The challenge
DPG Media, one of Belgium’s leading media companies, faced escalating Snowflake consumption costs due to uncontrolled query launches across a diverse BI environment. Although they had already adopted Looker, their reliance on multiple BI platforms—along with fragmented data management practices—created inefficiencies. With no centralized control over queries, the Snowflake costs soared, and data inconsistencies hampered the business's ability to derive timely, accurate insights.
The solution
As DPG was comparing the different BI platforms, they reached out to us to help them in their decision making. We demoed Looker as an ideal platform and after seeing demos from other vendors and/or partners, Looker came out on top.
To streamline operations and reduce costs, Agiliz led the migration from Tableau to Looker, consolidating DPG Media’s BI environment onto a single platform. Key to this transformation was the LookML model, which provided a modular approach to BI governance. This model not only offered a "single version of the truth" but also improved the overall user experience. Stakeholders across the organization could now trust that data insights were accurate, consistent, and readily available.
Beyond the technical migration, we provided comprehensive training to DPG Media’s business teams, stakeholders, and developers. These training sessions empowered them to build and maintain their Looker environment independently. Best practices in data governance and query optimization were ingrained into their processes, ensuring that future developments adhered to the highest standards. With the LookML model at the core, users could easily build custom reports while maintaining the integrity of the underlying data.
The results
The migration yielded significant financial and operational benefits for DPG Media:
- Cost Savings: The streamlined Looker platform, combined with enhanced query control, led to a substantial reduction in Snowflake consumption costs.
- Improved Self-Service: The new BI environment empowered teams to derive insights faster, with consistent data and a simplified user experience. The unified platform enabled them to leverage LookML for accurate, real-time reporting, significantly improving time to insights.
- Enhanced Governance: The modular LookML model ensured that best practices were applied consistently across all BI developments. This not only maintained the integrity of the data but also facilitated better governance and control over the BI environment.
- Sustainability: By training internal teams to maintain and scale the Looker environment, we ensured DPG Media could continue optimizing their BI practices in the long term without reliance on external consultants.
Through this migration and knowledge transfer, DPG Media now enjoys a leaner, more cost-efficient BI infrastructure that supports rapid, accurate decision-making and future scalability.