Educate-to-Employ: CMU leads the way training the AI workforce of tomorrow with a Process Intelligence program

By: Dr. Vishal Shah, Central Michigan University

When we first introduced Process Mining and later Process Intelligence to the Business Information Systems (BIS) syllabus in 2020, not everyone got it. What makes these tools, techniques, and technologies so important for Central Michigan University (CMU) to teach?

My answer is simple. Anybody who understands process mining, process analytics, or process intelligence understands how a business actually functions and how to optimize it. Given the vast sums being spent on business optimization – $3.4 trillion in 2026 alone according to one digital transformation forecast – this understanding is vital for enterprises accelerating into the AI era. It will therefore be invaluable for students entering a highly competitive employment market.

CMU is committed to giving its students a great education and a competitive edge – the Process Intelligence program provides both.

The Program: Academic excellence and industry engagement

The introduction of Process Intelligence to CMU was made possible by Celonis’ global university cooperation program, the Academic Alliance. Celonis provided CMU with free access to the Celonis Platform, as well as support, expertise, and research collaboration.

The BIS department has always offered a strong business process program, which made Process Intelligence a natural fit. CMU now has eight full-time faculty teaching the course, and has been recognized as a Celonis Academic Center of Excellence in Process Intelligence five years in a row.

The course

Given its broad applicability, we promote Process Intelligence across CMU departments beyond the BIS team (including Supply Chain and Accounting). Our two semester-long courses complement these programs as well as the BIS focus on business infrastructure, ERPs, and information systems. Students access the Celonis Platform to analyze, interrogate, and learn from business datasets. As a result, around 2,000 students have gained accreditation from the Celonis Rising Stars Qualification Program since 2021.

The competition

Beyond the classroom, CMU also runs an annual Process Intelligence Case Competition. Mentored by representatives of major corporations, teams of students use Celonis to analyze real-world datasets and build innovative business strategies. Participants have included the likes of the Dow Chemical Company, Roboyo, PwC, and Infosys.

After two months, teams present their findings to an expert panel of judges. While the winners gain hundreds of dollars in scholarships from Celonis, all participants benefit from the insights and connections built with the industrial partners. This has led to internships and even post-university job offers from the mentoring companies.

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Dr. Vishal Shah, Associate Professor of Business Information Systems and Director of University Alliance Program, Central Michigan University

What makes teaching Process Intelligence so important?

Teaching Process Intelligence has never been more important than it is now – for students, for businesses, and even for universities themselves. Here’s why.

Skills shortage

Consistently, our industry partners tell us that there’s a shortage of people who understand business processes in detail – let alone how to mine them. Today’s jobs are data-intensive; tomorrow’s will be more so. They will require people who aren’t overwhelmed by vast organizational datasets. Front loading students with exposure to real-world data prepares them for this reality and helps them create value.

Competitive advantage

Learning how to use Process Intelligence teaches students critical thinking and systems understanding – recognizing how business processes interconnect through cause-and-effect analysis. Students gain both practical skills (validated by certifications) and the analytical mindset to structure disparate information into coherent solutions. This enables them to define and address problems independently, making them immediately valuable to employers.

AI success

Learning Process Intelligence enables students to explore an essential element for Enterprise AI success: operational context. A compelling 82% of business leaders agree AI can only deliver if it understands how the business runs. This understanding, this context is captured in end-to-end processes. Teaching Process Intelligence provides the longitudinal thinking needed to visualize workflow interdependencies. It shows how siloed departmental data produces isolated insights rather than enterprise-wide solutions that deliver ROI.

A compelling proposition for universities

I would heartily advocate for more universities to teach Process Intelligence. These days, some U.S. colleges are struggling to land their messaging around the value of schooling. When total annual costs average between $25,000 – $65,000 per student, many people are looking for a tangible return on their investment. To maintain a compelling proposition, to stay relevant even, universities have to prove value – especially in the applied domains of business and engineering. Teaching Process Intelligence delivers exactly that, providing students with vital, saleable, and AI-centric skills while fostering close ties with industry.

Empowering the changemakers of tomorrow

In August 2026, CMU was included as a consortium participant in a newly funded NIH R01 project that will apply process-mining methods to identify delays and opportunities for improvement in the deceased-donor kidney allocation process.

This represents a substantial, multi-year federal investment in a project where process mining is central to the research methodology. A methodology often introduced through business-process and enterprise-systems education is being applied to a complex and consequential healthcare problem.

Examples like this showcase how Process Intelligence programs can bridge the gap between theoretical study and practical application. The skills and real-world business understanding it provides form the ideal foundation for successful careers in the AI era.

Explore your academic future at Central Michigan University or discover how major enterprises and institutions have engaged with the Celonis Academic Alliance.