Table of Contents
  1. What is a Solution Architect?
  2. The Problem with Enterprise-Level Automatic ETL Platforms
  3. Integrate.io as an Enterprise-Level ETL Tool for Solution Architects
  4. Four Ways Integrate.io Helps Solution Architects Do Their Jobs More Effectively
  5. See How Integrate.io Can Work For You

The work of the solution architect is key to any organization turning big data into actionable business intelligence. As an ETL specialist, you have the skills to do from-scratch coding and custom pipelines from start to finish. An automated solution rapidly increases productivity by replicating common pipelines and reducing coding demands. What makes Integrate.io different from other automated ETL solutions is the applicability to enterprise-level organizations. For solution architects, this means making better use of team resources to get the job done in less time and with greater accuracy, dynamism, and efficiency.

What is a Solution Architect?

ETL solution architects typically have a dynamic skill set that includes coding, modeling, and systems design. Those give the architect the capability to write ETL from scratch in a way that corresponds to business needs. As technology has changed and new ETL tools have entered the market, solution architects have more ways to complete their work with greater efficiency and with more involvement of team members who do not have the same skill set.

In the early days of ETL, the solution architect would hand-code pipelines using a variety of languages, such as SQL and Python. It was a time-consuming and laborious process even for the most experienced computer scientists. This hands-on approach had certain benefits, however. It put all aspects of ETL in the hands of the solution architect, allowing them a measure of innovation and creativity, especially when dealing with a unique business case.

However, the role of the ETL solution architect is changing. Instead of just coding, they work directly with end-users and the broader business intelligence team. They deal with data assessment and analysis, choosing the points that lead to optimal business models. They instruct organization members on the function and utility of ETL. They lead teams of their own, whose jobs it is to process data and produce results on strict timelines.

That means ETL solution architects are doing more, with the same number of hours in a day. That's why most now rely on one of several solutions to expedite the data pipeline production.

The Problem with Enterprise-Level Automatic ETL Platforms

The issue of coding was quickly spotted by solution providers in the early 2010s. It was not long before brands began to offer platforms that promised to take out the grunt work of ETL pipeline creation. These platforms are therefore in many ways in their infancy; competing solutions have worked to find the right balance between control and flexibility on the one hand and a quick and easy process on the other.

Automated ETL solutions generally fall into one of two categories. They are either easy-to-use and affordable, requiring little to no ETL knowledge; or they are expensive and complex, requiring heavy levels of training for data pipeline creators. That has left many enterprise-level organizations with the option to either trust their in-house ETL solution architect to do all of the work, or buy into an ETL platform that is costly and hard to implement.

Integrate.io is the only solution that services enterprise-level organizations in an easy-to-implement, cost-appropriate manner. ETL team leads have more flexibility to allocate tasks when it comes to developing ETL structures and processes for business cases. They don't have to do the coding themselves, and they also don't have to invest too much in team training for others to create pipelines, either.

Integrate.io as an Enterprise-Level ETL Tool for Solution Architects

Today's organizations have diverse data needs. That's true for small businesses and enterprise-level companies. They need a particular dataset to support sales; an analogous set for marketing; and something yet again for customer success. Indeed, these are just three examples. Data is a powerful tool to support internal operations, from planning new expansions to optimizing the allocation of human and financial resources.

ETL helps with this in a variety of ways. First, it opens the door to multiple sets of analytics from the same sets of data. It also helps to parse data to find the points that are specifically relevant to a new strategy or innovation. Transforming the raw data into these comprehensible, actionable models is the role of the ETL solution architect. But despite dealing with new business cases on a daily basis, architects no longer have to do the same work over and over again.

Integrate.io offers the perfect balance between automation and total control. This cloud-native platform has a number of impressive features, including:

  1. Custom-coding options for advanced users who want the freedom to tailor their pipelines to a specific business case
  2. Out-of-the-box transformations appropriate for people with little to no coding experience. This allows the ETL team lead to distribute workloads among those with varying skill sets with no loss of efficiency or pipeline accuracy.
  3. Vast connector capability so it is possible to connect almost any source and destination. This includes 140 native connectors to common databases and warehouses, as well as a REST API connector for custom integrations.
  4. Graphical interface that improves user experience for experienced coders and novices alike.
  5. Security compliance and encryption, hosted using AWS security technology.
  6. Scalability that is virtually limitless, improving the solution architect's ability to perform data transformations of varying sizes and complexities.

Unlike its competitors, Integrate.io offers a no-surprises pricing model that allows for predictable budgeting. That's just another bonus for Integrate.io clients who already love the product for its functionality and accessibility.

Four Ways Integrate.io Helps Solution Architects Do Their Jobs More Effectively

Integrate.io is the ideal tool for solution architects, whether they lead a team or individually take on all of their organization's data pipeline development projects. Here are a few of the ways in which Integrate.io aids in these endeavors.

1) Code-free Interface Lets Solution Architects Distribute Workload

Since solution architects may be the only team members with coding knowledge, Integrate.io's code-free approach makes it possible for SAs to work with others to get the job done on a limited or ongoing basis. As a result, organizations do not have to hire multiple individuals with coding knowledge, and solution architects don't have to teach people how to code. They can distribute tasks to temporary staff or in-house team members when workloads fluctuate.

2) Custom Coding Options for Experienced Users

Unlike other code-free ETL options, Integrate.io offers the ability to write custom code. That means solution architects can move back and forth between the code-free option and implement customizations when it suits them. There's no need to choose between a simplistic ETL that lacks power and a sophisticated program that is complex and expensive. Integrate.io offers a happy medium with its intuitiveness and flexibility.

3) Scalability to Perform Data Pipeline Jobs of Varying Sizes

Solution architects typically have to monitor budgets. Not every ETL solution offers predictable pricing like Integrate.io does. In the absence of an ETL solution with Integrate.io's pricing model, the tasks SAs can take on and when solution architects are often constrained by the dollars involved. Integrate.io is scalable, so pricing is transparent and predictable from period to period. There's no worry about running too many jobs and racking up high ETL platform bills.

4) Built-In Connectors and High-Security Protocols

Since Integrate.io comes with so many native connectors, solution architects don't have to worry about developing custom connections for common databases and apps. At the same time, access to a REST API means solution architects have complete freedom to develop a custom connection as they wish. In addition, all aspects of Integrate.io's platform comply with high security protocols, putting the solution architect's mind at ease as they work with their data.

See How Integrate.io Can Work for You

ETL solution architects have in-depth expertise when it comes to how raw data becomes actionable analytics. You have the knowledge to build these processes from scratch. Learning about the advantages of an automated ETL solution is only part of the journey. Taking the next step and seeing how Integrate.io can improve your data pipelines is the best way to decide if it's right for you. To experience the Integrate.io platform for yourself, contact us for a demo and free trial today.