Cognos to Looker migration, done in weeks, not months

Cognos to Looker migration, done with DashPort. Cognos report migration to Looker starts with a scan of Framework Manager packages, report queries, prompts and schedules. DashPort rebuilds logic that suits LookML in LookML, with expert review. Prompts and cubes go to the Looker or warehouse path that fits each one. Then DashPort checks the Looker output against Cognos before cutover.

Get the free Cognos assessment

SquareShift’s DashPort –
AI accelerated BI migrations

5x
Faster migration
75%
Cheaper migration
100%
Automated validation
26,000+
BI and Looker assets migrated across SquareShift delivery work
100+
BI instances we have worked on
Fortune 500
Clients

The migration risk

Migrating out of Cognos is risky, time-consuming, and hard to justify if done manually.

01

The legacy is too messy for a manual assessment.

Logic is buried in reports, calculated fields, joins, data models, and business exceptions. A manual review will miss things.

02

Most BI migrations overrun by more than 50%.

Hidden work appears late, hard dashboards take longer than planned, and the budget starts moving after approval.

03

Months of work for the same reports is hard to defend.

Spend months, take risk, pull people into review, and end with the same reports in a new tool. That is a hard sell.

04

You may get stuck running two systems.

The old platform cannot be switched off until the new reports are trusted. Until then, teams compare numbers for months.

05

BI consumers do not have time for a long migration.

Consumer teams do not want weeks of validation meetings, reconciliations, and signoff loops on top of their own work.

Important logic is translated into LookML with automation plus expert review.

Source objects map to governed Looker structures. DashPort generates the first pass; SquareShift engineers review every business-critical translation.

  • Logic is mapped, not guessed

  • Experts review what matters

  • Output is validated before cutover

How DashPort moves BI estates into Looker.

  1. Assess

    Connect source BI systems, ingest dashboards and reports, read metrics, filters, and joins, and map calculations and dependencies.

    Effort and risk scored per asset

  2. Decide

    Recommend what to keep, refactor, migrate, and sunset, and surface dead inventory and duplicate reporting.

    Keep / refactor / migrate / sunset

  3. Migrate

    Generate Looker-ready models, views, and dashboards, track generated files and review flags, and keep humans on exceptions and business logic.

    Looker-ready models generated

  4. Validate

    Check the full estate, validate UI parity, data models, calculations, KPIs, and data consistency, then review exceptions before signoff.

    100% automated validation
PROCESS SCREENSHOT 01 · 1600 x 900 image carries its own title, labels and messaging
01/ 08

Validation before cutover

Cognos dashboards are compared with Looker before anyone switches off the old platform.

Manual migration validation

DashPort automated validation

Why it matters at cutover

Eyeballed visualsSide-by-side review misses layout, format, and chart differences.
Screen-by-screen comparisonVisual differences between source and Looker are flagged automatically.
Same dashboard, same trustUsers do not have to relearn their reports.
Sampled filtersThousands of filter and drill combinations. Teams test a handful.
Every combination runSource and Looker results compared for each filter set.
No edge-case surprisesNumbers are proven before users find the gaps.
Totals onlyRow-level and calculated-field gaps hide under matching totals.
SQL-level reconciliationData, calculations, metrics, and KPIs matched at query level.
Finance-grade signoffApprovals rest on reconciled numbers.
Slow regressionEvery LookML fix means another manual retest.
Automatic re-runsEach change is re-validated, with a diff of what moved.
Faster releasesFixes do not reopen signed-off work.
Untested accessRow-level security is rarely checked user by user.
Role-based checksAccess verified by role against source behaviour.
Safe on day oneNo one sees data they should not.
Scattered evidenceResults live in spreadsheets and email threads.
One report per assetPass, fail, and exceptions in one place.
Auditable cutoverThe switch-off decision has a paper trail.
People-bound scaleChecks grow with headcount and pull in BI consumers.
100% automated coveragePeople review only the exceptions.
Time for judgmentStakeholder time goes where it is needed.

Get a free 48-hour Cognos migration assessment before you rebuild anything.

DashPort scans the estate, exposes migration risk, and gives you the roadmap before the program starts.

Get the free Cognos assessment

What you leave withAssessment pack, migration roadmap, and proof plan.

What the assessment includes

  • Source-system inventory
  • Warehouse dependency map
  • Data-model complexity score
  • Report and dashboard complexity score
  • Business-logic risk flags
  • Keep, refactor, migrate, and sunset list
  • Migration waves and quick wins
  • Blockers and manual-review items
  • Cutover-risk view
  • DashPort versus manual estimate
  • Validation coverage plan
  • 2-week POC plan for 10 key assets

2-week POC plan for 10 key assets

Week 1Pick 10 key assets, assess them, and generate the Looker-ready models, views, and dashboards.
Week 2Validate UI, data models, calculations, metrics, and KPIs, then review exceptions with the owners.

Four engagements

Solutions we’ve crafted for our clients.

All case studies
01 / Education Daily Reporting Unified for a Learning Platform's 1.5 Million Learners Read → 02 / Technology Dashboards Refresh in Ten Seconds, Not Hours, for a Recruiting Platform Read → 03 / Technology Learning Progress in Real Time for a Global EdTech Platform Read → 04 / Education Analytics 40% Cheaper and Hours Faster for an EdTech Platform Read →

Credentials and proof

Google Cloud and Looker credentials, plus proof of delivery.

