Data integration for analytics is the process of combining data from different applications, in different data formats, from multiple locations, to enable users and systems to more easily identify correlations and gain a fuller view of business or operational performance. Integration begins with the data ingestion process, and includes sequential steps like cleansing, prepping, ETL mapping, and transformation.

For example, customer data integration involves the extraction of information about each individual customer from disparate business systems such as sales, accounting, and marketing, which is then combined into a single view of the customer to be used for customer service, loyalty programs and cross-sell/up-sell opportunities.

As a strategy, data integration is the first step toward transforming raw data into meaningful and valuable information. Data integration allows enterprises to combine data from different applications, in different formats, from different locations to enable analysts and data scientists to more easily identify correlations and insights to gain a better view of business or operational performance.

A data integration platform consists of software that is primarily used and governed by IT professionals. It allows data from different applications, in different formats, and multiple locations to be collected, sorted, and transformed so that it can be applied to various business outcomes. The results can be routed to specific users, business units, partners, applications, or prospective solutions and be viewed in analytical dashboards or reports.

A data flow diagram (DFD) is a way of representing how data flows through a process or system. It includes data inputs and outputs, data stores, and the various subprocesses the data moves through. DFDs are built using standardized symbols and notation to describe various entities and their relationships.

An enterprise data integration for analytics tool comprises of software used to perform data integration processes on data from different applications, in different data formats and from multiple locations. These tools perform cleansing, prepping, transformation, and mapping of data. The most ideal tools should be designed to meet your data integration requirements from edge-to-core-to-multicloud and incorporate a metadata architecture supporting data governance.