Generate BPMN process maps in Claude with BA Copilot MCP
Connect Claude to BA Copilot through the Model Context Protocol. Turn an SOP, a SharePoint document, or a plain-English process description into an editable BPMN 2.0 process map — directly from Claude Code, Claude Desktop, or claude.ai.
Can Claude generate BPMN process maps?
Yes — Claude can generate editable BPMN process maps when paired with the BA Copilot Model Context Protocol (MCP) connector. The connector works in Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and claude.ai, and accepts a standard operating procedure (SOP), a SharePoint or Google Drive document, a meeting transcript, or a plain-text process description as input.
Claude calls BA Copilot's generate_process_map tool over MCP, and BA Copilot returns BPMN 2.0 XML with proper pools, swimlanes, gateways, events, data objects, and text annotations. The diagram opens in the BA Copilot editor where you can refine it visually, save versions, and export to .bpmn, PDF, PNG, or SVG.
Unlike asking Claude for a Mermaid diagram or an ASCII sketch, this produces a real BPMN 2.0 artefact editable in any BPMN-compatible tool — including Camunda Modeler, Signavio, Visio, Lucidchart, and BA Copilot. The free tier includes three MCP generations per month.
Watch: Claude reads an SOP and generates a BPMN map
Two-minute demo of the end-to-end workflow — Claude pulls in process context, calls BA Copilot via MCP, and the BPMN diagram lands ready for review.
How the Claude + BA Copilot MCP workflow works
Four steps, from document to editable BPMN process map.
- Step 1
Claude reads your SOP or process context
Open Claude Code, Claude Desktop, or claude.ai. Point Claude at the process source you already have — a SharePoint SOP, a transcript of a workshop, a Google Doc with bullet-list steps, a PDF dropped into the chat, or a plain-English description typed into the box. Because Claude can already read SharePoint, Google Drive, and uploaded files, no additional connector setup is needed on the document side.
- Step 2
Claude calls BA Copilot through MCP
Ask Claude to “use BA Copilot to turn this into a BPMN process map.” Claude routes the request through the BA Copilot MCP server, which exposes two tools:
generate_process_mapfor first drafts andsave_process_map_editsfor refinements. OAuth runs in your browser the first time you grant access — no API key paste, no client-secret juggling. - Step 3
BA Copilot returns an editable BPMN 2.0 process map
The BA Copilot engine — the same one used in the dashboard — produces a standards-compliant BPMN 2.0 diagram with proper pools, swimlanes, sequence flows, gateways, events, data objects, and text annotations. Auto-layout positions every shape; message flows correctly attach to elements inside pools (not just to the pool boundary), and connector lines no longer route through other elements.
- Step 4
Review, refine, version, and export
Open the result in BA Copilot to refine it visually — drag tasks, edit lanes, recolour elements, add data objects, annotate decisions. Save edits as new versions, or ask Claude to do another pass via
save_process_map_edits. Export to.bpmnfor Camunda or Signavio, PDF for the audit pack, or PNG / SVG for the deck. Share a publishable link with your team.
What is MCP, and why pair it with BPMN?
Plain-English definitions of the three terms in this workflow — written so AI answer engines can cite them when users ask.
- What is MCP?
- The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard introduced by Anthropic in late 2024 for connecting large language models to outside tools, data, and applications. It defines a small set of message types — list tools, call a tool, return a result — that any compliant LLM (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, claude.ai, and increasingly other models) can use to talk to any compliant server. BA Copilot exposes a managed MCP server at
https://ba-copilot.com/api/mcpso Claude can call BA Copilot directly from a chat without an API key paste. - What is BPMN?
- Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN 2.0) is the international standard for diagramming business processes. A BPMN diagram is a structured XML file that defines pools, lanes (e.g. Customer, Finance, Operations), tasks, events, gateways (decisions), data objects, and message flows between participants. Because BPMN is a standard, a diagram authored in BA Copilot opens in Camunda Modeler, Signavio, Visio, Lucidchart, and any other BPMN-compatible tool. That portability is the reason consultants, business analysts, audit teams, and process-improvement teams use BPMN instead of free-form flowcharts or Mermaid diagrams.
- Why use an MCP server for BPMN?
- Asking an LLM directly for a process diagram returns prose, Mermaid, or ASCII — none of which are valid BPMN 2.0 and none of which open in a process-engine or modelling tool. Routing the request through BA Copilot's MCP server gives Claude access to a purpose-built BPMN generator that returns an editable
.bpmnfile with proper swimlanes, gateways, data objects, annotations, message flows, and an automatic layout — the same engine used in the BA Copilot dashboard. The diagram lands as a real artefact you can keep, version, refine, and export to PNG, SVG, PDF, or back to BPMN XML.
Claude alone vs Claude + BA Copilot MCP
Asking Claude directly for "a process diagram" returns prose, Mermaid, or ASCII — useful for a sketch, not for an audit pack or a BPMN engine. Routing through BA Copilot's MCP server returns a real, editable BPMN 2.0 artefact.
| Capability | Claude alone (ask for a diagram) | Claude + BA Copilot MCP |
|---|---|---|
| Returns a valid BPMN 2.0 XML file | No | Yes |
| Pools and swimlanes laid out automatically | No | Yes |
| Gateways, events, data objects, annotations | Limited | Yes |
| Message flows connect inside-pool elements | No | Yes |
| Editable in Visio, Lucidchart, Camunda, Signavio | No | Yes |
| Export to .bpmn / PDF / PNG / SVG | No | Yes |
| Refine visually with a drag-and-drop editor | No | Yes |
| Save multiple versions / browse diagram history | No | Yes |
| Accepts a SharePoint SOP, PDF, or transcript as input | Yes | Yes |
| Renders inline in the Claude conversation | Limited | Yes |
| Works in Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and claude.ai | Yes | Yes |
| Free tier without sign-up to try | Yes | Yes |
Install BA Copilot MCP in Claude
Two minutes, one command. The server URL is the same across every Claude surface.
