Can Cognos reports be converted to Power BI automatically?

No. Unlike SSRS reports, there is no Microsoft tool that converts Cognos reports to Power BI. The models and reports are rebuilt. The inventory step keeps that work to the reports people actually use, which is usually far fewer than are on the server.

Is Cognos 11 still supported?

IBM ended standard support for Cognos Analytics 11.2 on 30 April 2026. Extended support is available at extra cost until April 2030. Version 12 is IBM’s current release.

Should we upgrade to Cognos 12 or move to Power BI?

If you already pay for Power BI through Microsoft 365 and Cognos is used mostly for standard reports, moving usually costs less over a few years. If you rely heavily on Cognos-only features or have a large team of Cognos authors, upgrading may make more sense. We will lay out both honestly.

What happens to bursting and scheduled reports?

They move to Power BI subscriptions. Per-recipient subscriptions send each person their own version of a report, similar to bursting. For fixed-layout reports this needs a Power BI Premium or Fabric capacity, which we cost into the plan.

What about our Framework Manager models?

The business logic in them, such as joins, calculations, filters and naming, is carried into Power BI semantic models. We document every rule as we go, which often surfaces logic nobody knew was there.

Can we keep pixel-perfect reports?

Yes. Reports that must look and print exactly the same, such as statements, invoices and regulatory returns, become paginated reports in Power BI.

Which Power BI licences do we need?

Report authors need Power BI Pro. Viewers need Pro too unless the reports sit on a capacity, which becomes cheaper once many people read reports. We will recommend the most economical mix for your user numbers.

How long does a Cognos migration take?

It depends on how many reports are still used and how complex the models are, not on the total on the server. Once the inventory is done you get a timeline and a fixed price.

As a fixed-price project agreed before work starts, usually in phases by subject area, so you see results and can stop paying for Cognos sooner.

Cognos to Power BI migration

Why teams are leaving Cognos

Cognos has run critical reports in many organisations for twenty years. Support dates, licence costs and skills are now pushing the decision.

Version 11.2 is out of standard support

IBM ended standard support for Cognos Analytics 11.2 in April 2026. Staying on it means paying for extended support; moving to version 12 means an upgrade project anyway.

Studios that are gone

Query Studio, Analysis Studio and Cognos Workspace stopped at 11.2.4. Reports built in them have to be rebuilt whichever way you go.

A licence on top of Microsoft 365

Many organisations already pay for Power BI through Microsoft 365 and still renew Cognos licences and support every year for the same people.

Skills that are hard to find

Framework Manager modelling and Report Studio authoring sit with one or two people, often contractors. Power BI skills are far easier to hire and train.

Reports people export

Users run a Cognos report, export it to Excel and do the analysis there, because exploring and comparing is slow in the tool.

Servers to look after

Dispatchers, content stores, gateways and Windows updates for a reporting estate that a smaller team now has to keep alive.

Where each part of Cognos goes

Everything you rely on in Cognos has a place in Power BI. This is how we carry it across.

Framework Manager packages and data modules: One Power BI semantic model per subject area, with the same business names, relationships and calculations, documented in plain language.
Report Studio reports with fixed layouts: Paginated reports, for invoices, statements, regulatory returns and board packs that must print exactly as they do today.
Reports people use to explore: Interactive Power BI reports with filters, drill-down and comparisons, so fewer exports to Excel.
Prompts: Report parameters in paginated reports, and slicers or filters in interactive reports, with the same defaults.
Bursting and scheduled jobs: Power BI subscriptions, including per-recipient subscriptions that send each manager their own version, and Power Automate for anything more complex.
Transformer and PowerPlay cubes: The semantic model itself, which handles the same slicing by period, organisation and product without a separate cube build.
Cognos security and capabilities: Workspace roles and row-level security, mapped from your existing groups so each person still sees only their own data.
Query Studio, Analysis Studio and Workspace content: Rebuilt as Power BI reports and dashboards, or retired where nobody has opened them in a year.

