Why Process Intelligence belongs in high schools

When we talk about preparing young people for the future of work, we often focus on universities and vocational training. But real transformation happens when we equip students with the mindset and tools before they ever choose a major or a career path.

Today, I’m proud to share a milestone that demonstrates what this vision looks like in practice: Celonis is now integrated into the curriculum of over 100 business-focused high schools in Bavaria, making Business Process Management (BPM) a standard part of 11th graders’ knowledge. More than 100 teachers have started to upskill with Celonis to bring process thinking into the classroom through a consulting simulation for a Pizzeria business.

Bavaria invests into educating a new generation who understand how businesses actually run.

From Bavaria to the World: Institutionalizing BPM in High Schools

For the first time in Germany, BPM has been embedded in the official curriculum (Wirtschaftsgymnasium) rather than treated as a university-level discipline or niche vocational specialization. The outcome is simple but powerful:

• 11th graders now complete a BPM module
• Around 100 schools in Bavaria have adopted it
• 100+ teachers are being trained using Celonis materials
• Thousands of students are discovering how real processes work

The Celonis Academic Alliance has worked side-by-side with educators to make this possible not by introducing “another software tool,” but by helping teachers bring process literacy to life. The centerpiece of the program — the Pizzeria Mamma Mia business case — turns students into consultants tasked with improving a pizza delivery business. They diagnose bottlenecks, propose improvements, and learn how operational data translates into business decisions.

It’s hands-on, engaging, and very real-world. And that is the entire point.

Why High Schoolers Should Learn Process Intelligence

If BPM gives students a map of how work flows, Process Intelligence (PI) gives them a GPS. Process Intelligence is the capability to uncover how processes actually run using data — not assumptions — and then continuously improve them. It has become a critical skill for modern enterprises navigating tight margins, volatile supply chains, and sustainability pressures.

PI is no longer niche: around 900 universities globally teach Celonis-powered process intelligence, training hundreds of thousands of students who now bring PI skills into consulting firms, supply chain teams, finance organizations, and digital transformation programs.

Bringing these concepts into high school matters for three reasons:

1. Systems thinking is foundational: Students learn to see companies as interconnected systems rather than siloed departments.
2. Data literacy begins earlier: Using operational data demystifies analytics and builds confidence long before university.
3. Career pathways become visible sooner: Many students discover consulting, supply chain, or business operations careers that they’d never heard of at age 17.

In short: if we want a future workforce that can make organizations more productive, sustainable, and resilient, we cannot wait until they are 23.

A Signal for the German Economy

This initiative also speaks to a wider issue of economic strategy. Germany is navigating complex macroeconomic challenges: industrial transformation, labor shortages, energy transitions, and digital competitiveness. In times like these, we need not only new technologies, but people who know how to apply them.

Process Intelligence is one of the rare fields where Germany is not just participating in a global innovation wave but is helping to pioneer it. Celonis was born out of academia and as an ex-TUM student venture and has since become a globally recognized leader in process technology. For high school students, learning PI is not simply learning a tool — it’s exposure to a homegrown innovation discipline that blends data, operations, and sustainability.

What This Means for the Future of Education

There is a broader shift happening in education. The next generation will not differentiate between “digital” and “business” skills. To them, they are the same. They expect real-world relevance. They ask for context. They want to understand the purpose..

Integrating Process Intelligence and BPM into high schools is a response to that shift. It aligns with a future in which:

• Operational data is accessible
• Technology complements human judgement
• Students learn through trying (e.g. a software like Celonis), not memorizing

For educators, it signals a willingness to evolve curriculum around real economic and technological trends; and not just 10 years after the fact, but in real time.

The Work Ahead

This achievement in Bavaria is just the beginning. Our mission at the Academic Alliance has always been to democratize process knowledge. Not for the sake of technology adoption, but because understanding how processes run is foundational to solving real problems.

We will continue expanding partnerships with schools, universities, and vocational institutions. We will continue investing in teachers. Most prominently Celonis just vouched to train thousands of high schoolers as part of the White House K12 Initiative of investing in AI education. And we will continue shaping learning experiences that connect students to the world they are about to influence.

Because the bright minds of tomorrow are already sitting in classrooms today. Special mention to our academic facilitators Tobias Tyll and Daniel Müller.