Auto-populate powerpoint template with Alteryx

[Jalo]

Hi all,

Inspired by the success of my first post, I am eager to see, what the power of the Alteryx Community can achieve J

We are looking for the ability to compile marketing collateral – in the form of a PowerPoint file.

User flow (app):

1. Select customer
2. Select meeting type
3. Press button and receive powerpoint file, with populated charts and figures. The file must be editable for custom messaging.

So we are looking for a workflow (app) that contains the data model, and the reference to the meeting type templates. Its important, the output keeps the ‘design’ and that the file is editable.

The data model is not the problem here, nor the app input. It’s the creation of the powerpoint file that we haven’t been able to solve yet.

Can it be done with alteryx?

(attached you will find a sketch on the final output)

[JordanB]

Hi @Jalo

Interesting use case here!. I took a look and have managed to build out something with resembles your PPT's.

Hopefully it provides you enough of a framework to build off. The key was to add the record ID to each unique slide you want to create.

Best,

Jordan Barker

Solutions Consultant 

[Jalo]

Hi Jordan,

Thank you for your suggestion, and I appologies for the late reply. We have tried to work with the reporting functionality in Alteryx, after your suggestion, and it is simply too difficult and too rough looking. Its quite important to our 'end user' that the layout will follow our CVI.

So we are still looking for a solution, but manged to find a different approach.

1) we have unzipped the powerpoint

2) located the slides and imported the slide xml file into alteryx, as one string (we dont want alteryx to parse the xml)

3) alteryx happily updates the element values for us (via the formula tool)

4) now we want to save the result as copy of the orginial xml file (with the dynamic elements updated)

5) then we want to zip the pptx file

We have succeed with this approach manually, but we havnt managed to overcome the issues of step 4 and 5 in alteryx.

Anyone have a suggestion of how to do this?

Thanks /Jacob

[JordanB]

Hi Jacob,

Attached is a workflow which zip a csv. I believe you should be able to try this for a ppt output but I haven't tested. 

It does use the run command tool to zip the file via the 7zip utility.

Best,

Jordan Barker

Solutions Consultants

[Jalo]

I have made a solution, that works! Alteryx is awesome.... but this community is giving me quite a hassle!

The workflow is exported to an yxzp format, but the community post keeps rejecting the file. So for now, PM me with your email, and I will send it to you :)

(I am forced to use an old version of IE, IE11 so maybe that is my issue)

/Jacob

[JordanB · Accepted solution]

Hi everyone,

On behalf of @Jalo and team they have successfully used Alteryx to automate their PPT process and I have attached their working example below.

Workflow built in 11.0.

Best,

Jordan 

[sekarsdream]

Hello ,

Is there anyway i can update the values in the powerpoint with Alteryx workflow ? like a macro type.

Regards

Raj

[Prasanna921]

@JordanB Hi, the workflow you uploaded is very helpful to get a good start on automating power point slides. But I am trying to add footer image on each slide, is that possible using Alteryx and in my use case I have dynamic text.

Please find the attached .ppt file for your reference.

Thanks in advance

Thanks,

Prasanna

[Prasanna921]

@JordanB Hi I am trying to add footer images on each individual slide, Unable to add image inside the customized table as I need to be in the same order as per the requirement. Could you please help me ?

Here is the flow and input file.

Thanks in advance

[Manikantha]

@ddiesel, @Prasanna921 Any suggestions on how to avoid overlapping of the sub-heading and the text in the output .ppt file. I have been tring to figure out the solution regarding the overlap of the text box with the sub-headings.