US first responders call for AI-enhanced efficiency & tech-driven processes

PEX Network’s weekly news bulletin rounds up the latest research, reports and publications in operational excellence (OPEX), digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, business process management (BPM), process mining and process intelligence and more.

This week includes:

• US first responders support AI-enhanced efficiency, tech-driven processes
• QKS publishes SPARK Matrix™ Process Mining 2024 report
• Six Sigma methodology enhances airline operations in six key areas
• Partner ecosystems central to business innovation and transformation
• Process mining can revolutionize the judicial system

US first responders support AI-enhanced efficiency, tech-driven processes

A new US national survey of first responders revealed strong support for AI adoption and a growing demand for cloud-native, data-driven and modern technology to improve efficiency and streamline processes.

Nearly all (90 percent) of law enforcement support their agencies using AI, an increase of 55 percent over last year’s survey, according to the 2025 U.S. Public Safety Trends Report from Mark43. A majority (65 percent) said it would help them be more productive and efficient with 89 percent stating that leveraging AI would help their agencies reduce crime. Reasons cited include streamlining report writing, speedy data processing, enhanced analytics, more easily locating certain crimes and generally improving productivity.

What’s more, 88 percent of law enforcement respondents acknowledge that new, modern technology processes would help them better serve the community, with three-quarters (76 percent) having spent more than half their shifts completing paperwork, the research found. Over half (51 percent) of law enforcement must log in to four to six applications for their role on a daily basis, reflecting a need for integrated systems that eliminate application silos and streamline manual processes to save time and resources.

First responders want data-driven public safety for improved outcomes too. A majority (86 percent) believe data reporting processes could be improved at their organizations, citing saving time as the top benefit.

“Public safety agencies across the US are grappling with challenges such as cyber-attacks, legacy system outages and the resilience and efficiency of their operations,” said Bob Hughes, CEO of Mark43. “To address these concerns, first responders are seeking cloud-native, mobile and data-driven public safety CAD [computer-aided dispatch] and RMS [records management systems] systems that strengthen security, enhance resilience and also drive efficiency and better outcomes.”

Watch Tariq Munir, APAC financial planning transformation lead at PepsiCo, discuss measuring the impact of AI and intelligent automation

QKS publishes SPARK Matrix™ Process Mining 2024 report

Global advisory and research firm QKS Group published the SPARK MatrixTM: Process Mining, 2024 report, an in-depth analysis of market dynamics, major trends, vendor landscapes and competitive positioning. It assesses 22 leading process mining vendors against several parameters within the dimensions of “technology excellence” and “customer impact.”

The research provides strategic information for technology vendors to better understand the market supporting their growth strategies and for users to evaluate different vendors capabilities, competitive differentiation and its market position, the report read. The process mining vendors assessed in the report include Appian, Celonis, IBM, Microsoft, Pegasystems and SAP Signavio.

“Process mining helps organizations to analyze, identify, automate and monitor event logs and real-time systems data to enhance end-to-end operational business processes, where it includes a dynamic set of tools to capture data across an organization’s IT systems and varied data sources. This helps organizations to identify gaps in business processes and solve issues that could impact the performance of these business processes,” according to QKS Group.

Watch Tony Benedict, president of the Association of BPM Professionals International, reflect on breaking down silos in process management

Six Sigma methodology enhances airline operations in six key areas

A new research paper illustrated how the Six Sigma process improvement methodology define, measure, analysis, implementation and control (DMAIC) can be applied to improve the service operations of the airline industry. “Through the six sigma methodology, we provide an improvement in the following six critical passenger-defined quality metrics: accident rate, casualty rate, flight delay rate, flight cancellation rate, baggage irregularity rate and denied boarding rate,” wrote the authors.

The research methods consisted of data collection from several sources such as SITA, US aviation consumer reports and aviation accident statistics from multiple sources. “Our results indicate airlines can save billions of dollars annually once six sigma operational processes are reached,” the researchers added. “We present a new approach to set an internal benchmark and determine the tolerance level when measuring airlines’ (international and domestic) operational standards.”

Watch Sonik Sikka, senior lean operations manager at Sheppard Pratt, explore creating a culture of continuous improvement

Partner ecosystems central to business innovation and transformation

Partner ecosystems play a central role in business growth and innovation, according to a new study by KPMG LLP. The audit, tax and advisory firm surveyed 258 US businesses leaders with 75 percent of respondents stating that ecosystem partnerships are pivotal components of driving transformation and adapting to industry changes by leveraging industry expertise and resources. As a result, 83 percent of those polled plan to expand their partner ecosystem with nearly half expressing an interest in exploring not just traditional partnerships but also technology affiliations, strategic alliances or other collaborative relationships.

Looking ahead, 94 percent of respondents said their organization’s partner ecosystem will serve as an enabler for future expansion, competitive advantage and business resilience. However, 71 percent admitted that aligning goals and expectations among partners is a key challenge, while little more than a third of businesses are consistently measuring the performance of their partner ecosystem. This signals a crucial need for effective performance tracking to ensure seamless partnership alignment and management.

“Companies clearly recognize the value of ecosystem partnerships in achieving their growth strategies,” said Todd Lohr, head of ecosystems and national operations leader for advisory markets at KPMG LLP. “By collaborating with the right partners, organizations can leverage industry expertise, access resources and foster innovation, ultimately positioning themselves for long-term success.”

Watch experts from Johnson & Johnson, Siemens Healthineers and Venera explore the role of technology during organizational transformation

Process mining can revolutionize the judicial system

Researchers in Italy carried out a study to apply process mining techniques to identify the critical elements that affect the duration of judicial trials and establish best practices for enabling more efficient execution. Through process mining analyses and in-depth discussions with Civil Court staff, the academics analyzed trials with the longest duration and those belonging to a specific subject matter to identify peculiar features and inefficiencies that prolong the trials’ duration.

“Our results highlight how innovative tools like process mining can revolutionize the judicial system by providing judges with objective trials data that can support and facilitate the entire trials’ definition,” the researchers wrote. However, many issues, especially related to the little spread data culture and process-oriented approach in courts, are highly present, leading to data inconsistencies and subsequent difficulties in trials’ analysis and interpretation, they added.

Watch Madison Lundquist, principal research lead, process and performance management at APQC, explain process governance 

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