Microsoft
Migration to Power BI Services
We move reports and users from Tableau, Qlik, SAP BusinessObjects, IBM Cognos, SSRS and other BI tools to Power BI, rationalizing content and validating every key number along the way.
Consolidate BI Without Losing What Works
Many organizations run several BI tools at once, often because different departments chose different products over the years. The result is duplicated licensing, multiple data extracts, inconsistent metrics and fragmented skills. Power BI is a common consolidation target for Microsoft-centric organizations because it integrates with Microsoft 365, Teams, Entra ID and Microsoft Fabric. Moving to it, however, is not a file conversion: each BI tool has its own data model, calculation language and visualization behavior.
Hanoi Technology runs BI migrations as structured programs. We inventory existing content and usage, retire reports that nobody opens, consolidate overlapping reports, and rebuild what remains on shared Power BI semantic models with DAX measures that reproduce the original logic. Every migrated report is reconciled against the source before sign-off, and users are trained to work with the new tool. The result is usually fewer, better reports on a governed foundation.
We plan migrations so that the business never loses access to the reports it depends on. Legacy and Power BI versions run side by side during each wave, owners sign off before anything is switched off, and executives receive a written weekly status covering progress, risks and decisions needed. Because we migrate by subject area, each wave delivers a complete, usable set of reports rather than a partial collection spread across departments.
The Challenge
What Makes BI Migrations Difficult
The issues that commonly derail report migrations.
No Clear Content Inventory
Legacy BI servers often hold thousands of reports, many unused or duplicated. Without usage data, teams migrate everything and multiply the effort. A usage-based inventory is the foundation of a realistic scope and estimate.
Logic Hidden in Reports
Business rules live in Tableau calculated fields, Qlik load scripts, BusinessObjects universes or Cognos packages. Each must be understood and translated into DAX and Power Query correctly.
Different Visualization Paradigms
Pixel-perfect layouts, Qlik associative selections or Tableau-specific chart types do not map one-to-one. Users need alternatives that preserve the insight, not just the look.
User Resistance
Power users who know the old tool well may resist change, especially if the new reports seem less capable at first. Adoption must be planned, not assumed. Champions, early demos and role-based training make the difference.
Business Value
Benefits of Migrating to Power BI
Lower Licensing and Operating Cost
Retiring parallel BI tools and servers removes duplicate licenses, infrastructure and administration.
Consistent Metrics
Shared semantic models replace scattered extracts and per-report calculations.
Microsoft 365 Integration
Reports appear in Teams, SharePoint and PowerPoint, and inherit Entra ID security.
Path to Fabric and AI
Power BI on Fabric connects to OneLake, Direct Lake, Copilot and data agents.
Simpler Skills Strategy
One BI tool means one set of skills, training materials and support processes.
Better Governance
Workspaces, endorsement, sensitivity labels and deployment pipelines bring control to self-service.
Migrate Value, Not Volume
Migration is the best opportunity in years to clean up BI. Usage data typically shows that a large share of legacy reports is rarely used. Retiring and consolidating them first makes the migration faster and leaves a cleaner, more useful catalog.
We also use the migration to fix long-standing problems, such as conflicting definitions of the same metric or reports that only one person understands. Those improvements are agreed with owners up front, so nobody is surprised when a number is calculated more consistently than before.
Our Services
Hanoi Technology’s End-to-End Migration to Power BI Services
Services across every phase of a BI migration.
Inventory and Usage Assessment
We extract metadata and usage logs from Tableau Server, Qlik Sense, BusinessObjects, Cognos or SSRS to list reports, data sources, owners and how often content is used.
- Content inventory
- Usage analysis
- Complexity scoring
Rationalization and Migration Plan
With business owners we decide which content to migrate, consolidate, redesign or retire, and plan waves by department or subject area.
- Disposition per report
- Wave plan
- Business case
Semantic Model Rebuild
We translate calculated fields, load scripts, universes and packages into Power Query transformations and DAX measures on shared star-schema models.
- Shared semantic models
- Translated measures
- Logic mapping document
Report Redesign
We rebuild reports in Power BI, adapting visuals to Power BI strengths, and use paginated reports for pixel-perfect and printable outputs.
- Power BI reports
- Paginated reports
- Design guide
Validation and Reconciliation
We compare key figures between the source tool and Power BI for agreed filters and periods, document differences and resolve them before sign-off.
- Reconciliation checklist
- Validation evidence
- Sign-off records
Adoption, Training and Decommissioning
We train users by role, run office hours, monitor adoption and plan the shutdown of the legacy platform.
- Training program
- Adoption dashboard
- Decommissioning plan
Our Approach
Our BI Migration Method
A wave-based process that keeps the business running throughout.
- 01
Inventory
We collect metadata and usage logs and build a complete catalog of reports and data sources.
