BPMN to PowerPoint Generator

Overview

Transforms BPMN 2.0 process diagrams into professional, editable PowerPoint presentations following consulting best practices (McKinsey/BCG standards). Automatically manages complexity by chunking processes into hierarchical slide structures with 8-10 steps per slide.

When to Use This Skill

Converting BPMN process maps to client-ready presentations
Creating stakeholder review decks from technical process diagrams
Generating hierarchical process overviews for executive audiences
Building feedback-ready process documentation

CRITICAL: Read Before Starting

This skill depends on the core pptx skill - ensure you understand the html2pptx workflow
Always validate generated presentations visually before delivering to users
Complex processes (40+ steps) should be reviewed for potential decomposition

Input Requirements

Required

BPMN 2.0 XML file (.bpmn extension)

Supported BPMN Elements

| BPMN Element | Supported | PowerPoint Representation | |--------------|-----------|---------------------------| | <bpmn:startEvent> | ✅ | Green oval | | <bpmn:endEvent> | ✅ | Red oval | | <bpmn:userTask> | ✅ | Rounded rectangle (blue) | | <bpmn:serviceTask> | ✅ | Rounded rectangle (purple) | | <bpmn:exclusiveGateway> | ✅ | Orange diamond | | <bpmn:parallelGateway> | ✅ | Purple diamond with + | | <bpmn:subProcess> | ✅ | Rounded rectangle with border | | <bpmn:sequenceFlow> | ✅ | Connecting arrows |

Optional Parameters

options:
  brand: "default" | "stratfield" | path/to/config.yaml
  max_steps_per_slide: 10          # Default: 10, Range: 6-12
  include_overview: true           # Default: true
  include_decision_summary: false  # Default: false
  feedback_mode: false             # Default: false (adds input zones)
  output_filename: "process.pptx"

Output Structure

The skill generates a multi-slide deck:

Title Slide - Process name and metadata
Overview Slide - Phase-level chevron diagram (max 7 phases)
Phase Detail Slides - One per phase with 3-tier hierarchical layout:
- Level 1 (Chevrons): All phases shown as chevrons, with current phase highlighted
- Level 2 (White Rounded Boxes): Task groups/categories within the phase
- Level 3 (Gray Square Boxes): Individual tasks/activities
- Bullet Points: Detailed descriptions of each task below the boxes
Decision Summary - (Optional) Key decision points listed

Usage

Step 1: Parse the BPMN File

from src.bpmn_parser import BPMNParser

parser = BPMNParser()
process = parser.parse("/path/to/process.bpmn")

print(f"Process: {process.name}")
print(f"Elements: {len(process.elements)}")
print(f"Phases: {len(process.phases)}")

Step 2: Generate the Presentation

from src.slide_generator import ProcessPresentationGenerator

generator = ProcessPresentationGenerator(
    brand_config="default",  # or "stratfield" or path to YAML
    max_steps_per_slide=10
)

output_path = generator.generate(process, "output.pptx")

Step 3: Visual Validation

# Convert to images for review
soffice --headless --convert-to pdf output.pptx
pdftoppm -jpeg -r 150 output.pdf slide

Complete Example

#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""Generate PowerPoint from BPMN file."""

from src.bpmn_parser import BPMNParser
from src.slide_generator import ProcessPresentationGenerator

# Parse BPMN
parser = BPMNParser()
process = parser.parse("rochester-2g-rebuild.bpmn")

# Generate presentation
generator = ProcessPresentationGenerator(
    brand_config="default",
    max_steps_per_slide=10,
    include_overview=True
)

output_path = generator.generate(process, "carburetor-rebuild.pptx")
print(f"Generated: {output_path}")

Design Principles Applied

1. Pyramid Principle (Barbara Minto/McKinsey)

Action titles state the "so what" - complete sentences with insights
Overview before details - high-level view first, then drill down
MECE structure - Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive phases

2. Cognitive Load Management

8-10 Step Limit per slide (based on Miller's research)
Max 7 Phases on overview slide
Progressive disclosure through hierarchical navigation

3. Visual Hierarchy

3-Tier Layout: Each phase slide shows chevrons → rounded boxes → square boxes
- Level 1 (Chevrons): Phase navigation - shows all phases with current highlighted
- Level 2 (White Rounded Boxes): Task group categories - conceptual groupings
- Level 3 (Gray Square Boxes): Individual tasks - specific activities
Bullet points below provide detailed descriptions for each task
Single row per level for clean, scannable layout

4. Consulting Standards

Action titles (not labels)
20-25% whitespace for annotations
Numbered decision points for discussion

BPMN Element Mapping

| BPMN Element | Shape | Default Fill | Border | |--------------|-------|--------------|--------| | Start Event | Oval | #C6F6D5 (green) | #38A169 | | End Event | Oval | #FED7D7 (red) | #E53E3E | | User Task | Rounded Rect | #EBF8FF (light blue) | #3182CE | | Service Task | Rounded Rect | #E9D8FD (light purple) | #805AD5 | | Decision Gateway | Diamond | #FEFCBF (yellow) | #D69E2E | | Parallel Gateway | Diamond | #E9D8FD (purple) | #805AD5 | | Subprocess | Rounded Rect + | #F7FAFC (gray) | #718096 | | Merge Gateway | Diamond | #E2E8F0 (gray) | #718096 |

Brand Configuration

Create custom brand configurations in JSON or YAML format. JSON is recommended for portability.

