The article discusses the importance of data integration in businesses and how it can help identify patterns, improve visibility into operations, and formulate new strategies. It explains that data integration requires a data pipeline, often referred to as an ELT (extract-load-transform) pipeline, which is more sustainable, flexible, and easier to automate than the traditional ETL (extract-transform-load) pipeline. The article also highlights the challenges of choosing the right tools and platforms for data pipelines, warehouses, and business intelligence, emphasizing that the most expensive cost is often not the product itself but the human cost of talent and labor. It suggests that organizations should prioritize solutions with ease-of-use, automation, and self-maintenance to save on labor costs. The article also recommends Fivetran as a data pipeline solution due to its wide range of supported source systems, simple interface, and automated tasks.