Forum Discussion
Fabric Plan - End to End workflow
Hi,
I'm currently evaluating Fabric Planning and would like to understand the intended workflow better.
As I understand it, the flow could look something like this: I create my plan (e.g. a budget or forecast) in Fabric Planning, write the data back to Fabric, and then use it in Power BI reports alongside actuals. Is that how Microsoft intends the product to be used?
If not, could you describe the recommended end-to-end workflow, from creating a plan to using the results in reporting?
Thanks in advance!
7 Replies
- tayloramy
Super User
There's a Reactor session about this tomorrow!
From Insight to “What If?”: Planning in Microsoft Fabric (Option 1) | Microsoft ReactorCome join and we'll talk all about what Planning is and how to use it
Sounds great! Since I’m based in Sweden, 2 o’clock is unfortunately a bit early for me. Will there be a recording available to watch afterwards?
- AvdBerg
Resolver II
Roughly yes, order would be a little different. The flow would roughly look like this with a Semantic model.
Semantic model -> Create Plan item -> Connect to Semantic model -> Enter Budget or Forecast for example, run approval flows -> Configure writeback -> Destination (Fabric SQL DB)The Tutorial below helped me get up to speed
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/iq/plan/planning-tutorial/planning/tutorial-0-introductionHopefully this helps you.
Did I answer your question, please mark the post as a solution or consider a like.
Hi AvdBerg
Thanks for your answer.I had already worked through the Microsoft Learn documentation on Planning, and my setup looks exactly like yours.
I have a couple of questions about the next step:
1. Once the planning data has landed in the destination (the SQL database), is the intended approach to bring that planning table back into the semantic model, so it can be used in Power BI alongside the actuals?
2. When I add the destination in writeback, I get a prompt asking whether I want to add the destination table directly to the semantic model (Recommended). I'm not sure how this is supposed to work, since my writeback table doesn't have any keys I can use to create a relationship to the rest of the model. How is the table meant to connect to the existing tables?
Thanks in advance!
Karl
- AvdBerg
- After it is loaded in the SQL DB you can take it where ever you need, Semantic model, Data agent or other workloads.
- If you dont have a key creating that relationship is harder, but i would suggest attend the session tayloramy mentioned. and look if you can ask the question in the session, as im not sure at the moment.
Thank you so much for your answer.
I keep going on one more final question as I'm still a bit confused over the workflow:
As I understand it, the starting point is a Power BI report connected to a semantic model, and Fabric Plan connected to that same semantic model. What I'm unsure about is the next step:
1. Is the idea to send the planning data from Fabric Plan back into the semantic model, so that actuals and plan live together in one Power BI report?
2. Or is the intended way of working to stay inside Fabric Plan and use the Intelligence Sheet and Dashboards there for the reporting?
In short, how does Microsoft want us to work: Power BI as the main reporting layer, or Plan as a self-contained environment for both planning and reporting?
Karl
