Automated Planning Alerts for Finance Teams — deFacto Notifications

How dF Notify works in deFacto

A finance admin sets up a subscription list in the deFacto model — specifying which data intersections to watch, which users should receive alerts, and where to send them when a value changes. When dF Notify runs, it reads the audit log from the previous execution through to the current moment. For every subscribed intersection where the value has changed, it emails the listed users with a direct link to the relevant report or analysis view.

The Power BI dFModeler visual can also render the notification alongside the planning data, so finance can see the alert and the affected numbers in one place without switching applications. An optional AI summary — available when an OpenAI or Azure OpenAI provider is configured — adds a plain-language explanation of what changed and by how much. The first time the rule runs, it captures the full audit history, so the initial pass reflects everything that has changed in the model up to that point. Subsequent runs look only at changes since the previous execution.

The audit log must be enabled for dF Notify to function. This is a one-time setup step in the deFacto application.

Alerts fire on real data changes, not a schedule

dF Notify detects changes by reading the audit log — the same log that records who changed what, when, and by how much across the connected deFacto model. This means alerts are tied to actual data movement, not a timer. If a value did not change, no alert fires. If three values changed across two different subscribed intersections, the right users hear about both — and only those.

Alert emails reach the right people reliably

Alert emails go out through the configured email service. Invalid or missing user emails are skipped with a warning rather than failing silently, so the admin has a clear audit trail of what was sent and to whom. Each email includes a direct link to the report or planning view most relevant to the change.

Power BI renders the alert alongside planning data

dF Notify integrates with the Power BI dFModeler visual, which can both trigger the notification rule and render the alert output. Finance users monitoring a dashboard can see which subscribed intersections have changed and link directly to the affected planning view from within Power BI — without navigating to a separate notification inbox. This is the same Power BI surface used for write-back, so the alert and the plan live in one place.

An optional AI summary explains the delta in plain language

When an OpenAI or Azure OpenAI provider is configured, dF Notify can generate a brief plain-language summary of the change — what moved, in which direction, and by how much. This is optional and requires LLM provider credentials to be set up in the environment. Alerts without an LLM provider configured still fire with the full data context and report links; the AI summary adds a narrative layer on top of that.

Recognized as a platform AI capability in the industry survey

The industry survey of planning platforms, July 2025 identifies proactive notifications as one of four AI capabilities in the deFacto platform profile — alongside intelligent forecasting, anomaly detection, and user support. Recent developments noted in the survey include AI-based notifications and live write-back from Power BI. These are discrete tools running on a connected model.

Where dF Notify fits in the deFacto AI model

dF Notify is the alert layer that closes the loop between dF Anomaly and the planning team. dF Foresight writes the forecast. dF Anomaly flags drift. dF Notify alerts the right people when a subscribed value — including an anomaly flag — changes. And conversational agents answer questions from the connected model and the knowledge base.

All four run on the same connected deFacto model, so a forecasted value, an anomaly flag, and a notification about that flag all reference the same underlying data. Internal links: AI planning software hub · Compare analysis platforms · Compare Power BI planning options · Compare to Anaplan · Compare to Planful