What is an ELT data pipeline?

An ELT pipeline is a data processing system that extracts, loads, and transforms data. It is commonly used for moving data across an enterprise into analytics systems. The ELT process involves reading raw data from a source, writing it to a destination, and then modifying the data after storage. This approach differs from ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) where data transformation occurs before loading. ELT has several advantages over ETL, including flexibility in handling changing business needs and data analytics requirements, accessibility of raw data for analysts, and ease of use with tools like dbt.