Export data from Power BI to Anaplan using anaplan connector

Shawnm
Shawnm
in Integrations and extensibility

Is it possible to import data from Power BI to anaplan using the anaplan connector in Power BI or is there some other way?

Tagged:

Best Answer

  • JaredDolich
    JaredDolich
    Answer ✓

    @Shawnm 

    Not directly. I don't think you can use Power BI Direct Query with the Anaplan Connector. You can try one of these options: Have the user "refresh" the dashboard. This will run the export. Or, you can put an Anaplan Connect, or other script like Python or Informatica, to move to the data to a common location like a data lake. Then, instead of directly connecting Power BI to Anaplan, you can point it to the common location that is supported by direct query. Then you can see the updates dynamically, or as often as you run the script to export the data.

     

Answers

  • Ingilavicus
    Ingilavicus

    Hi @Shawnm ,

     

    Usually, PowerBi is an endpoint for data and calculations there are mostly for reporting, so not sure how popular it is to try and get data out of Power BI, but if I had to guess you could try to run a python script as a part in data transformation rules:

    Ingilavicus_0-1612780891174.png

    And try to use one of the many instructions on how to use python to import data that are available on community.

     

    Generally interested to see other ideas. 

     

    Is there anything you do in Power BI to enrich the data that can't be done in Anaplan? Just thinking why would you not use the same source for Anaplan as you would for the initial power BI report? 

  • Shawnm
    Shawnm

    @Ingilavicus Thank you so much  for your reply, I was learning about the Anaplan connector in Power BI and was just wondering if a reverse action , i.e an import from Power BI to Anaplan would work.

  • JaredDolich
    JaredDolich

    @Shawnm 

    Just to add to @Ingilavicus 

    The short answer is not yet. The Power BI connector is one-way for now. Depending on what you're trying to do, you might also look at the Anaplan Excel Add-In as an alternative to Power BI. From Excel you can send data back with the connector. It's amazing. 

  • Shawnm
    Shawnm

    Thank you so much @JaredDolich @Ingilavicus . Also is there an option to schedule the import from Anaplan to Power BI using the Anaplan Power BI connector?

  • Shawnm
    Shawnm

    @Ingilavicus  Could you please post any links to the  article regarding the same. i.e. using python to export data from Power BI to Anaplan

  • Ingilavicus
    Ingilavicus

    @Shawnm , there currently isn't a solution to this. What I was thinking is that if there's no other way and you need to get data from PowerBI in Anaplan you could try to develop it, there are tutorials that show how to use Python code to extract data from power BI in csv, ie this one:

     

    https://sqlitybi.com/how-to-auto-schedule-data-export-from-power-with-pythn/

     

    And for example, @JaredDolich made a nice tutorial on how to load data in Anaplan using Python:

    https://community.anaplan.com/t5/Retail-Knowledge-Base/Automate-Current-Date-Import-Using-Python/ta-p/94285

     

    So you could try to merge certain steps of these solutions to develop the solution that works for you. 

     

    Hope this helps a bit.  

     

  • Shawnm
    Shawnm

    @Ingilavicus Thanks a lot. I will check it out

  • DaanishSoomar
    DaanishSoomar

    Hi Shawn,

     

    I am over at Anaplan Partner Slalom and helped test the Power Bi connector before it went live with Anaplan. Slalom developers partnered with Anaplan on this tool.

     

    Currently there is no way to write back to Anaplan it is a 1 way connection from Anaplan to Power Bi. This may be an enhancement that gets adopted down the road if it’s feasible from a technical development standpoint. You can see that Excel Add-In developed write back functionality. 

    My knowledge with Python is limited but there may be ways where you could create an ecosystem of Anaplan, Power Bi and Excel Add in and leverage the write back functionality with the Excel Add in since its part of the Microsoft line of products. 

  • Shawnm
    Shawnm

    hi @DaanishSoomar 

    Thank you for your reply, I have another doubt. Is the connector limited to Power BI desktop only or can we use the same to connect to Power BI cloud too? If so how can I achieve that? Also I noticed whatever change I make in Anaplan, It takes around 9 to 10 minutes before I can refresh the export in Power Bi to get the changed data. If I try to refresh before that , the data doesn't change even though the export action is run.

    Thanks,

    Shawn

  • DaanishSoomar
    DaanishSoomar

    Hi @Shawnm ,

     

    Yes the Connector right now is designed for Power Bi Desktop. Here is some more information on the Export action behavior you are seeing, it seems like this behavior is mentioned in the documentation. https://help.anaplan.com/5ad24e79-5f2e-4fbb-bbe5-3e910c9c3f49-Run-an-export-action

     

    For more information on the Power Bi Connector here is a resource. https://help.anaplan.com/e1cdf0b7-631f-4cd6-b4df-a5e0927e1ef8-Anaplan-Connector-Power-BI-Desktop

     

    Hope this helps!

     

    Daanish

Categories