If you are in the business world, you have probably heard the term reverse ETL thrown around a few times. But what does it mean? It’s a relatively newer way to access centralized data that may just be the best thing for your company.
Read on to learn everything a beginner needs to know about reverse ETL.
Defining ETL
To define reverse ETL, you will first need to understand ETL by itself. The term ETL as it relates to analytics and data warehousing stands for Extract, Transform, and Load. Simple enough, right? Starting in the 1970s, people began realizing the need to collect data from several separate sources and combine them into one main storage database, or silo.
To do this, companies needed the capability of extracting data from its source, transforming it into a compatible format, and loading the transformed data into your desired location. For years this is all businesses felt that they needed. That is until the invention of reverse ETL.
Defining Reverse ETL
So now we’re up to the main question. What is Reverse ETL? SImply put, it is the reverse operation of a regular ETL that is defined above. Instead of taking data from multiple scattered sources and moving it into one centralized location. Reverse ETL allows data to go from one centralized location to a multitude of different locations.
The Purpose of Reverse ETL
This begs the question. Why would you need to do that? Essentially, this allows your different departments and teams to access all of the data they need so they can move it into the systems they work with.
For example, your marketing team can now retrieve data, put it into the programs they use, and use it to make informed decisions on how to market your next product. The same goes for all other departments.
How You Can Make the Most out of Reverse ETL
There is a lot that you can do with reverse ETL technology. Among these things are three main possibilities that every company should be taking advantage of. First, you can automate your data eliminating time-consuming manual tasks. Next, you can utilize the seemingly endless benefits of operational analytics. Finally, you can optimize your data infrastructure.
Data Automation Made Possible
If you run a business, you are no stranger to the need for data. This means you are also no stranger to the need for data requests coming from every department. It’s a never-ending cycle of needs whether it’s the finance department, marketing team, or even customer support. Everyone needs data to properly fulfill their duties.
With this need for data comes the need to automate it. Reverse ETL makes it possible to automate data so that these departments can access it with ease. Eliminating the need to manually access it.
Operational Analytics Made Possible
Operational analytics is the key to a successful data-driven business. It allows companies to effectively streamline data, make informed and efficient decisions, get a leg up on their competitors, optimize profit margin, and optimize its relationship with its employees.
Ability to Streamline Data
Efficiency is one of the core ideals that most businesses strive for. Streamlined data access plays a crucial role in efficiency for every department of your business. As mentioned before. Every department is going to need to utilize data. Making it readily available and able to integrate into whatever software they use will streamline their operations and increase the amount that each department can accomplish on any given day.
Cost-Efficient Decision Making Made Easy
It’s no secret that there are plenty of important decisions to make in business. These decisions come in all shapes and sizes but they all depend heavily on one thing, information. When making decisions for the company it is important to be well informed. It can cost lots of time and money to research everything you need and consult with professional agencies about your next steps. A great majority of this can be eliminated with operational analytics.
Get Ahead of Competitors
There’s nothing wrong with a little healthy competition. Especially when you are on top. One major thing that operational analytics does is optimize profit margins, ultimately allowing you to take that extra money and put it towards investments and advancing your company’s products or services. Leaving your competition in the dust.
Optimize Profit Margin
How does it optimize profit margin you ask? Many ways. The main way is data-informed decision-making. Each of your teams can assess the data and pinpoint major and minor flaws in their operations. Fixing these and increasing efficiency can greatly optimize your company’s profits.
Optimize Employee Management and Leadership
Operational analytics also makes it possible for your company to take care of its own. Management teams will be able to take data and use it to create well-informed training manuals, job descriptions, and instructions so that everyone can be on the same page, providing your employees with an organized and efficient work environment.
The Key Ingredient to Data Infrastructure
Ultimately, reverse ETL is a key ingredient to data infrastructure. It gives businesses the capability of accessing disparate data sources and providing top-tier customer service with personalization and optimization of operations.
Bringing Reverse ETL to Your Business
So, now that you have had an introduction into the world of reverse ETL maybe you are thinking, “How do I implement this into my business?” That is definitely the right question to be asking.
There are two main ways to bring reverse ETL into your current operations. First, you and your data engineering team can get to work on building your own software that can accomplish all of this. The only issue with this is that most companies don’t have the resources to accomplish this well. Second, you can outsource.
Investing in a company that specializes in this is often worthwhile. You can genuinely have the best in the data business working for you within the hour if you wish. Whichever route you choose to go, you can be confident that implementing reverse ETL solutions is going to be a great choice for your company.
The Bottom Line
The business world is constantly evolving and progressing with the times. Reverse ETL solutions are just a part of it. In today’s business culture it is crucial for all of your teams to readily have integrable access to all of your company’s data. It undoubtedly will save you time, energy, and money.
The post What is a Reverse ETL? An Introduction for Beginners appeared first on Enterprise Podcast Network – EPN.
