--- title: "Case Study: Reducing Costs by 99.8% with Google BigQuery - Inventive HQ" description: Learn how we helped a company reduce legacy system costs by 99.8% using Google BigQuery and Looker Studio. Optimize costs and streamline your data access! image: https://hs.inventivehq.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/pexels-photo-6266666.webp --- [Skip to content](https://hs.inventivehq.com/blog/case-study-reducing-costs-by-99-8-with-google-bigquery#main-content) ![](https://hs.inventivehq.com/hs-fs/hubfs/InventiveHQ%20Logo%20-%20RectangleWide.png?width=2200&height=1238&name=InventiveHQ%20Logo%20-%20RectangleWide.png)Homepage Get started Get started ![](https://hs.inventivehq.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/pexels-photo-6266666.webp?width=1125&height=750&name=pexels-photo-6266666.webp) Case Studies Analytics GCP # Case Study: Reducing Costs by 99.8% with Google BigQuery ![Sean Conroy](https://7528315.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/7528315/hubfs/raw_assets/public/mV0_d-cms-elevate-theme_hubspot/elevate/images/avatar-placeholder.jpg?width=48&height=48&name=avatar-placeholder.jpg) Sean Conroy November 21, 2024 # 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. ## Share this post [mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fhs.inventivehq.com%2Fblog%2Fcase-study-reducing-costs-by-99-8-with-google-bigquery](mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fhs.inventivehq.com%2Fblog%2Fcase-study-reducing-costs-by-99-8-with-google-bigquery) ## Keep reading ### [![](https://hs.inventivehq.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Beautiful_ai-The-Definitive-Guide-to-Content-Delivery-Networks-CDNs-Slide-1.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&name=Beautiful_ai-The-Definitive-Guide-to-Content-Delivery-Networks-CDNs-Slide-1.jpg) What is a CDN? 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