ETL (Extract Transform Load)
Think of it as
housecleaning for your data. ETL stands
for extract, transform, and load. ETL
is software that enables businesses to consolidate their disparate data while
moving it from place to place, and it doesn't really matter that that data is in
different forms or formats. The data can come from any source.
ETL is powerful enough to handle such
data disparities.
For example, a financial institution might have information on a customer in several departments and each department might have that customer's information listed in a different way. The membership department might list the customer by name, whereas the accounting department might list the customer by number. ETL can bundle all this data and consolidate it into a uniform presentation, such as for storing in a database or data warehouse.

Another way that companies use ETL is to move information to another application permanently. For instance, word-processing data might be translated into numbers and letters, which are easier to track in a spreadsheet or database program. This is particularly useful in backing up information as companies transition to new software altogether.
One important function of ETL is "cleansing" data. The ETL consolidation protocols also include the elimination of duplicate or fragmentary data, so that what passes from the E portion of the process to the L portion is easier to assimilate and/or store. Such cleansing operations can also include eliminating certain kinds of data from the process. If you don't want to include certain information, you can customize your ETL to eliminate that kind of information from your transformation.
The T portion of the equation, of course, is the most powerful. ETL can transform not only data from different departments but also data from different sources altogether
Another way that companies
use ETL is to move information to
another application permanently. For instance, word-processing data might be
translated into numbers and letters, which are easier to track in a
spreadsheet or database program. This is
particularly useful in backing up information as companies transition to new
software altogether.
One important function of
ETL is "cleansing" data. The
ETL consolidation protocols also
include the elimination of duplicate or fragmentary data, so that what passes
from the E portion of the process to the L portion is easier to assimilate
and/or store. Such cleansing operations can also include eliminating certain
kinds of data from the process. If you don't want to include certain
information, you can customize your ETL
to eliminate that kind of information from your transformation.
The T portion of the
equation, of course, is the most powerful. ETL
can transform not only data from different departments but also data from
different sources altogether