ELI5: data pipeline

// eli5

What is a data pipeline?

A data pipeline is like a factory assembly line for information [1][2]. Just like a car factory moves raw materials through different stations to build a finished car, a data pipeline moves raw data through different steps to turn it into useful information [2][3].

Why do we need it?

Companies get data from lots of different places—like customer orders, website clicks, and store sales [3]. A data pipeline automatically collects all this messy data, cleans it up, and organizes it so people can understand it and make better decisions [2].

What happens to the data?

First, raw data comes in from many sources [2]. Then it gets cleaned and fixed (like removing mistakes), rearranged, and finally stored in a safe place like a giant filing cabinet called a data lake [2][4].

Why is this helpful?

Instead of people manually moving data around by hand (which is slow and error-prone), the pipeline does it automatically all the time [4]. This saves companies time and money, and makes sure everyone's working with the newest, most accurate information [3].