Migration to Power BI Platform

End-to-end migrations from IBM Cognos® to Microsoft Power BI Platform. Includes Standard Interactive Reports by Power BI Desktop, Paginated Reports by Power BI Report Builder, and innovative AI-assisted migration methods.

The Opportunity

Organizations are increasingly evaluating cloud-native analytics platforms:

  • Cloud-first strategy: Organizations are modernizing to cloud-native analytics platforms
  • Skills evolution: Teams are transitioning to modern analytics tools and methodologies
  • Performance expectations: Users expect faster, more responsive analytics experiences
  • Mobile-first requirements: Modern analytics needs seamless mobile and cloud access
  • Ecosystem integration: Organizations benefit from unified Microsoft cloud services

Organizations need to modernize while maintaining business continuity and ensuring regulatory compliance. Strategic migration planning preserves existing investments while enabling modern analytics capabilities.

Our Approach

Inventory

Complete assessment of your Cognos environment: reports, models, data sources, security settings, and usage patterns.

Mapping

Detailed mapping of Framework Manager models to Power BI datasets, ensuring logic parity and optimal performance.

Parity

1:1 logic replication for key reports, maintaining pixel-perfect layouts for paginated outputs.

Cutover

Seamless transition with zero downtime, comprehensive testing, and user training.

Migration Approaches

We deliver comprehensive migrations using multiple Power BI technologies and innovative methods:

Standard Interactive Reports

Built with Power BI Desktop for modern, interactive dashboards and analytics.

  • • Interactive visualizations
  • • Real-time data refresh
  • • Mobile-optimized layouts
  • • Self-service analytics

Paginated Reports

Built with Power BI Report Builder for pixel-perfect formatted reports.

  • • Pixel-perfect layouts
  • • Print-ready formatting
  • • Regulatory compliance
  • • Traditional report formats

AI-Assisted Migration

Innovative AI-powered tools accelerate complex migrations and optimize outcomes.

  • • Automated report analysis
  • • Smart mapping suggestions
  • • DAX code generation
  • • Performance optimization

Hybrid Approach

Most migrations benefit from a combination of all three approaches. We analyze your Cognos environment to determine the optimal mix: interactive dashboards for modern analytics, paginated reports for compliance and formatted outputs, and AI assistance to accelerate complex transformations and ensure accuracy.

Migration Implementation Process

1

Assessment & Planning

Analyze existing IBM Cognos® reports and plan migration strategy

2

Interactive Reports

Migrate dashboards to Power BI Desktop with enhanced interactivity

3

Paginated Reports

Recreate pixel-perfect reports using Power BI Report Builder

4

AI Enhancement

Add AI capabilities and automated insights where beneficial

What You Get

  • Inventory workbook - Complete catalog of your Cognos environment
  • Mapping matrix - Framework Manager to Power BI dataset mappings
  • Validation pack - Test cases and parity verification
  • Operations runbooks - Documentation and maintenance procedures

Governance & Security

Row-Level Security (RLS)

Complete parity with existing Cognos security models

Workspace Strategy

Organized development, test, and production environments

Deployment Pipelines

Automated deployment with change tracking

Audit Trail

Complete documentation of all changes and decisions

Migration Benefits

🏢

Unified Platform

Consolidate all reporting needs in one comprehensive Power BI environment

💰

Cost Efficiency

Reduce licensing costs and infrastructure complexity

📱

Modern User Experience

Intuitive interfaces and mobile-first design for all user types

🤖

AI-Powered Insights

Leverage Microsoft's AI capabilities for smarter decision making

Platform Comparison

📊Current IBM Cognos® Environment

  • • Multiple separate tools for different report types
  • • Complex licensing and infrastructure costs
  • • Limited mobile experience
  • • Manual insight generation
  • • Separate data models and governance

Unified Power BI Platform

  • • All report types in one integrated platform
  • • Simplified licensing and cloud infrastructure
  • • Native mobile apps and responsive design
  • • AI-powered insights and automation
  • • Unified data model and governance framework

Ready to start your migration?

Request an inventory template and see how we can help assess your environment.

Request Inventory Template