What is a To-Be process and what is an As-Is process?

The as-is process (AS-IS) describes how a process actually runs, while the to-be process (TO-BE) defines the desired, ideal target state. Process Mining makes the as-is process visible; the to-be model serves as a reference for improvement and comparison.

Why does this matter?

Improvement only emerges from comparing both perspectives: only by knowing the as-is and to-be can you identify gaps, derive measures, and measure their impact. This comparison is at the heart of Conformance Checking and continuous process improvement.

What does this look like in practice?

In the target process, approval follows the order and delivery follows approval. The as-is process shows that in 18% of cases delivery happens first and approval is filed afterwards. Put side by side, the question is no longer "does this happen?" but "why, how often, and what does it cost?".

Not to be confused with

Not to be read as "wrong versus right": a deviation can be a sensible workaround the target model does not yet know about. Sometimes the right conclusion is to change the target model, not the practice.