JSON Style Format (Recommended)

{
  "name": "My Company",
  "colors": {
    "primary": "1A365D",
    "secondary": "2B6CB0",
    "accent": "ED8936",
    "background": "FFFFFF",
    "text_primary": "1A202C",
    "text_secondary": "4A5568",

    "task_fill": "EBF8FF",
    "task_border": "3182CE",
    "decision_fill": "FEFCBF",
    "decision_border": "D69E2E",
    "parallel_fill": "E9D8FD",
    "parallel_border": "805AD5",
    "start_fill": "C6F6D5",
    "start_border": "38A169",
    "end_fill": "FED7D7",
    "end_border": "E53E3E",
    "subprocess_fill": "F7FAFC",
    "subprocess_border": "718096",
    "merge_fill": "E2E8F0",
    "merge_border": "718096"
  },
  "fonts": {
    "title": "Calibri Light",
    "heading": "Calibri",
    "body": "Calibri",
    "sizes": {
      "slide_title": 28,
      "action_title": 16,
      "phase_label": 14,
      "shape_text": 10,
      "footnote": 8
    }
  },
  "layout": {
    "slide_width": 13.333,
    "slide_height": 7.5,
    "margin_left": 0.5,
    "margin_right": 0.5,
    "margin_top": 0.75,
    "margin_bottom": 0.5,
    "shape_width": 1.4,
    "shape_height": 0.6,
    "shape_gap_h": 0.3,
    "shape_gap_v": 0.7
  }
}

Color Properties Reference

| Property | Purpose | Used In | |----------|---------|---------| | primary | Main brand color | Slide titles, active chevrons, level 2 box borders | | secondary | Secondary brand color | Alternating chevrons, gradients | | accent | Highlight color | Call-to-action elements, emphasis | | background | Slide background | All slides | | text_primary | Main text color | Body text, labels | | text_secondary | Muted text color | Subtitles, secondary labels | | task_fill / task_border | Task box styling | User tasks, service tasks | | decision_fill / decision_border | Decision diamond styling | Exclusive gateways | | parallel_fill / parallel_border | Parallel gateway styling | Parallel gateways | | start_fill / start_border | Start event styling | Start events | | end_fill / end_border | End event styling | End events | | subprocess_fill / subprocess_border | Subprocess styling | Subprocesses | | merge_fill / merge_border | Merge gateway styling | Merge gateways |

Pre-built Style Files

| File | Description | |------|-------------| | cfa-style.json | CFA Institute brand (deep blue/purple palette) | | sfc-style.json | Stratfield Consulting brand (navy/gold palette) | | default.yaml | Default blue/orange palette | | stratfield.yaml | Stratfield Consulting (YAML format) |

Usage with Style Files

# Using JSON style file
generator = ProcessPresentationGenerator(
    brand_config="templates/brand_configs/cfa-style.json"
)

# Using preset name
generator = ProcessPresentationGenerator(
    brand_config="stratfield"
)

YAML Format (Legacy)

# brand_configs/my_brand.yaml
brand:
  name: "My Company"

colors:
  primary: "1A365D"
  secondary: "2B6CB0"
  accent: "ED8936"
  background: "FFFFFF"

  # Process element colors (optional - uses defaults if not specified)
  task_fill: "EBF8FF"
  task_border: "3182CE"
  decision_fill: "FEFCBF"
  decision_border: "D69E2E"

fonts:
  title: "Calibri Light"
  heading: "Calibri"
  body: "Calibri"
  sizes:
    slide_title: 28
    action_title: 16
    shape_text: 10

layout:
  slide_width: 13.333  # inches (16:9)
  slide_height: 7.5
  max_lanes: 5
  shape_width: 1.4
  shape_height: 0.6

Phase Detection

The skill detects phases in this priority order:

Explicit XML Comments -  markers in BPMN
Subprocess Boundaries - Each subprocess becomes a phase
Auto-Chunking - Groups of 8-10 elements with breaks at:
- Parallel gateway splits
- Major decision points
- Natural process breaks

Limitations

Maximum 50 elements recommended (larger processes should be decomposed)
Swimlanes not yet supported (single-lane horizontal flow only)
Collapsed subprocesses shown as single shape (not expanded)
Complex nested gateways may require manual adjustment

File Structure

bpmn-to-pptx/
├── SKILL.md                    # This file
├── src/
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── bpmn_parser.py          # BPMN XML parsing
│   ├── process_model.py        # Data structures
│   ├── hierarchy_builder.py    # Phase detection & chunking
│   ├── slide_generator.py      # Main orchestration
│   ├── html_templates.py       # HTML slide templates
│   └── brand_config.py         # Brand configuration loader
├── templates/
│   └── brand_configs/
│       ├── style-schema.json   # JSON schema for style files
│       ├── cfa-style.json      # CFA Institute brand colors
│       ├── sfc-style.json      # Stratfield Consulting brand
│       ├── default.yaml        # Default brand (YAML)
│       └── stratfield.yaml     # Stratfield brand (YAML)
└── examples/
    └── rochester-2g-rebuild.bpmn

Dependencies

This skill requires the core pptx skill and its dependencies:

python-pptx (via pptx skill)
lxml (for BPMN XML parsing)
pyyaml (for brand configuration)

Troubleshooting

"Phase detection failed"

Ensure BPMN file has proper sequence flows connecting all elements
Check for orphaned elements without incoming/outgoing flows

"Too many elements for single slide"

Reduce max_steps_per_slide parameter
Consider splitting the process into subprocesses in the BPMN source

"Gateway layout overlap"

Complex nested gateways may require manual HTML adjustment
Consider simplifying the BPMN structure