Whenever it comes to ETL’s, or the process of “Extract, transform, load,” you are looking to have all of that in forward order. This allows for data to be moved from one database to a data warehouse, and it helps the people who need to analyze and use data to do so even better. However, there are some occasions where you will need to use a reverse ETL tool.
Reverse ETL takes the data from a warehouse where it is typically used for analysis and the advertising platforms, CRM’s, and apps that your business teams and customers can use. Reverse ETL helps people in the data field get closer to operational analytics where the shared understanding between teams is based on the trusted data from the warehouse.
There are plenty of reverse ETL tools out there in the world, but which one will be the best for your needs? Well, there are some factors that you can look at whenever you are comparing the various reverse ETL vendors, and this article is going to break them down.
- Data Connector Quality
To move down the process of reverse ETL or even the process of ETL, for that matter, you need connectors. Connectors move data from the data sources and towards the business apps in reverse ETL, and if the connectors are weak, it is like putting a kink in a hose, you aren’t going to get anywhere. So you need to make sure that the reverse ETL tool has the high-quality connectors that will integrate with all of your business tools.
Specialized connectors are also suitable because while the option to engage in reverse ETL is great, there is no guarantee that the support won’t just fall by the wayside. So instead, focus on a tool that has been doing reverse ETL from the start.
- Sync Robustness
Syncs manage the rules and workflow of how your data travels from the data warehouse to the tools you use. First, you need to know that your sync reliability is always on. No matter what happens, your sync needs to be able to work and sync. Everything should be reliable.
Your data should also have automated and triggered sync scheduling, where you can either ‘set and forget’ with your syncs or trigger them yourself through various means. No one wants to worry about starting their syncs or letting their schedule of syncs control their lives.
- High Observability
Despite working with a tool with the best sync robustness and data connector quality, you might still find that sometimes things don’t work when it comes to your data. However, when things don’t work, your reverse ETL vendor should tell you about the problem and help you take steps to fix it. In addition, the tool should have built-in alerts, integration with the tools you use to receive messages, and rollbacks.
Additionally, having detailed logging can help you figure out what failed and why to see what was successfully synced and what wasn’t. While breakdowns in the reverse ETL process should be very rare, when they do happen, you need to be able to see what the tool is doing and where all your data is going.
- Compliance With Security and Regulations
To make sure everything is working as it should, you need to make sure your reverse ETL tool is tight on security and follows all the regulations. First, the reverse ETL tool should let you own your data, not retain it for longer than they need to. Additionally, your data should remain inside your environment, meet regulatory standards, encrypt your data at rest and in transit, and focus on security.
That way, you can ensure that your data is yours, it is not being stored or copied, and your data will be encrypted in case anything goes wrong.
Picking The Best Tool For Your Needs
You can evaluate tools based on price, what they do for you, or anything else, but if your tool doesn’t focus on all four of the above markers, they will not work for you. You need to be able to see your data, know that it is secure, and know that the syncs and data connectors will be the strongest they can be.
That will allow you to get your data out of the warehouse and into the hands of your team and your customers and know that the process is going to be 100 percent perfect with a strong reverse ETL tool.