Deliverables: Report catalog · Usage statistics
- 02
Rationalize
We agree with business owners which content moves, merges or retires, and set wave priorities.
Deliverables: Rationalized scope · Wave plan
- 03
Build Models and Reports
We rebuild shared semantic models and reports for each wave, with demos to users.
Deliverables: Semantic models · Migrated reports
- 04
Validate and Sign Off
We reconcile numbers against the legacy tool and obtain sign-off from report owners.
Deliverables: Validation results · Sign-offs
- 05
Switch and Retire
We redirect users, provide training and hypercare, and decommission the old tool once usage drops.
Deliverables: Cutover plan · Decommissioning report
Use Cases
Typical Migration Scenarios
Situations in which clients migrate to Power BI.
Tableau to Power BI
A company standardizing on Microsoft moves Tableau dashboards to Power BI, rebuilding calculated fields as DAX measures on shared models. Level-of-detail expressions and table calculations are mapped carefully and validated against the original dashboards.
Qlik to Power BI
Qlik load scripts and set analysis expressions are translated into Power Query and DAX, with associative exploration replaced by slicers and drill-through.
SAP BusinessObjects Retirement
Web Intelligence reports are reviewed, consolidated and rebuilt as Power BI and paginated reports, with universes replaced by semantic models.
IBM Cognos Consolidation
Cognos packages and reports used by finance are migrated to certified Power BI models and paginated reports for statutory outputs.
SSRS Modernization
SQL Server Reporting Services reports move to Power BI paginated reports in the service, removing on-premises report servers. Subscriptions and parameters are recreated so recipients keep receiving the same outputs.
Excel Reporting Replacement
Monthly management packs assembled manually in Excel are replaced by refreshed Power BI reports and subscriptions. Finance staff spend their time explaining results instead of assembling them.
Technology
Migration Tooling and Technologies
Tools we use to analyze, migrate and validate BI content.
- Power BI
- Power BI Report Builder
- Paginated Reports
- DAX
- Power Query
- Tabular Editor
- DAX Studio
- Microsoft Fabric
- Tableau
- Qlik Sense
- SAP BusinessObjects
- IBM Cognos Analytics
- SQL Server Reporting Services
- Deployment Pipelines
- Azure SQL Database
Platforms
Deliver Migration to Power BI on Your Preferred Platform
Why Hanoi Technology
Why Organizations Choose Hanoi Technology
Senior, Cross-Functional Teams
Strategy, data, AI, cloud and engineering specialists work as one team, so nothing is lost between hand-offs.
Proven Delivery
More than 50 projects delivered for clients in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.
Radical Transparency
A written update every week and a demo of working software every sprint, so you always know where things stand.
Cost-Effective Global Delivery
Experienced engineers from our Hanoi delivery hub, with working-hour overlap for every major time zone.
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Plan Your Move to Power BI
Let us assess your current BI landscape and estimate a realistic migration path. Book a free consultation and we will reply within 24 hours.
Migration to Power BI FAQ
Can reports be converted automatically?
Partially. Some tools can help extract metadata and translate simple calculations, but layouts, complex logic and data models usually need to be rebuilt by people who understand both platforms. We use automation for inventory, metadata extraction and validation, and rebuild semantic models and reports manually where that gives better results. Rebuilding on shared models usually produces a cleaner solution than one-to-one conversion.
How long does a migration to Power BI take?
It depends on the number of reports in scope after rationalization, their complexity and the data sources involved. Assessment and planning typically take three to six weeks. Migration waves of a few dozen reports each often take four to eight weeks. Large estates are migrated over several months while both tools run in parallel.
How do you make sure the numbers match?
For each migrated report, we agree on key figures, filters and periods with the owner, then compare results between the legacy tool and Power BI. Differences are investigated and explained, for example rounding, filter logic or data timing. The report is signed off only when the owner accepts the results, and we keep validation evidence for audit.
What about pixel-perfect or printed reports?
Power BI paginated reports, built with Power BI Report Builder, handle pixel-perfect layouts, multi-page tables and exports to PDF or Excel. They are a good match for many BusinessObjects, Cognos and SSRS reports. Interactive analysis moves to standard Power BI reports. We decide per report which format fits best.
Will our users accept the new tool?
Adoption improves when users are involved early, see their own reports in Power BI during demos, and receive role-based training. We identify champions in each department, run office hours during the first weeks and track usage to spot teams that need extra help. Showing improvements, not just replicas, helps win over power users.
Do we need Microsoft Fabric for the migration?
Not necessarily. Many migrations work with Power BI Pro or Premium Per User licenses. Fabric capacity becomes useful when you need to share content with many free-license viewers, use larger models, run paginated reports at scale or consolidate data engineering in OneLake. We recommend licensing and capacity based on your users and content.