Data Preparation Tools - What they are and what they are for

In Information Technology, data preparation is used to describe the act of manipulating, pre-processing, and formatting a set of raw data (coming from one or several data sources) into a form that can be ingested and analyzed by business intelligence software. From that definition, we can clearly see how data preparation is the first step of a data analysis process.

In this post, we will briefly explain the importance of this kind of task, the type of activities it requires, and some dedicated software solutions - typically known as data preparation tools - that can help us to get the job done.

Data Preparation

In today's data-driven world, businesses and organizations rely heavily on data analysis to make informed decisions. However, before meaningful insights can be extracted, data must undergo a process called data preparation.

Data preparation involves cleansing, transforming, and structuring raw data to ensure its quality, consistency, and suitability for analysis. To simplify and expedite this crucial step, data preparation tools have emerged as essential assets for data professionals. In this article, we will delve into what data preparation tools are, their purpose, and some popular software solutions available today.

What are Data Preparation Tools?

Data preparation tools refer to software applications designed to automate and streamline the process of data cleaning, integration, and transformation. They provide a user-friendly interface and a range of functionalities to help data professionals handle large volumes of data efficiently. These tools often offer features like data profiling, data wrangling, data cleansing, data enrichment, and data integration to ensure that the data is accurate, consistent, and properly structured.

Purpose of Data Preparation Tools

Data preparation tools serve several purposes, including:

• Data Cleaning. Data often contains errors, missing values, or inconsistencies. Data preparation tools help identify and rectify such issues, ensuring the accuracy and quality of the data.
• Data Integration. Data from different sources often need to be combined for analysis. Data preparation tools facilitate the integration of data from various formats and structures, simplifying the process.
• Data Transformation. Data preparation tools enable data professionals to transform data into a consistent format suitable for analysis. This may involve standardizing units, normalizing values, or converting data types.
• Data Enrichment. Data preparation tools allow for the enrichment of data by augmenting it with additional information from external sources, such as geolocation data or demographic data. This enhances the insights derived from the analysis.
• Data Exploration. Many data preparation tools offer data profiling capabilities, which help users understand the characteristics and quality of the data. This exploration aids in identifying patterns, outliers, or potential issues.

Data Preparation Software

Here are a few widely used data preparation tools:

• Alteryx. Alteryx is a comprehensive data preparation and analytics platform that offers a drag-and-drop interface. It provides a wide range of features, including data blending, cleansing, and predictive analytics, making it suitable for both technical and non-technical users.
• Trifacta Wrangler. Trifacta Wrangler is a user-friendly data preparation tool that simplifies the process of cleaning and transforming data. It offers a visual interface with intelligent suggestions and automation, accelerating the data preparation workflow.
• Talend Data Preparation. Talend Data Preparation is an open-source tool that allows users to explore, clean, and enrich data. It offers an intuitive interface and supports a variety of data sources, making it ideal for data analysts and data scientists.
• IBM InfoSphere Information Server. IBM InfoSphere Information Server provides a comprehensive set of data integration and data quality tools. It offers data profiling, cleansing, and transformation capabilities, along with data governance features for enterprise-scale data preparation.
• Paxata. Paxata is a self-service data preparation platform that empowers users to transform raw data into analysis-ready formats. It provides a collaborative environment and leverages machine learning to automate repetitive data preparation tasks.

Conclusion

Data preparation tools play a vital role in simplifying the complex and time-consuming process of preparing data for analysis. By automating data cleaning, integration, and transformation tasks, these tools enable data professionals to focus more on extracting meaningful insights and driving informed decision-making. With a wide range of software solutions available, it's important to evaluate the specific requirements of your organization to choose the data preparation tool that best suits your needs.