In this post, Antti Suanto discusses the major announcement of ‘Translytical’ features in Power BI at Ignite 2024, shedding light on how write-back functionality could transform business analytics applications.

Translytical Fabric (Power BI Write Back): A New Era for Business Analytics

Author: Antti Suanto
Published: 29.11.2024
Reading time: 2 minutes

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Introduction

One of the standout announcements at Microsoft Ignite 2024 was the preview of ‘Translytical’ features in Power BI, highlighted by Amir Netz, CTO of Fabric and the inventor of the VertiPaq engine. Netz described this as the biggest Power BI update since the product’s inception, potentially even more impactful.

The Need for Two-Way Data Interaction

In recent years, business reporting needs have evolved beyond static data consumption. Modern scenarios increasingly demand interactive capabilities, such as:

  • Annotating outliers in production data (e.g., control charts)
  • Fixing ML model classifications
  • Re-running ML models
  • Directly updating datasets

Previously, enabling such interactions required workarounds like embedding Power Apps within a report and configuring connections to external databases, introducing friction and complexity.

‘Translytical’ Features: A Simpler Approach

Microsoft’s new ‘Translytical’ capabilities are aimed at removing these barriers. Key features include:

  • Enabling data updates within reports (write-back functionality)
  • Utilizing Fabric databases, user data functions (e.g., Python user data functions), and Power BI native controls (like buttons)
  • Eliminating the need for external applications or databases

Translytical Apps

Although updating analytical data introduces new design challenges (e.g., data governance, access control, and auditability), the demand for such features is substantial. Organizations can now streamline tasks that previously required custom applications or significant infrastructure.

Broader Implications and Future Outlook

Suanto reflects on the terminology—’Translytical’—expressing uncertainty about the name but optimism regarding its potential. The integration of transactional and analytical operations within Fabric could:

  • Enable large portions of small business applications to be built on Fabric
  • Allow Power BI and Fabric to encroach on territories traditionally held by Microsoft Access and Excel
  • Blur boundaries between transactional and analytical workloads

These features remain in private preview, with further details to be revealed. However, this paradigm shift could fundamentally change how businesses approach reporting, analytics, and lightweight application development within the Microsoft ecosystem.

Additional Resources

For those interested in the background story of Amir Netz and the VertiPaq engine, Suanto recommends an episode of the Insights Tomorrow podcast.

About the Author

Antti Suanto is a Lead Azure Data Architect with over two decades of experience. His expertise covers IT, business, and data analytics, with a particular passion for Microsoft’s analytics platforms. He is known for his results-driven approach and innovative problem-solving.

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