The recent announcement of the merger between dbt  and Fivetran  has been one of the hottest topics in the data community. Both Joe and Alex from the Business Thinking podcast recently discussed what this could mean for companies using these tools, and the implications for the wider data ecosystem. Two Big Players, One Company Fivetran and dbt are two major players in data engineering. While they are not renaming or fully combining into a single product, they will now oper

Choosing the right data architecture is crucial for handling the complexities of modern data ecosystems. From traditional warehouses to real-time streaming and decentralized models, each approach has unique strengths. In this blog, we compare key architectures based on criteria such as design principles, scalability, agility, auditability, and programming languages. 1. Traditional Data Warehousing Architectures Operational Data Store (ODS) Date:  Introduced in the 1990s Key P

Based on episode 18 of The Business Thinking Podcast with our CEO, Neil Strange, and AutomateDV Product Manager, Alex Higgs. Data literacy is a critical factor in becoming a truly data-driven organization. In a recent podcast episode, Neil Strange and Alex Higgs dive deep into the importance of data literacy, how it impacts decision-making, and how to cultivate it across your entire organization. Here's a breakdown of their insights on fostering data literacy in today’s fas

Based on episode 17 of The Business Thinking Podcast with our CEO, Neil Strange, and AutomateDV Product Manager, Alex Higgs. In a recent podcast episode, Neil Strange and Alex Higgs delved into the crucial topic of defining success in data engineering and data warehousing projects. This discussion goes beyond simply avoiding failure; it's about proactively establishing the conditions for a successful outcome. From Failure to Success Building upon our previous conversation a

Based on episode 15 of The Business Thinking Podcast with our CEO, Neil Strange, and AutomateDV Product Manager, Alex Higgs. Despite decades of experience, the data warehousing industry continues to grapple with project failures. In this episode, Neil Strange and Alex Higgs delve into the common themes contributing to these failures and offer insights on how to steer projects towards success. Defining Failure A failed project isn't merely one that encounters technical glitc

Based on episode 14 of The Business Thinking Podcast with our CEO, Neil Strange, and AutomateDV Product Manager, Alex Higgs. In a recent podcast episode, we tackled a persistent an interesting question: what is the ideal team size for a data warehousing project?  We’ve observed a staggering disparity in team sizes across various projects, ranging from a lean two or three individuals to sprawling teams of 50 or 60. This begs the question: where does the sweet spot lie, and wh

Are you working in data engineering, business intelligence, or analytics and want to connect, learn, and grow your impact? Then save the date for the Data Community Event 2026  on Monday, 26 January 2026 at the Gtech Community Stadium, London. This is the flagship in‑person event of the re‑branded community formerly known as the Data Vault User Group . We’re broadening the scope beyond the Data Vault method: more topics, more voices, and more connections. The theme for the da

Based on episode 10 of The Business Thinking Podcast with our CEO, Neil Strange, and AutomateDV Product Manager, Alex Higgs. Non-Historized Links, formerly known as transactional links, are a unique and powerful variant of Links within the Data Vault 2.0 architecture. This article explores the intricacies of Non-Historized Links, their applications, and best practices for implementation, drawing from our recent podcast discussion. What Are Non-Historized Links? Non-Historiz

Based on episode 12 of The Business Thinking Podcast with AutomateDV Product Manager, Alex Higgs, and CEO of Ignition Data , Julien Redmond. In a recent episode of the Business Thinking Podcast, we sat down with Julian Redmond from Ignition Data in Australia to discuss the ever-evolving world of data management, particularly in light of the rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI). The conversation delved into the fundamental purpose of our work and the critical r

Satellites are a cornerstone of Data Vault 2.0, providing the descriptive attributes that contextualize Hubs and Links. In this article,...

PII Data in Data Vault While Data Vault itself does not provide specific guidance on handling PII, the challenge lies in implementing...

Data Vault Hubs Explained If you're working with Data Vault or just starting to explore it, understanding hubs is essential. They are...