Cost pressure
Licence, infrastructure and support costs keep rising while delivery speed does not.
Migration and modernization
Modernise legacy data and BI without losing the business logic behind them.
We help organisations assess, plan and deliver reporting, database and data-platform migrations while protecting business continuity, trusted KPIs and critical workflows.
Business logic preserved
Controlled migration waves
Power BI, Azure SQL and Fabric-ready
Why migrate?
Legacy platforms become expensive long before they stop working.
Migration becomes urgent when licence cost, support risk, cloud requirements, governance gaps and slow delivery start to block business change.
Declining skills
Specialist knowledge is harder to find, and critical logic depends on a shrinking group of people.
Cloud and security requirements
The current platform no longer fits modern identity, governance, integration or compliance needs.
Slow reporting change
New business questions take too long because legacy reports and dependencies are hard to modify.
Consolidation pressure
Multiple BI, database or ETL patterns create duplicate logic and unclear ownership.
Fabric and Power BI readiness
Modern Microsoft platforms need clean ownership, governed models and realistic migration waves.
Migration risk
The visible technology is only part of what must move.
A successful migration moves business logic and trust, not only reports, databases or code.
Hidden business logic
Critical calculations often live inside reports, SQL views, macros or manual checking routines.
Unknown usage
Reports may look important until actual usage, ownership and downstream dependencies are mapped.
Process dependency
Some legacy outputs trigger planning, approval, reconciliation or operational follow-up outside the BI tool.
User trust
A technically successful migration still fails if business users cannot explain why numbers changed.
Cutover risk
Parallel runs, validation windows and rollback options need to be planned before go-live pressure arrives.
Target-platform overdesign
Modernization can become too complex if every legacy pattern is rebuilt instead of rationalised.
Migration approach
Move in phases. Protect business meaning. Retire what no longer earns its place.
We treat migration as a business continuity and rationalisation programme, not a technical rewrite.
- DiscoverCollect reports, models, databases, pipelines, users, owners and known pain points.
- AssessClassify complexity, business criticality, usage, dependencies and validation risk.
- RationaliseDecide what should migrate, merge, redesign, archive or retire.
- DesignDefine the target architecture, governance model and migration wave plan.
- MigrateMove business logic, data flows and reports with controlled validation and cutover.
- Adopt and retireSupport users, stabilise operations and close legacy dependencies deliberately.
Migration scenarios
Modernization rarely means one single move.
The right path depends on business criticality, current architecture, user adoption and how much logic should be preserved, redesigned or retired.
BI platform migration
Move MicroStrategy and Qlik reporting estates toward Power BI where Microsoft alignment makes sense.
Database and warehouse modernization
Modernise on-premise SQL Server or legacy warehouses toward Azure SQL, cloud warehouse or Fabric patterns.
Semantic model modernization
Move business logic from fragmented reports and datasets into governed, reusable models.
Reporting-estate rationalisation
Identify what should migrate, consolidate, redesign, archive or retire before delivery capacity is wasted.
Data integration modernization
Replace fragile or duplicated pipelines with supportable cloud-oriented integration and monitoring.
Fabric transition
Assess workloads for Fabric readiness, capacity, governance and operating model fit.
Migration Assessment
Know the migration before committing to the programme.
An assessment helps clarify scope, dependencies, rationalisation opportunities and the safest sequence before a large programme begins.
Migration inventory
Reports, data models, databases, pipelines and known business owners mapped into a practical inventory.
Dependency map
Upstream and downstream dependencies identified before cutover decisions are made.
Complexity and risk classification
Workloads grouped by value, usage, difficulty, validation needs and business disruption risk.
Rationalisation opportunities
Reports and logic that can be merged, redesigned, archived or retired are separated from must-migrate assets.
Target architecture direction
Power BI, Azure SQL, Fabric, Databricks or hybrid paths are evaluated against real constraints.
