Dr. Patrick Lechner

Head of Process Mining, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), and LowCodeNoCode(LCNC) platforms, BMW Group

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) develops, manufactures, and sells automobiles and motorcycles, spare parts and accessories, and engines. The company also offers deposit business, retail customer and dealer financing, insurance, fleet business, and car leasing services. It markets products under the BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce, Alphabet, John Cooper Works, and Motorrad brands. BMW is involved in the development, manufacturing, assembly, and sale of automobiles and off-road vehicles. The company serves customers in Europe, the Americas, Asia, and other regions. It has production and assembly facilities, and a sales network across the world. BMW is headquartered in Munich, Bayern, Germany.

Supernova Award Category: 
Data to Decisions
The Problem: 

A BMW-wide internal survey in 2023 found that a vast majority of employees want to leverage digitization significantly more in their daily work, as a way to make data-driven decisions. Furthermore, an undisclosed but significant business improvement potential was identified that could not be leveraged with traditional methods.

Furthermore, a significant, but previously unknown, business improvement opportunity was identified, which could not be capitalized on using traditional process improvement methods.

The Solution: 

BMW uses a 4-step approach to turn process into business success:

  1. First, we model the target process and define the relevant KPIs;
  2. Second, we make data driven process decisions and enable those by using Process Mining to visualize the as-is process and compare the target process with this as-is process, and we identify bottlenecks, undesired variants and loops and try to understand their root causes;
  3. Third, we automate repetitive tasks using RPA and intelligent workflow support and implement organizational and technical process improvements; and
  4. Fourth, we digitalize the relevant processes.

Using the platform’s low-code/no-code capabilities, we built apps for more efficient process steps and higher compliance, and we track the newly digitized steps. Those can then be used to improve the process further in a continuous improvement circle.

The Results: 

Group-wide digitalization initiative with Celonis

The BMW Group relies on Celonis' Process Mining and Process Intelligence platform to accelerate its group-wide digitization initiatives. The aim is to make Celonis available to all of its employees, giving them the ability to analyze all company processes relevant to them and to identify and eliminate performance bottlenecks that contribute to operational inefficiency.

Some of the most recent outcomes include:

  • Continuous data-based optimization of Group-wide processes to increase efficiency, productivity and sustainability
  • Adoption of the Celonis Process Intelligence Graph for cross-process optimization
  • Ease of use, particularly for non-IT-savvy users
  • 80,000 (>50% of BMW employes) received a basic Celonis training in 2023

Success Stories 

  • Production: Improvement of quality & cost reduction in production
  • Purchasing & Finance: End-to-end improvements in purchase-to-pay
  • Customer, Brand & Sales: Roll-out support for BMW’s disruptive new direct sales model
  • Financial Services: Integrated deposit account opening
Metrics: 

The platform was established in 2016 and has been rolled out globally.

100% of produced cars analyzed for process inefficiencies 

  • > 100  processes analyzed
  • >1.000 automations & >500 apps  across all prime processes deployed
  • Citizen & Fusion Development
  • CoE & IT-Hub Portugal + Centers of Competences in various primes
  • Process Mining is the basis for many improvement programs.
The Technology: 

The Celonis Process Intelligence Platform, including Process Mining, Process AI, Low Code No Code and Robotic Process Automation

Disruptive Factor: 

We first adopted Process Mining at BMW in 2016/17 with two use cases: a standard purchasing use case and an analysis of the processes at our new paint shop in Munich. 

Back then this was the most modern paint shop in the world, but had some of the usual starting issues. The team was understandably critical about how IT can really support experienced production experts to improve their processes.

But they soon realized the potentials of Process Mining, and so BMW became the first company to use Process Mining globally for our production processes.

Building on the impressive results of these two pilot projects, we opened our Center of Excellence in 2018, and rapidly began scaling Celonis across all processes.

Celonis offers us completely new possibilities, and moves our technologies from pure analytics to operative systems that also helps to manage and operate our processes – in several cases even end-to-end.  

The software’s ease of use, thanks to the integration of AI models, opens up new opportunities for BMW to make process intelligence available to a large number of users throughout the company and thus utilize the potential of the technology comprehensively.

Shining Moment: 

BMW’s partnership with Celonis has resulted in many shining moments, some that we’re most proud of are:

  • Massive growth and speed; going from initial pilot to production to global use
  • Established a best-in-class working model with a Hub and Spoke approach
  • A loyal and growing team and BMW internal community.
  • Key contributor to Celonis being awarded the German President’s Award.

About BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries. www.bmwgroup.com