From Cognos to Power BI in six steps

01
Inventory

We read the content store and audit data to list every package, report, prompt, schedule and burst, and how often each report is actually run, and by whom.
02
Decide

Each report is marked rebuild as fixed layout, rebuild as interactive, merge or retire with the people who use it. You get a fixed price for the migration before work starts.
03
Model

Framework Manager logic is turned into Power BI semantic models, subject area by subject area, so every report built on them gives the same numbers.
04
Rebuild

Reports are rebuilt in priority order, the most-used first, and each one is checked against its Cognos original on the same dates and the same prompts.
05
Run side by side

Both systems run in parallel for an agreed period. Schedules and bursts are moved across and checked to arrive in the right inboxes.
06
Switch off

Once the numbers match and people are using the new reports, Cognos is switched off, timed around your licence renewal date where possible.

Your data stays where it is

Power BI can read the same databases Cognos reads today, on-premises through the gateway or in the cloud, so the migration does not have to wait for a new data warehouse.

Numbers checked, not assumed

Cognos models often carry years of business rules in filters and calculations. Every rebuilt report is reconciled with the original before anyone relies on it, and any difference is explained in writing.

Finance formats kept

Statement layouts, sign conventions, subtotals and manual adjustments that the board and auditors expect are reproduced exactly, not approximated.

Your team can run it

Models and reports are documented and handed over with training, so your own people can change them without calling us.

Cognos migrations we have delivered

Cognos to Power BI

We have moved a client’s Cognos reporting to Power BI.

The Cognos models and reports were rebuilt in Power BI and checked against the originals before the client switched over. We can talk you through how it was done on a call.

Ask us about it

Another reporting migration · Financial services

Financial reporting migration for 3i

Profit and loss, balance sheet, KPI and reconciliation reporting moved from a legacy BI tool to Power BI on a proper data model, with two reporting bases and manual-adjustment capability preserved.

Read the case study

Questions about leaving Cognos

Can Cognos reports be converted to Power BI automatically?: No. Unlike SSRS reports, there is no Microsoft tool that converts Cognos reports to Power BI. The models and reports are rebuilt. The inventory step keeps that work to the reports people actually use, which is usually far fewer than are on the server.
Is Cognos 11 still supported?: IBM ended standard support for Cognos Analytics 11.2 on 30 April 2026. Extended support is available at extra cost until April 2030. Version 12 is IBM’s current release.
Should we upgrade to Cognos 12 or move to Power BI?: If you already pay for Power BI through Microsoft 365 and Cognos is used mostly for standard reports, moving usually costs less over a few years. If you rely heavily on Cognos-only features or have a large team of Cognos authors, upgrading may make more sense. We will lay out both honestly.
What happens to bursting and scheduled reports?: They move to Power BI subscriptions. Per-recipient subscriptions send each person their own version of a report, similar to bursting. For fixed-layout reports this needs a Power BI Premium or Fabric capacity, which we cost into the plan.
What about our Framework Manager models?: The business logic in them, such as joins, calculations, filters and naming, is carried into Power BI semantic models. We document every rule as we go, which often surfaces logic nobody knew was there.
Can we keep pixel-perfect reports?: Yes. Reports that must look and print exactly the same, such as statements, invoices and regulatory returns, become paginated reports in Power BI.
Which Power BI licences do we need?: Report authors need Power BI Pro. Viewers need Pro too unless the reports sit on a capacity, which becomes cheaper once many people read reports. We will recommend the most economical mix for your user numbers.
How long does a Cognos migration take?: It depends on how many reports are still used and how complex the models are, not on the total on the server. Once the inventory is done you get a timeline and a fixed price.
How is it priced?: As a fixed-price project agreed before work starts, usually in phases by subject area, so you see results and can stop paying for Cognos sooner.

We are a global company

Move from Cognos to Power BI