Migration waves and validation
A phased roadmap defines migration order, checking approach, governance and ownership recommendations.
Business outcomes
Modernization should reduce business risk, not simply change tools.
The target state should be easier to trust, operate, explain and extend than the system it replaces.
- Lower legacy riskCritical reporting and data processes become less dependent on fragile platforms or scarce specialist knowledge.
- Clearer business logicKPIs, transformations and ownership become easier to validate and explain.
- Reduced reporting estateUnused or duplicated reports can be retired instead of recreated by default.
- More reliable deliveryFuture reporting and workflow needs start from governed platform foundations.
- Safer adoptionBusiness users move through controlled validation, communication and cutover rather than surprise replacement.
Technology
The technology supports the migration story. It should not dominate it.
Power BI, SQL Server, Azure SQL, Microsoft Fabric, Databricks, SSAS, Power Platform and integration APIs can all have a role depending on what must be preserved, modernised or retired.
Related solutions
Migration is often connected to BI, data platform and assessment work.
Some programmes start with BI rationalisation. Others begin with SQL, warehouse or platform modernization. The safest first step is usually a focused assessment.
Related client stories
Relevant migration and modernization work.
Examples where platform foundations, migration planning or reporting modernization were central to the outcome.
Cloud migration
Business-critical SQL Server modernization without breaking daily operations.
Several TBs of daily data movement assessed for a safer Azure target architecture.
Read client story Reporting foundationFrom fragmented reporting to governed business definitions.
SQL Server, Power BI and business dictionaries aligned for enterprise reporting trust.
Read client story Reporting modernizationSales intelligence moved toward governed reporting and market analytics.
Business definitions, source integration and analytics assets made reporting easier to trust.
Read client storyRelated insights
Useful reads before a modernization decision.
Practical resources for teams comparing modernization paths, platform choices and trusted reporting foundations.
Migration
Migration and modernization resources.
Collected resources for BI, SQL, warehouse and platform modernization planning.
Open topic Data PlatformsPower BI, Microsoft Fabric or Databricks?
A practical decision guide for platform fit, maturity and cost.
Read resource Operating ModelThe missing layer in many data platform projects.
Why ownership, monitoring and release routines matter after architecture diagrams are approved.
Read resourceMigration FAQ
Common migration questions.
How long does a BI migration take?
It depends on estate size, usage, hidden logic, validation needs and cutover risk. We usually recommend assessing and phasing the work before committing to a programme timeline.
Should every legacy report be migrated?
No. A useful migration separates must-migrate assets from reports that should be consolidated, redesigned, archived or retired.
Can migration happen in phases?
Yes. Phased migration is often safer, especially where business-critical reports, finance processes or operational dependencies are involved.
How do you validate that the new reports match the old platform?
Validation combines data checks, KPI definition review, sample reconciliation, business owner sign-off and clear documentation of expected differences.
How do you identify unused reports?
We combine usage data, stakeholder review, dependency checks and business criticality rather than relying on a single technical signal.
Can you migrate from MicroStrategy or Qlik to Power BI?
We can assess BI platform migration paths and help move reporting logic toward Power BI where the business case, Microsoft strategy and target operating model support it.
Can you modernise SQL Server without moving everything at once?
Yes. SQL Server modernization can be staged around risk, dependency, workload type, performance and business priority.
How do you reduce business disruption during cutover?
We plan migration waves, validation checkpoints, communication, fallback options and user adoption before the critical cutover window.
Can you work with our internal team and existing implementation partner?
Yes. We can support assessment, architecture, delivery, validation or governance while keeping responsibilities visible across teams.
Migration Assessment
Planning a migration but unsure where to start?
A Migration Assessment helps clarify scope, dependencies, rationalisation opportunities, target architecture and the safest migration sequence before a large programme begins.
Migration Assessment
Clarify the migration before the programme starts.
Send the platform, reporting estate or modernization question as it is. We will help identify the practical next step.