What PowerPoint Add-ins Do McKinsey and Big 4 Consultants Actually Use?

What PowerPoint add-ins do McKinsey consultants use? What about Deloitte, EY, and the rest of the Big 4? The answer depends on whether the firm built custom tools or licenses third-party add-ins, and the distinction matters when you are choosing tools for your own workflow.

After 6 years building slides at McKinsey and Deloitte, and testing every major third-party add-in over 8+ weeks each, we have mapped the full landscape: what MBB firms use internally, what Big 4 firms rely on, and which commercial alternatives like Deckary replicate those capabilities for everyone else. For a ranked comparison of all available tools, see our 8 Best PowerPoint Add-ins for Consultants.

What PowerPoint Add-ins Do McKinsey, BCG, and Bain Use?#

MBB firms built proprietary PowerPoint tools that are only available to their consultants. These internal tools handle waterfall charts, formatting enforcement, and slide library management, which are the three capabilities that define consulting-grade slide production.

McKinsey: Marvin Tools#

McKinsey's internal PowerPoint toolkit (historically called Marvin Tools, now evolved into internal slide systems) handles waterfall chart creation, automated formatting (font consistency, alignment snapping, color standardization), slide library access (thousands of pre-built slide templates), and Excel-linked chart updates. Marvin Tools enforces McKinsey's visual standards automatically. When a new analyst joins, the tools ensure their slides look identical to a partner's from day one.

BCG: Cool Macros#

BCG uses an internal macro set built by former consultants. It covers alignment and distribution shortcuts, quick formatting operations (same-size, swap position), chart standardization, and template insertion. PPT Productivity was built by BCG alumni and replicates many of these capabilities commercially.

Bain: Bain Toolbox#

Bain's internal tools focus on formatting consistency, chart creation, and slide reuse. Less is publicly known about Bain's tooling compared to McKinsey and BCG, but the core capabilities are similar: enforcing slide standards and reducing manual formatting work.

What MBB Internal Tools Have in Common#

The key insight: these firms invested in building tools because native PowerPoint is too slow for consulting-volume slide production. The specific features they built tell you what matters most: charting, formatting speed, and consistency.

What PowerPoint Tools Do Big 4 Consultants Use?#

Big 4 firms (Deloitte, EY, PwC, KPMG) take a different approach from MBB. Rather than building proprietary tools, they rely on native PowerPoint with firm-branded templates, supplemented by licensed third-party add-ins where individual teams choose to invest.

Deloitte#

Deloitte provides standardized PowerPoint templates with firm branding and master slides. Most teams use native PowerPoint features exclusively. Some advisory and strategy practices license add-ins like UpSlide for formatting and branding consistency, particularly in financial advisory where deliverable volume is highest.

EY, PwC, KPMG#

Similar pattern: firm-branded templates, style guides, and reliance on native PowerPoint. Individual teams or practices occasionally license tools based on their specific needs: charting add-ins for data-heavy advisory work, formatting tools for high-volume deliverable teams.

Why Big 4 Firms Don't Build Custom Tools#

MBB firms have 10,000-35,000 consultants producing slides as their primary output. Big 4 firms have 200,000-400,000 employees, most of whom don't build slides daily. The ROI on custom tooling is different. Big 4 firms invest in document management and collaboration platforms instead.

Third-Party Add-ins That Replicate Internal Tools#

Several commercial add-ins cover the same ground as MBB internal tools. Here are the ones most relevant to consulting work.

Deckary#

Deckary covers the core capabilities that MBB internal tools provide: AI slide generation with consulting-style structure, waterfall and Mekko charts with Excel linking, 2,000+ icons and flags, keyboard shortcuts for alignment and distribution, and a slide library for reusing templates. It works on both Windows and Mac, inside PowerPoint. Pricing starts at $49/year (Starter) and $149/year (Premium with AI and charts).

PPT Productivity#

Built by BCG alumni, PPT Productivity focuses on formatting shortcuts: alignment, distribution, same-size, swap position. Strong on the productivity side, particularly for consultants who came from BCG and are familiar with Cool Macros. $179/year.

Power-user#

Power-user combines charting, maps, templates, and diagrams in one add-in. Good breadth of features, though consulting chart depth (waterfall, Mekko) is more limited than specialized tools. $105/year.

UpSlide#

UpSlide targets enterprise teams with branding enforcement, template management, and Excel linking. Common in Big 4 financial advisory. Enterprise-only pricing (no individual licenses).

Office Timeline#

Office Timeline specializes in Gantt charts and timelines. Strong for project management slides, but doesn't cover consulting charts or productivity features. $108-249/year.

Choosing the Right Setup#

The right tools depend on what your slides demand.

For most individual consultants and small teams, an all-in-one add-in that covers charting, shortcuts, icons, and AI slide generation is the most practical choice. Enterprise teams with strict branding requirements may need a dedicated branding tool alongside.

How Consulting Slides Are Actually Built#

Beyond tools, the process matters. Both MBB and Big 4 consultants follow structured slide-building practices.

Storylining first: Before opening PowerPoint, consultants outline the narrative using the pyramid principle: conclusion first, supporting arguments beneath. Each slide gets an action title that states the insight, not the topic.

Template-driven: Firms maintain slide libraries with pre-built layouts for common patterns: waterfall bridges, comparison tables, process flows, org charts. Consultants adapt existing templates rather than building from scratch.

One message per slide: Every slide communicates exactly one insight. The action title states it. The body proves it. This discipline is what makes consulting decks readable at speed. See our guide on consulting slide standards for the full formatting rulebook.

Review loops: Slides go through multiple review cycles (manager, partner, client preview). Tools that enforce formatting consistency reduce revision cycles because reviewers focus on content, not fixing font inconsistencies.

Summary#

MBB firms build proprietary tools because slide production is their core output. Big 4 firms use native PowerPoint with templates. Everyone else uses third-party add-ins.

Key takeaways:

1. MBB internal tools are not available externally — but their capabilities are replicated by commercial add-ins
2. Big 4 firms rely on templates and native PowerPoint — supplemented by licensed tools on specific teams
3. Waterfall charts, formatting shortcuts, and slide libraries are the capabilities every firm invests in
4. Third-party add-ins like Deckary cover the same ground as internal tools at a fraction of the cost
5. Process matters as much as tools — pyramid structure, action titles, and one-message-per-slide are universal consulting practices

The tools matter, but the methodology matters more. A great add-in won't fix a poorly structured storyline — but it will make a well-structured deck significantly faster to produce. Start with our consulting presentations guide for the methodology, then choose the tools that fit your workflow.