Moving Data Quality and Business Logic Upstream for More Efficient Data Systems

Shifting left is an interesting concept that’s gaining momentum in modern data engineering. SDF has been among those sharing this approach, even making “shifting left” one of their main slogans. As Elias DeFaria, SDF’s co-founder, describes it, shifting left means “improving data quality by moving closer toward the data source”.

However, the benefits extend beyond just data quality improvements. With dbt Labs’ recent acquisition of SDF, many are wondering: what does this mean for the shifting left movement, and more importantly, what exactly is shifting left in the data context?

In this article, we’ll explore the core principles behind shifting left, examine how code-first approaches have made moving logic upstream more efficient, and answer the questions: Why should data teams shift left? What elements need to be shifted? And how can your organization implement this approach to build more maintainable, efficient data systems? — Read More