Transformations – making raw data more valuable
As we have discussed in various places throughout this book, data can be one of the most valuable assets that an organization owns. However, raw, siloed data has limited value on its own, and we unlock the real value of an organization's data when we combine various raw datasets and transform that data through an analytics pipeline.
Cooking, baking, and data transformations
Look at the following list of food items and consider whether you enjoy eating them:
- Sugar
- Butter
- Eggs
- Milk
For many people, these are pretty standard food items, and some (like the eggs and milk) may be consumed on their own, while others (like the sugar and the butter) are generally consumed with something else, such as adding sugar to your coffee or tea, or spreading butter on bread.
But, if you take those items and add a few more (like flour and baking powder) and combine all the items in just the right way, you could...
