Event abstraction is a technique used to simplify complex process models by grouping related events into higher-level abstract events. This concept can be effectively utilized to improve the readability and manageability of complex process models derived from event logs in the following ways:

1. **Reducing the number of events**: By grouping related events, the overall number of events in the process model is reduced, making it easier to comprehend and analyze.
2. **Hiding irrelevant details**: Abstraction hides unnecessary details, allowing modelers to focus on the essential aspects of the process, making it easier to understand the overall process flow.
3. **Improving model readability**: Abstracting events can help to declutter process models, reducing the number of edges and transitions, and making it easier to visualize the process flow.
4. **Enhancing model interpretability**: By abstracting events, the meaning of the individual events is transformed into a more understandable and domain-specific representation, facilitating better interpretation of the process model.
5. **Supporting hierarchical modeling**: Event abstraction enables the creation of hierarchical models, where abstract events can be further refined into lower-level events, allowing for a nested understanding of the process.

To effectively utilize event abstraction for simplifying complex process models, the following steps can be followed:

1. **Event log analysis**: Start by analyzing the event log data to identify patterns, correlations, and dependencies between events.
2. **Event grouping**: Group related events based on domain knowledge, e.g., by activity name, location, or organizational role.
3. **Abstract event definition**: Define the abstract events that will be used to represent the grouped events.
4. **Abstraction ratio**: Determine the desired level of abstraction, i.e., the ratio of abstract events to original events.
5. **Abstraction rule definition**: Establish rules to define how the original events will be mapped to the abstract events.
6. **Abstraction rule application**: Apply the abstraction rules to transform the original event log into an abstract event log.
7. **Process model creation**: Use the abstract event log to create a simplified process model.

Some common abstraction techniques for event abstraction include:

1. **Activity abstraction**: Group events by activity name, e.g., "relabel events with similar names".
2. **Functional abstraction**: Group events based on functional categories, e.g., " events related to orders" or "events related to payments".
3. **Location-based abstraction**: Group events based on locations, e.g., "events that occur in a specific department or region".
4. **Organizational abstraction