay for, so it can be licensed without collecting anything new. The resource column is the sensitive part: it names the people who did each step, and the GDPR treats "any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person" as personal data ([GDPR Article 4](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2016/679/article/4/adopted)). Swapping names for roles or codes keeps the sequence intact while hiding who did the work, though [pseudonymised](https://www.fearofgod.ai/glossary/pseudonymization) data can still count as personal data under the GDPR. fearofgod.ai de-identifies the data before it goes to buyers. Raw data is deleted according to a schedule agreed with the partner. What else your records need, such as a lawful basis, is a question for your counsel.


## Related

- [SOP data](https://www.fearofgod.ai/glossary/sop-data)
- [Agent training data](https://www.fearofgod.ai/glossary/agent-training-data)
- [Pseudonymization](https://www.fearofgod.ai/glossary/pseudonymization)
- [PII redaction](https://www.fearofgod.ai/glossary/pii-redaction)
- [License the SOPs your teams already follow](https://www.fearofgod.ai/sell/sops-and-process-documentation)
- [Your solved support tickets can keep earning](https://www.fearofgod.ai/sell/support-tickets-and-customer-conversations)

---

Source: https://www.fearofgod.ai/glossary/process-mining-data · Index for AI systems: https://www.fearofgod.ai/llms.txt · Contact: sean@fearofgod.ai