Google Cloud Premier Partner badge
Google Cloud Data Analytics specialization badge
Google Cloud Machine Learning specialization badge
Looker Consulting Partner badge

BI credentials

100+

BI instances we have worked on.

26,000+

BI and Looker assets migrated across SquareShift delivery work.

Fortune 500

Delivery work across Fortune 500 accounts.

Migration performance

4x

Faster BI migrations than manual migration.

12 weeks

Average migration timeline, down from 12 months.

98%+

Migration consistency during validation.

Migrate any BI platform to Looker.

Whatever your reporting estate runs on today, DashPort reads it, translates it, and validates it into one governed Looker model.

Shared
destination
01

Tableau to Looker

A refined path from Tableau to Looker, backed by structured migration accelerators and built for enterprises moving toward a unified data model.

Explore
02

Power BI to Looker

Automated dashboard analysis, semantic model translation, and expert validation for Power BI estates moving into Looker.

Explore
03

Cognos to Looker

A confident shift from Cognos to Looker, using a proven framework to support a governed analytics experience across the business.

Explore
04

WebFOCUS to Looker

A clear upgrade path from WebFOCUS to Looker with validated workflows for organizations modernizing their reporting foundation.

Explore
05

MicroStrategy to Looker

Assess first, then accelerate MicroStrategy migration with automation and expert validation for enterprise-ready reporting.

Explore
06

Qlik to Looker

A Google-aligned move from Qlik to Looker for consistent, scalable BI that adapts to evolving data needs.

Explore
07

Domo to Looker

A guided transition from Domo to Looker with enterprise-grade precision and a path into a governed, AI-ready analytics layer.

Explore
08

Custom BI to Looker

For legacy or custom-built BI platforms, analyze reporting assets and validate every dashboard and metric before production use.

Explore

Questions teams ask before leaving Cognos.

Can Framework Manager packages move to Looker?
Framework Manager packages do not move as package files. Their business logic, joins, calculations, filters, and namespaces are assessed, rationalized, and rebuilt as governed LookML models, views, Explores, and measures. The goal is trusted output and reusable business meaning, not a file copy.
What happens to Cognos report prompts?
Prompts are mapped to Looker filters, parameters, access filters, or LookML logic depending on how the report behaves. Required prompts, cascading prompts, default values, optional filters, and date choices are tested against Cognos output so users do not lose the workflow that controls the numbers.
Can scheduled and burst reports be preserved?
Scheduled reports can usually be rebuilt with Looker schedules, alerts, or delivery workflows. Bursting needs a separate recipient and access review because recipient-specific filter behavior must stay correct. The assessment inventories schedules, recipients, formats, cadence, and failure handling before delivery workflows move.
How are Cognos cubes handled?
Each cube needs a decision. Some cube behavior can move into warehouse models, aggregate tables, LookML aggregate awareness, or governed LookML measures. Some cube-backed reports need a redesigned path if the cube encoded legacy performance, hierarchy, or aggregation behavior that Looker should not copy directly.
Can Cognos and Looker run in parallel?
Yes. Parallel run is useful for validation and user acceptance. Keep it short by testing critical reports, prompt behavior, scheduled outputs, bursting, and access before old Cognos workflows are retired. The switch-off decision should rest on owner signoff and documented exceptions.
How long does a BI migration to Looker take?
It depends on the size and complexity of the estate. The 48-hour assessment scores every asset and sets the migration waves, so you get an evidence-based timeline before any rebuild work starts. DashPort-led migrations run 5x faster than manual rebuilds.
Do we have to migrate every report?
No. DashPort flags dead inventory and duplicate reporting, then recommends what to keep, refactor, migrate, or sunset. Only the reporting that earns its place moves to Looker, which cuts scope, cost, and validation effort.
How do you prove the numbers match?
Every migrated asset is validated against the source: UI parity, data models, calculations, metrics, and KPIs. Owners review a validation report and only the exceptions, so signoff rests on evidence rather than spot checks.
Who does the work, the tool or your engineers?
Both. DashPort automates assessment, LookML generation, and validation. SquareShift engineers review business-critical logic and exceptions, so automation handles the volume and experts handle the judgment.
What do we get from the free 48-hour assessment?
An assessment pack, a migration roadmap, and a proof plan: source inventory, complexity scores, risk flags, keep-refactor-migrate-sunset calls, migration waves, a DashPort versus manual estimate, and a 2-week POC plan for 10 key assets.
Do we need BigQuery to move to Looker?
No. Looker queries your existing warehouse where the data already lives. If you are also modernizing the warehouse, the assessment maps those dependencies so both moves are sequenced together.
Free 48-hour assessment

Ready to move off Cognos? Start with the evidence.

DashPort scans your Cognos estate and returns a scored inventory, migration roadmap, and proof plan in 48 hours, before any rebuild work begins.

Need more than a migration? See our Looker consulting, read about our Looker migration services, or see how we run a Tableau to Looker migration.

Get the free Cognos assessment

You'll be talking to the senior engineer who'd do the work.

Free Cognos assessment