Generating process diagrams from text with AI

Use the AI-powered text-to-process feature to create BPMN process diagrams directly from natural language descriptions. This way, you can quickly transform written process descriptions into visual workflows.

Important: This feature is currently a technology preview. Only English is fully supported.

While it strives for accuracy, generative AI might produce occasional inaccuracies. Exercise caution and make sure that you review and validate the generated output with relevant stakeholders.

Instead of manually building a discovery map and turning it into a diagram, you can directly generate a process blueprint from a text prompt that describes how this process works. Blueworks Live uses AI to generate the corresponding BPMN process diagram and discovery map.

To help you write your prompt, you can use any existing materials such as procedures, meeting notes, or compliance documents. You can also get started with a simple request, for example "Create an employee onboarding process" to generate a generic end‑to‑end process that you can refine later.

This capability accelerates early-stage process discovery and reduces modeling effort, particularly for complex or unfamiliar processes. It supports faster onboarding for teams that are migrating from non-BPMN tools and improves productivity by automating repetitive modeling tasks.

Key benefits include:
  • Speed: Create process diagrams instantaneously. What traditionally required manual placement of each activity, gateway, and connection now happens automatically.
  • Accessibility: Anyone can document processes without needing to learn BPMN notation or diagramming tools first. You can focus on describing what happens, not the technical implementation.
  • Consistency: The AI applies BPMN standards automatically, which helps ensure that your diagrams follow best practices and are easier for others to understand.
  • Iteration: Quickly test different process variations by describing changes in natural language rather than manually redrawing diagrams.
  • Knowledge capture: Transform team knowledge and verbal process descriptions into documented, visual workflows that can be shared and improved.

Procedure

  1. In your Blueworks Live space, click Generate with AI > Process blueprint from text.
    Note: You must be an Editor to use this feature.
  2. In the dialog that opens, describe the process that you want to create (by default, up to 5,000 characters).
  3. Click Generate.

    Your process blueprint is created based on your input, including the discovery map and the process diagram. The model includes common BPMN elements such as activities, gateways, and milestones when they can be inferred from the description. Where applicable, the system also attempts to populate the Work time, Wait time, Cost, and Documentation properties.

After creation, open the Blueworks Live IQ chat assistant to see a reminder of your process description, a summary of the generated process model.

The generated process is automatically tagged as AI‑generated, making it easy to identify its origin.

Best practices

Creating effective prompts is important to generate accurate process diagrams. A well-written prompt clearly describes the process flow (what happens and in what order), roles (who does what), and decision logic (under which conditions). Then, AI can convert these elements into BPMN elements, such as milestones, swimlanes, tasks, gateways, and flows.

The following guidance aims to help you create more efficient prompts, but it is not required for the feature to work.

Define the objective and scope
Start by defining what process you want to model and why:
  • State the goal of the process, for example "customer onboarding" or "invoice approval".
  • Define start and end points.
  • Mention expected outcomes or milestones.

For example: "Model the process of employee onboarding, starting from signing the contract and ending with system access activation."

Structure the process logically and include key process elements
Describe steps in chronological order and break down the process into distinct activities or phases. To generate a meaningful and complete process diagram, specify essential components, such as:
  • Activities / tasks (what is done)
  • Actors / roles (who does it)
  • Start and end events
  • Inputs and outputs
You can also specify advanced elements when relevant, such as:
  • Decision points (gateways) and conditions
  • Parallel steps or branches
  • Exceptions or alternative paths
Be specific and provide context when you can

Use precise wording and include real-world context when possible. Avoid unnecessary ambiguity to improve accuracy of the generated diagram.

For example:
  • Too vague: "Create a purchase process"
  • Good: "Create a purchase approval process where employees submit a request, managers approve or reject it, and finance processes payment."
Balance detail and clarity

Good prompts include all critical steps and dependencies, but are not overloaded with unnecessary details. The goal is clarity: your prompt must be accurate enough to reflect reality, but simple enough to remain readable.

Example use-cases and prompts

Order-to-Cash (O2C) process
  • Simple:
    Create a diagram of the Order-to-Cash (O2C) process.

The process starts when a customer places an order. The order is recorded and checked 
to make sure the information is correct. If needed, a credit check is performed, 
and the order can be approved or rejected.

Once approved, the company checks if the products are available. If not, they are produced; 
otherwise, they are prepared for shipment. 

The goods are picked, packed, and shipped to the customer. After delivery, an invoice is sent.

Finally, the company receives the customer payment and applies it to the invoice. 
The process ends when the order is completed and paid.
  • Complex:
    Design an end-to-end Order-to-Cash (O2C) process, covering the full lifecycle 
from order capture to financial settlement.

The process starts when a customer order is received through a sales channel and recorded 
in the sales system. The order is validated to ensure pricing, customer data, and 
contractual terms are correct.

Introduce a conditional flow to assess whether credit approval is required based on 
customer risk and order value. 
If required, execute a credit check and decide whether the order is approved. 
If credit is not approved, the order is rejected. 
Otherwise, it is released for fulfillment.

Next, check product availability. If items are not in stock, schedule production. 
If they are available, reserve the inventory for the order.

Proceed with fulfillment execution: pick and pack goods in the warehouse, then ship 
them via a logistics provider. Capture proof of delivery as confirmation of successful shipment.

After delivery is confirmed, generate and send the invoice. Then, receive customer 
payment and apply it to the invoice. 
Ensure that potential disputes or deductions are properly managed, and that overdue 
accounts are escalated through collections activities.

The process ends when the order is closed and financially settled. Ensure clear sequencing, 
conditional gateways for decision points, and a logical flow across sales, finance, 
production, warehouse, and logistics functions.
Insurance claim management process
It starts with a customer reporting an incident, followed by claim validation and assessment. 
Based on the evaluation, a settlement is proposed and, if accepted, payment is processed. 
The process ends when the claim is settled.
Patient admission and treatment process in a hospital
Create a patient admission and treatment process for a hospital.

The process starts when a patient arrives at the facility or schedules an appointment. 
Administrative staff register the patient, collect required information, and verify insurance coverage. 
If coverage is not valid, arrange a self-payment agreement; otherwise, continue with the process.

Medical staff then assess the patient’s condition and determine urgency, assign a care team, 
and carry out diagnosis through exams, lab tests, and imaging. 
Based on the results, a treatment plan is developed and executed, with patient records updated throughout.

Include a decision point to determine whether additional treatment is required. If so, continue treatment; 
if not, proceed to discharge planning.

Finally, prepare and complete the patient’s discharge, generate the medical bill, and submit an insurance claim. 
The process ends when the case is closed.

What to do next

After you generate a process, review the diagram carefully to make sure that it reflects how the process actually works. You can interact directly with the chat to refine your diagram and edit activities, adjust flows, add details, and enrich the model as needed. You can also use Blueworks Live standard modeling features.

To use Blueworks Live IQ to modify your process diagram, see Editing process diagrams with Blueworks Live IQ.