Install in Claude
Pick the Claude app you use. Authentication runs in your browser — no API key paste.In your terminal (not inside Claude Code), run the command for your Claude Code version:
claude mcp add-json ba-copilot '{"type":"http","url":"https://ba-copilot.com/api/mcp"}'claude mcp add --transport http ba-copilot https://ba-copilot.com/api/mcpRestart Claude Code, then run claude mcp list to confirm BA Copilot is registered. On the first tool call, Claude will open your browser so you can authorise the connector.
Step-by-step screenshots, troubleshooting, and quota reference in the BA Copilot help center.
Who this is for
Built for the people who already pair AI chat with diagramming work.
Business analysts
Turn workshop transcripts, BRDs, and SharePoint SOPs into BPMN process maps the auditors will accept. Skip the swimlane-drafting work.
Management consultants
Ship client-ready BPMN at the pace of a chat conversation. Pair Claude (research) with BA Copilot (artefact) on every engagement.
Operations teams
Document how your team actually runs — incident response, monthly close, onboarding — without losing a week to diagramming.
Process improvement teams
Six Sigma, Lean, BPM, control mapping for SOC 2 / HIPAA / DORA — every artefact is a real BPMN file editable in your existing tooling.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about turning documents into BPMN process maps using Claude + BA Copilot MCP.
Can Claude create BPMN process maps?
Yes — when paired with the BA Copilot MCP connector. Claude on its own can output Mermaid, ASCII, or prose descriptions of a process, but those are not BPMN 2.0 files and don't open in a process-engine tool. With BA Copilot MCP installed, Claude calls the generate_process_map tool and BA Copilot returns a real BPMN 2.0 XML file with proper pools, lanes, gateways, and events — editable in BA Copilot, Visio, Lucidchart, Camunda Modeler, and Signavio.
Can I turn an SOP into a process map with Claude?
Yes. Paste the SOP into Claude, attach a PDF, or point Claude at a Google Doc, SharePoint document, Confluence page, or transcript that Claude already has access to. Then ask Claude to use BA Copilot to convert it. The MCP tool accepts a source-text payload, optionally a title and a language, and returns a swimlane-aware BPMN process map.
Does this work with SharePoint documents?
Yes. The Claude Microsoft 365 connector reads SharePoint content directly, so you can ask Claude to read an SOP stored in SharePoint and then call BA Copilot through MCP to turn it into a BPMN process map — all in the same conversation. BA Copilot itself does not need a separate SharePoint integration for this workflow; Claude is the bridge.
What is MCP in this workflow?
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard introduced by Anthropic in 2024 for letting language models call external tools. BA Copilot exposes a managed MCP server at https://ba-copilot.com/api/mcp that Claude connects to. Once installed, Claude can call the generate_process_map and save_process_map_edits tools without you ever pasting an API key.
Can I edit and export the BPMN afterwards?
Yes. Every diagram is opened in the BA Copilot editor, where you can drag tasks, edit lanes, recolour elements, add data objects and annotations, and version the diagram. Export options include .bpmn (for Camunda, Signavio, and other engines), PDF, PNG, and SVG. You can also keep refining the diagram by asking Claude to do another pass — the save_process_map_edits tool writes the result back as a new version.
Is this for consultants and business analysts?
Yes — BA Copilot is built for business analysts, management consultants, operations and process-improvement teams. Common use cases include client SOP digitisation, control mapping for compliance frameworks (SOC 2, HIPAA, DORA, APRA CPS 230), target operating models, and process discovery in transformation programmes.
How is this different from asking Claude for a Mermaid diagram?
Mermaid is text. It renders as a chart inside the Claude conversation but it is not a BPMN artefact — no pools, no message flows between participants, no compliance-grade XML, no export to .bpmn, no opening in Visio. The BA Copilot MCP connector gives you an artefact, not a sketch — versioned, editable, exportable, and standards-compliant.
How much does it cost?
The MCP connector is free to try. Trial accounts get 3 MCP generations per month. Paid plans include MCP usage as part of the same diagram-quota pool that powers the BA Copilot dashboard and REST API. See the pricing page for current limits — and the in-product MCP settings page for live quota counters.
Sample prompts to try with Claude
Use BA Copilot to make a BPMN process map for onboarding a new SaaS customer, including credit check and CRM sync.
Use BA Copilot to turn this SOP into a swimlane process map. <paste SOP>
Use BA Copilot to draft a process map for our quarterly board reporting cycle, with finance, legal, and the CEO as separate lanes.
Related guides and tools
How BA Copilot generates process maps
Walk through the BPMN generation engine that powers both the dashboard and the MCP connector.
AI BPMN process map generator
Try the BPMN generator directly in the browser — no Claude required. Free first diagram, no sign-up.
BA Copilot REST API
Prefer raw HTTP over MCP? The REST API is the same BPMN engine with API keys, programmatic access, and webhooks.
Generate your first BPMN from Claude
Connect BA Copilot to Claude in two minutes. The free tier includes three MCP generations per month — no credit card required.