Leverage Microsoft’s Business Process Catalog for Conformance Checking

In this blog we dive deeper into Conformance Checking against Microsoft’s Business Process Catalog. When you are migrating towards Microsoft Dynamics 365 as your preferred ERP system or are actively working with Dynamics 365 you can leverage Microsoft’s Business Process Catalog in validating process designs against actual process executions.

What is Microsoft Business Process Catalog?

Microsoft’s Business Proces Catalog (BPC) is a standardized process library for processes across Dynamics 365 apps and services. It includes end-to-end scenarios, areas, process flow diagrams and patterns. Microsoft regularly publishes updates on the Business Process Catalog, which is subsequently available in Mavim.

Analyze process executions with Mavim Process Mining

With Mavim Process Mining you can leverage the power of your Dynamics 365 data to visualize process executions. All process executions relating to an object id (like a Purchase Order or Sales Order) are visualized in process mining and will highlight process variations, durations, activity sequences, such that you can start to understand how your processes in D365 are executed.

What is conformance checking?

Conformance checking allows you to compare process designs against process executions. Process models from Microsoft’s Business Process Catalog are marked as reference models and create an overlay on top of your process data, such that you can compare how conforming the execution is towards your process model.

Why conformance checking with BPC matters

Most organizations don’t have a fully worked out process designs. That’s where the Business Process Catalog comes into play. With all the process models from BPC worked out in Mavim it can be leveraged for Conformance Checking in Mavim Process Mining. Conformance checking helps business user with the following benefits:

• Identify deviations from prescribed process steps or controls (e.g., approvals bypassed), and remediate before audits. Mavim Process Mining explicitly supports compliance detection and KPI monitoring.
• Pinpoint bottlenecks, rework loops, and long wait states; align to the catalog’s streamlined reference flows.
• Use common language as Microsoft’s catalog IDs and diagrams to align stakeholders—business, IT, and partners—around the same process definitions and scope.
• Start from ready‑made Level 3 BPMN diagrams and refine instead of starting with a blank page.

When to apply conformance checking during D365 implementation

Conformance Checking can be applied on a continuous basis as processes shift continuously: “Are we still complying to our designed way of working?” Conformance checking can be applied while implementing D365, such that you can tackle deviations and outliers earlier in the implementation phase and make the necessary changes to prevent unnecessary costs at a later stage. It allows you to spot inefficiencies and out-of-compliance behaviour.

Conformance checking can also be applied after implementation as your workforce has settled to the new system and new way of working. Measure how you adapt to the new processes and benchmark behaviour across multiple teams, locations and products.

Overall conformance checking is a versatile tool that can be applied over and over again.

Ready to see how Conformance Checking works in practice? Watch our short demo on Process Conformance Check in Mavim Process Mining and discover how easily you can compare real execution data against Microsoft’s Business Process Catalog.
👉 Watch the video