Budget planning in Power BI works when three things are in place: a semantic model that already carries actuals, a writeback table for plan values, and a visual that lets people type.
1. The writeback table
A simple SQL table holding the plan value plus its transaction keys: period, account, organization, project, scenario and version. Those keys are what make the plan reportable later.
2. The model
The writeback table joins to the same dimensions as your actuals. No parallel planning schema is required, which is why implementation is measured in days rather than months.
3. Entry in the report
accoPLANNING renders an editable grid inside the report. Users filter to their scope, enter or spread values, and save. The write is committed to SQL immediately and the visual reflects it without a full dataset rebuild.
Plan and actual on the same dimensions means variance analysis needs no extra build.
4. Versions and approval
Each entry carries a scenario and version tag, so budget v1, v2 and the approved case coexist and can be compared. Comments from accoCOMMENT attach the reasoning to the row, and the audit history records every change.
What to prepare
- A SQL Server or Azure SQL database you control.
- Agreed dimension keys for plan rows.
- Row-level security roles matching budget ownership.
- A named version convention before the first cycle starts.
