The process of transforming data from one structure to another involves defining correspondences between the original and intended formats. For example, combining data from multiple databases with differing structures into a unified data warehouse requires careful alignment of fields representing similar concepts, such as “customer ID” or “product name,” even if they are labeled differently in each source. This ensures consistency and accuracy in the final dataset.
This structured transformation is essential for various applications, including data migration, system integration, and business intelligence reporting. Historically, manual transformations were time-consuming and error-prone. Modern automated tools and techniques now streamline this process, improving data quality, reducing processing time, and enabling more complex data integration scenarios. This facilitates better decision-making and operational efficiency.