In this blog, we look at why organizations can benefit so much from dbt (data build tool). In doing so, we look at some of its key strengths.
Business intelligence and dbt
With the right information, we make better choices. Business Intelligence (BI) is ultimately about making decisions. That's crucial in a world where many companies are making the most of their data. If there is competition, you can't be left behind, but even nonprofit organizations can better achieve their own goals with the right information.
Sometimes driving is used as a metaphor. By looking at the dashboard, we know how much gas to put on. We can steer by the information we get, but that information has to be correct. It is not enough to make something very clear and insightful. The conclusions do have to be correct and based on the data. That's where dbt can be of great value!
Proven way of thinking
So what is dbt? It is software that allows us to combine and transform data. Both are absolutely essential for gaining insights. Data has to be collected and stored somewhere. Then it also has to be visualized and presented somewhere. Everything in between can be picked up by dbt. The importance of this cannot be overstated, as data often becomes meaningful only in the right form and combination.
What makes dbt good at this? I think part of dbt's strength lies in its philosophy that even in data, the way of thinking of software engineering should be applied. That means, among other things, that everything is recorded in code. Good solutions created with dbt are therefore controllable and scalable. They also offer overview and flexibility because everything can be queried, including programmatically. We therefore see that way of thinking helping many organizations get a grip on their BI.
Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate
Within any organization, collaboration is essential, especially as teams grow. Since everything is code in dbt, versions can be managed. No separate files are needed, the history of a file is preserved, and multiple people can work on the same projects at the same time! It is also possible to see exactly what is happening and changing, even when very many people are working together.
Open source and robust
Finally, dbt Labs, the company behind dbt, develops and maintains the software, but the source code is publicly available (and free). Therefore, developers can see exactly what is happening. They can also suggest improvements, or create their own versions of the software. This ensures that cbt can be developed faster and better validated. In addition, it is also safe and future-proof to use the software: we are not dependent on the whims of one party, but always have a dbt version at our disposal with which to perform our crucial transformations.
At the same time, dbt is a commercial company offering paid cloud services. That's its revenue model. It is a trusted partner of many large companies like Snowflake and Databricks. As the role and importance of dbt grows within the way an organization works, it may be useful to have dbt perform everything automatically, in the cloud. Support may also be desired. All this is possible!
Organizations can benefit greatly from dbt. Contact us with questions and if we can help implement dbt!
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