How We Automated a Daily Data Feed Into OnePlan
We built an automated flow that keeps an enterprise client's live data flowing into OnePlan every day. It pulls their live Power BI data, shapes it into the exact CSV format OnePlan needs, and saves a fresh file each morning. The client just downloads it and imports. No exports. No cleanup. No guesswork.
This post explains how the flow works, why we built it, and how you can use the same pattern for your own OnePlan migration.
Two Different Jobs: The Move and the Feed
It helps to separate two things people often blur together.
The first job is the initial migration. This is the one-time move of your project and financial history out of Project Online and into OnePlan. For this client, that work is already done. Their project finances now live in OnePlan.
The second job is the ongoing feed. Some data does not sit still. It grows every day. Cost actuals are the classic example. New rows arrive, and OnePlan needs to see them. This blog is about that second job. We built a flow that keeps the client's live data current in OnePlan, long after the first migration wrapped up.
Both jobs matter. But they need different tools. The migration is a project. The feed is a routine. If you want the full picture of the move itself, read our Project Online retirement migration plan.
Why This Matters After Project Online Retires
Microsoft Project Online retires on September 30, 2026. Many teams are racing to move their data to OnePlan before that date. Most of that data moves once. But live data keeps changing after the switch.
Think about your cost actuals. They update as invoices land and work gets logged. A one-time migration cannot keep up with that. You need a process that runs on its own, day after day. Without it, your OnePlan reports fall behind your real numbers.
That gap is exactly what we closed for this client.
The Challenge: Live Data That Never Stops Growing
The client kept their financial data in live Power BI semantic models. This is an important detail. The data is not stored on a local server. It sits in direct semantic models, connected straight to the source. There is no second copy floating around.
The data changes daily. One day a table holds 10 rows. The next day the client adds two more. Now it holds 12. This happens again and again.
The client wanted their newest data inside OnePlan without manual work. But there was a catch. OnePlan imports data through its connector, and that connector accepts only one file type: CSV. So the live model data had to become a clean CSV. And it had to stay current every single day.
Doing that by hand would eat hours each week. Someone would open Power BI, export a table, fix the format, save the file, and upload it. Every day. That is slow, dull, and easy to get wrong. We wanted to remove the human from that loop.
The Solution: A Daily Automated Flow
We solved it with two Microsoft tools the client already owned:
Power BI holds the live semantic model data.
Power Automate moves and shapes that data on a set schedule.
Step 1: Connect to the Live Semantic Model
We built a Power BI report on top of the client's live semantic models. Because the models are direct, the report always shows the newest source data. Nothing is copied or stored twice. When the source changes, the report changes with it.
Step 2: Transform the Data to Match OnePlan
The flow shapes the data into the exact structure OnePlan expects. This is the key detail. The CSV columns line up with the OnePlan import format, one to one. There is no reformatting later. When the client imports the file, it just works.
Step 3: Export a Fresh CSV Every Day
The Power Automate flow runs once a day. It reads the current table and writes it to a CSV file. Every new row in the source shows up in that file. If the client added two rows yesterday, today's CSV holds them. The file is always as fresh as the data.
Step 4: Store the CSV in SharePoint
The flow saves the CSV to a SharePoint Online library. SharePoint keeps a version history by default. So the client also gets a running record of their data over time. Older versions stay available. If they ever need to look back, the history is right there.
Step 5: Import Into OnePlan
The client downloads the latest CSV and uploads it through the OnePlan connector. This is the only manual step, and it takes seconds. They stay in control of when the import happens, but they do none of the prep.
What Makes This Approach Different
Plenty of teams still move data by hand. They export, clean, and upload on repeat. That works until someone is out sick or forgets a day. Then the data drifts.
Our approach removes that risk. The flow does the heavy work every day, without fail. The client does not open Power BI. They do not build exports. They do not touch the formatting. They only download and import when they are ready.
Three things make this reliable:
The source stays live. No stale copies. The report reflects the true state of the data.
The format is pre-built. The CSV already matches OnePlan, so imports never fail on structure.
The schedule is automatic. The flow runs on its own, so nothing depends on memory.
For a full-service rollout, our OnePlan implementation services cover setup, migration, and support from start to finish
A Repeatable Pattern for Future Migrations
This is not a one-off trick. It is a pattern any team can reuse.
If your data lives in Power BI semantic models, you can feed it into OnePlan the same way. The flow runs on its own. Your team keeps its focus on real work, not file handling. And when a project's support window ends, you are left with a process that keeps running.
That last point matters most. We did not just hand the client a file. We handed them a system they own. They can lean on it for years, with no help needed from us. That is the real win: a migration that keeps paying off after the consultants go home.
You can apply the same idea to more than cost actuals. Any table in a semantic model can flow this way. Forecasts, resource data, financial summaries if it lives in Power BI, it can reach OnePlan on a schedule.
Frequently asked questions
Can OnePlan import data from Power BI directly?
Not directly. OnePlan imports through its connector, which uses CSV files. Our flow bridges the gap by turning live Power BI data into a ready-to-import CSV.
How often does the flow run?
Once a day. It brings in the latest source data each time, including any new rows added since the last run.
Does this store a second copy of the data?
No. The report reads live semantic models. The only saved file is the daily CSV in SharePoint, which also serves as a version history.
What data types work with this method?
Any table in a Power BI semantic model can feed a CSV. Cost actuals are a common use, but the same flow fits forecasts, resource data, and other project financials.
Do we need to buy new software for this?
No. The flow uses Power BI and Power Automate, which many teams already own through Microsoft 365.
Is the CSV format hard to match?
We build it to match OnePlan from the start. Once set up, the format stays correct on every run.
Ready to Automate Your Data Feed Into OnePlan?
Manual data handling slows every migration down. We can build the same automated feed for your team, tuned to your data and your schedule. Schedule a consultation and we will map your data path into OnePlan.
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