Overview
Click here to learn more about ElementsGPT Diagram generation.
Use Cases
There are a variety of use cases for using ElementsGPT to automatically generate a diagram - you don't necessarily need to know what your process should look like when you start!
Remember that these diagrams are generated using AI, and therefore the results need to be validated. Confirming and understanding the real reasons 'why' an activity occurs is up to you!
Brainstorm an unknown process
Say that you are responsible for defining a new process in your organisation and you're unsure of what should be included. Use ElementsGPT to suggest a high level example of what that process should look like. Simply put a short input in the instructions field and let ElementsGPT take it from there.
Start with a really simple, one sentence prompt to guide the GPT engine:
"Draft a marketing process that uses system x to send out product updates emails"
"Generate a sales process for selling to SME customers"
And you will get something like this:
This gives you a really solid starting point for documenting and understanding the new process.
It is also much easier to edit and analyse an existing process than it is to start completely from scratch!
Convert known processes to UPN format
You may have an existing process documented in various different formats; maybe its a PDF file, a BPMN process, a flowchart, a confluence page, or even a set of slides.
We recommend using your choice of 3rd party generative AI tool (this could be OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, Anthropic's Claude, etc.) that supports file uploads. PDFs and Images are particularly helpful in this scenario. Use those files to ask the 3rd party tool for a bullet point summary of the key process in the file.
That summary can then be used as the instructions for ElementsGPT to draw the process as a UPN diagram in Elements.
And the result may look something like this.
In the meantime, watch this space for native file support in ElementsGPT...
Suggest changes to an existing process
Say that you have an existing process, but you are introducing a new system or some changes to the process. Take the previous example of ordering a pizza - say that we are planning to add an app for ordering and payment as an extra user path.
You can use ElementsGPT to feed a summary of the current process in and ask it to generate a new version with some amendments in the key areas.
Simply start by putting a summarisation of the existing process in the instructions field. Then you can specify the changes you want to see to that process.
Example instructions field input:
"I have an existing process for pizza orders:
Customer selects and orders pizza.
Pizza order is received by the pizza shop clerk.
Pizza chef bakes the pizza.
Pizza delivery driver delivers the pizza.
If delayed, customer asks for pizza, and the pizza shop clerk calms them.
Customer pays for pizza upon receipt.
Customer eats the pizza and feels satisfied.
Please modify this process to include both app and phone based orders. Payments can also be done both in person, after the pizza is delivered, or beforehand, when ordering via the app. Generate a process that reflects these user journeys."
And you will end up with something similar to this:
Tips for success
Always review the results. The inputs and outputs might be very high level, or not quite correct. The order of activities might need rearranging or there could be missed steps. It's always good practice to review if the process adheres fully to UPN methodology.
As always with AI, better data = better outcome.
Utilise bullet points - each bullet point tends to get interpreted as a separate activity in the process. Be aware of this if you have a lot of bullet points.
If you have a good idea of the process you want to see, use the instructions to your advantage:
Specify which resources you want to be included
State where the process should start and end
Provide information on specific activities or outcomes, especially if there are decision/split
Good guidance examples include written process documentation or summaries of a process.
Instructions fields with little or no text will generate more generic, high-level diagrams for if you are unsure of where to begin.