Application of a Process Mining Tool for Three-Way Match Analysis in the Procure-to-Pay Process of a Multinational Auto Parts Company

Process mining emerges as a very important tool in the automotive industry to improve processes and increase efficiency. Its use allows the identification of bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement in production processes, contributing to increased productivity and cost reduction. This article aimed to evaluate the benefits of applying the Process Mining tool by conducting a Three-way match analysis in the Procure-to-pay (PTP) process of a company in the auto parts sector, seeking to identify opportunities for improvement. Analysis using process mining in PTP of the organization allowed us to identify significant number of cases of price discrepancies were observed in relation to orders related to services, being 2.5 times higher than orders related to materials. Additionally, quantity discrepancies represented 24% of the cases analyzed, compared to only 1.5% of price discrepancies. Of the materials involved in these price discrepancies, approximately 63% were not registered in the system. Most cases of price discrepancies among material suppliers were related to transportation services. Furthermore, 22% of the processes analyzed involved price changes, possibly due to how tax calculation was configured in the SAP system. It is recommended that the company continue to seek solutions to reduce price discrepancies, especially concerning service orders, and increase the level of automation in purchasing and payment processes. In light of the presented results, the process mining tool emerges as a strategic ally, offering competitive advantage by identifying bottlenecks, reducing costs, and automating processes.