Writeback means changing data from inside the report and saving that change to a database. It is the difference between a report that tells you something and a report you can act in.
What it enables
- Budgets and forecasts entered against live actuals.
- Driver and assumption updates that recalculate immediately.
- Master data corrections made by the owner of the record.
- Comments, approvals and decisions recorded with the figure.
How it works
A writeback visual sits on your semantic model and commits entries to SQL Server, Azure SQL or Fabric SQL in real time, recording user, timestamp and version on every row. Row-level security from the report carries through, so nobody can write outside their scope.
Writeback is not a feature of the report. It is the point where the report becomes a system of record.
Design principles
Keep transaction keys on every written row so plan data stays fully dimensional. Use one grid rather than duplicating pages per dimension combination. Version everything, and never overwrite history.
Options in the Microsoft stack
Translytical task flows for single actions, embedded Power Apps for bespoke forms, and packaged visuals such as accoPLANNING, accoMASTERDATA and accoCOMMENT for grid entry, governed master data and commentary.