Ingestion

Ingestion, in the context of business intelligence and data analytics, is the first step where data from various sources is collected and brought into a system where it can be processed and analyzed. Imagine all the info a business gets—from website visits to sales receipts—as ingredients for a recipe. Ingestion is like getting all those ingredients onto the kitchen counter before you start cooking. It’s about moving data, not changing it, so the business can then start turning it into useful insights.

This process can involve pulling in data from different places, like social media feeds, online transactions, or customer feedback forms. It’s important because the quality and speed of data ingestion can affect how quickly and effectively a company can make decisions based on that data. If you’re slow to get the ingredients, you can’t cook the meal on time, right? The same goes for businesses—if they’re slow to collect their data, they could miss out on making timely, informed decisions.

Effective data ingestion means setting up a flow that’s both reliable and can handle the volume and variety of data a business encounters. It’s a critical step in building a solid foundation for the powerful data analysis that helps companies understand their performance, predict trends, and stay ahead in their markets.