Zansa › Answers › Integration and BI tools
What is a data pipeline in plain English?
A data pipeline is an automated process that moves data from where it is created, such as an accounting system or online shop, to a place where it can be analysed, and prepares it along the way. It runs on a schedule so reports stay current without manual exports.
A basic pipeline has three parts:
- Extract: pull data from a source via an API, database connection or file.
- Load: store it in a central location such as a warehouse.
- Transform: clean, join and reshape it into reporting tables.
Good pipelines also include logging, error alerts and tests, so you know when something fails. Without those, a pipeline can break silently and dashboards show stale or wrong data.
Want this applied to your business? Zansa builds dashboards and forecasts for small and mid-sized companies worldwide. Start with a free intro call.
Book a call