Data is everywhere. And as more businesses discover its value to their operations, we must not forget that it is accurate data that gets the job done. Poor data quality costs the US economy roughly $3.1 annually.
Data pipelines serve as a conduit between raw information and analysis tools that are able to make sense of it all. A well-built pipeline can automate processes and help your business save time and money while improving efficiency and accuracy.
In this blog post, we will explore what a pipeline is, how to build data pipeline, the key components, why you should build one for your company, and how to construct one if you don’t have much experience with software development.
What is a Data Pipeline?
This is a series of transformations and processes that move information from one step to another. The raw information could arrive from a myriad of sources or be stored in a database.
On the other end of the pipeline, the information is consumed by a wide variety of tools, such as monitoring services, analytics applications, or even visualization tools. The idea behind the pipelines is to connect everything together. They consist of three major components:
- Sources
- Transformation rules
- Destinations
Sources are the endpoints from which the information is retrieved, whereas ‘destinations’ are the endpoints where it is sent.
How Can a Data Pipeline Help Your Business?
It helps you achieve operational excellence in every aspect of your business by enabling you to automate manual, repetitive processes. Implementing a pipeline for your business includes reduced costs, improved productivity, and better insights into your data.
- Reduced costs – A pipeline helps your business minimize costs by automating manual processes. With pipelines, you can reduce the amount of manual work that takes place, lowering the amount of money spent on salaries.
- Better productivity – It helps your employees work more efficiently and productively. It allows them to complete tasks in a shorter amount of time, thanks to automation.
- Better insights – Data is only valuable when it’s ready to be analyzed. Creating a pipeline transforms the raw information into a processed state ready for analysis.
Still not convinced? Read our data pipelines for financial analytics case.
Key Components of a Data Pipeline
The components of a pipeline can be applied regardless of whether you work in structured or unstructured data, what kinds of algorithms you use most frequently, and what types of systems you primarily use.
- Sources – Sources are the endpoints from which the information is retrieved. They are usually databases, files, etc. They are the original locations where information is stored. Also, they’re the places where you keep all your unprocessed information, and one that is ready to be analyzed.
- Processing steps (transformations) – Transformations are the rules and logic that specify how information should be processed. The rules specify what to do with the information at each stage.
- Destinations are where information is sent after the processing is completed. They are the endpoints for further analysis.
A lot goes into building data pipelines from start to finish – especially when it comes to efficiently handling all the different input and output files created at every stage during that process.
How to Build an Effective Data Pipeline
Before diving into the details of creating data pipelines, it’s important to understand that the process is always evolving. It is a continuous process that will see changes and additions as your business grows over time.
Here’s how to create data pipeline:
Define Your Company’s Objectives
Businesses generate data for a variety of reasons, most commonly for operational and analytical purposes. A successful pipeline will blend these purposes to drive business growth across marketing, sales, and operations.
The first step to building an effective pipeline is clearly understanding your company’s objectives. Once you have a good idea of what types of information your company generates, you can start to determine how it can be used to benefit your business. Some examples of the objectives include:
- Retrieving customer infornation for targeted marketing campaigns
- Measuring marketing ROI – Improving customer retention rates
- Improving customer satisfaction rates – How Broscorp Will Help You With Building Data Pipeline
- Improve maintenance practices and prevent service outages
As you can see, collecting and organizing data is only half the battle. The other half is actually being able to make use of this information to drive results for your business. And this is where an effective pipeline comes in.
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use the whole power of data, then contact Broscorp and let us build an efficient custom data pipeline.
Conclusion
Building an effective pipeline takes time, effort, and a strategic approach. While it is possible to collect data manually, this process is time-consuming and will not generate the results that automated solutions can. At Broscorp, we can help you set up an effective pipeline, businesses can leverage data to improve marketing campaigns, enhance customer experience, drive operational efficiency, and more.