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Data engineering

dbt

Transformations written as tested, version-controlled SQL: software engineering for analytics.

  • Data transformation
  • Typical project: 4–8 weeks
  • dbt Labs

Overview

dbt lets analysts write each transformation as a SELECT statement. It works out the order to run them in, tests the results (no duplicates, no unexpected blanks) and generates documentation and lineage.

Because models live in Git, changes are reviewed and deployed like code. dbt created the “analytics engineer” role and is now a standard layer in modern data stacks.

Names you'll meet

  • dbt
  • Snowflake
  • Databricks
  • BigQuery
  • Airflow

What's inside

  1. 1

    Models

    SQL files that build tables and views.

  2. 2

    Tests

    Data-quality checks that run with every build.

  3. 3

    Docs & lineage

    An automatic catalogue showing how every table is built.

  4. 4

    Semantic layer

    Define metrics once and use them in every BI tool.

Is it right for you?

Best for

  • Teams replacing messy SQL scripts and stored procedures
  • Warehouses with many analysts contributing
  • Organisations that want tested, documented data

Think twice if…

  • You expect it to load data; dbt transforms data that is already loaded
  • Your work is mostly streaming or non-SQL processing

Typical projects

  1. dbt project setup and first models4–8 weeks
  2. Refactor legacy SQL into dbt8–20 weeks
  3. Metrics layer for BI4–10 weeks

Typical ranges, not quotes. Scope, data and team size move them most.

Roles you'll hire

  • Analytics engineer
  • Data engineer
  • BI developer
Browse available talent

Questions to ask a vendor

  1. 1How will you structure models (staging, intermediate, marts)?
  2. 2What test coverage will you deliver?
  3. 3How will CI/CD and code review work for our analysts?
  4. 4Do we need the paid platform, or is dbt Core enough?

Find dbt partners

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