Make Power BI interactive with writeback in Microsoft Fabric

In a world where data drives business decisions, it is no longer enough to simply visualize information. Companies want to be able to act on their insights directly in the analytics environment. With Microsoft Fabric's writeback functionality, you can transform Power BI from a reporting tool into an interactive platform where users can update data in real time. At Random Forest, we're exploring these possibilities, and in this post we share an example of how writeback can be used to inspire new ways of working with data.

WHY WRITEBACK IN POWER BI?

Power BI is great for visualizing and analyzing data, but traditionally it has lacked the ability to allow users to write back data directly to the source. This has often required manual processes or external tools. With Microsoft Fabrics User Data Functions (UDFs) and translytical task flows, you can now integrate data entry and updates directly into your Power BI reports. This opens the door to more dynamic and efficient data management.

Imagine you're analyzing a budget in Power BI and notice that a figure needs to be adjusted. Instead of leaving the report, updating in another system and reloading the data, you can make the change directly and see the result immediately. This is particularly powerful for scenario planning, budget management and data commenting, where speed and accuracy are crucial.

The monthly budget is updated directly in the Power BI report and the change is reflected in real time.

HOW IT WORKS

• Database: We use a Fabric SQL database to store data on scenarios, budgets, comments, customers and sales.
  
  
• DirectQuery ensures that all data is available in real-time.
  
  
  
• UDFs: Python-based functions handle various operations:
  
  - Budget management: Create or update budget items, with rules that control changes based on scenario status.
  
  - Comments: Add or delete comments associated with budgets.
  
  - Scenario Status: Manage the status of scenarios, such as "Draft" or "Inactive".
  
  - Customer Management: Add or update customer information.
  
  
  
• Power BI Report: Reports serve as the interface where users can run functions via buttons and slicers, while visualizing the results in real-time.
  
  
  

A comment is added to a budget line directly in Power BI and the report is updated.

WHAT CAN THIS MEAN FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

Writeback in Microsoft Fabric opens up a range of possibilities:

✅ Efficiency

-Eliminate manual processes by allowing users to update data directly in Power BI.

✅ Real-time decisions

-Changes are immediately visible, making decision-making faster.

✅ Ease of use

-Interactive reports make it easy for business users to work with data without technical knowledge.

✅ Flexibility

-Solutions can be tailored to suit specific business needs, from budget planning to master data management.

These tools can be used to create a seamless and interactive experience, but the possibilities are much greater. Whether you work in finance, sales or project management, writeback can make your processes more dynamic.

START YOUR JOURNEY WITH RANDOM FOREST

At Random Forest, we are passionate about helping businesses harness the power of data. Writeback in Microsoft Fabric is an exciting step towards more interactive and data-driven solutions. We'd love to discuss how these capabilities can be customized to your needs - whether it's budget management, reporting, or something else entirely.

Contact us to explore how we can take your data management to the next level. Let's talk about what's possible!