Overview

A mid-sized company transitioned from their legacy accounting system to a modern platform. However, they continued to maintain the legacy system at an annual cost of $50,000 to reference historical customer data such as invoices and payments. This system’s high costs and operational inefficiencies presented a significant optimization opportunity.

Challenges

• High Maintenance Costs: The legacy system required ongoing infrastructure and licensing expenses despite limited use.
• Complexity for IT and Users: The IT team had to maintain SSL certificates, perform backups, and train users on a system that was no longer part of their core workflow.
• User Frustration: The system required accounting users to maintain additional usernames and passwords, as it was not connected to SSO.
• Data Integrity Risks: The legacy system was not truly read-only, leaving room for accidental or intentional data changes.
• Frequent Usage: Despite the transition to a new accounting platform nearly two years earlier, the accounting team frequently needed access to historical data for accounts receivable and accounts payable.

Our Solution

To address these challenges, we designed a solution using Google Cloud’s BigQuery and Looker Studio:

1. Database Migration: The legacy MS SQL database was migrated to Google BigQuery, providing a scalable and cost-effective solution for referencing historical data. No data cleaning or transformation was needed, allowing the migration to be completed in under one week.
2. Streamlined Reporting: We created reports in Looker Studio for quick and efficient access to old invoices and payments, supporting both accounts receivable and accounts payable.
3. Truly Read-Only Setup: The new system eliminated the risk of data modification, ensuring historical records remained intact.
4. Reduced IT Overhead: IT staff no longer needed to maintain the legacy system, manage SSL certificates, perform backups, or train new employees on the old platform.
5. Integration with Existing Tools: BigQuery was selected because the company was already a GCP customer and used BigQuery for other reporting needs.

Results

• Cost Savings: Reduced costs from $50,000 per year to under $100 annually—a 99.8% reduction.
• Operational Efficiency: Eliminated IT maintenance tasks and reduced employee training needs.
• Enhanced Security: The new read-only system removed the risk of accidental or intentional data changes.
• Improved Usability: The accounting team gained fast, intuitive access to historical data via Looker Studio reports.

Scalable Approach

This solution offers a repeatable model for other legacy systems maintained solely for referencing old data. By migrating to BigQuery and creating user-friendly reports, organizations can achieve similar cost savings and operational improvements.

Key Takeaways

This case study demonstrates how leveraging modern cloud tools like Google BigQuery and Looker Studio can dramatically reduce costs and improve efficiency. By transitioning from a complex and costly legacy system to a streamlined cloud-based solution, the company achieved substantial savings while simplifying workflows and improving data security.