5 Key Data Engineering Tools Every BI Professional Should Know

As someone who works within Business Intelligence (BI), you know how essential it is to turn raw data into insights; however, prior to seeing that data on a Power BI dashboard, the data must be gathered, cleaned, stored, and transformed. That’s where data engineering comes in.

Data engineers develop the systems that move data from one place to another. They build data pipelines, manage data warehouses, oversee workflows and ensure the data is accurate and available at all times. If these systems weren’t in place, BI professionals would find it difficult to make meaningful reports or dashboards.

Now, let us look at 5 essential data engineering tools that every BI professional should know. All these tools allow you to build robust, flexible, and scalable data systems that work seamlessly with Power BI dashboards.

1. Apache Spark – Fast Big‑Data Processing

Apache Spark is a tool for processing very large datasets, can be millions or billions of rows. It works fast by using many computers together.

When your business data grows, regular systems slow down. Spark processes data quickly in batches or in real time, meaning your Power BI dashboard can stay up to date and responsive.

How it helps with dashboards:
You can clean, summarize, and transform data in Spark before loading it into a data warehouse or directly into Power BI for fast visuals.

2. Snowflake – Scalable Cloud Data Warehouse

Snowflake is a cloud-based storage solution designed for big data storage. It separates computing and storage so they can be easily scaled separately. 

You can store all your data in one single place and run fast queries regardless of the size of the data. Snowflake dynamically scales resources to your usage, so it stays fast when you need it and saves money when you don’t.

How it helps with dashboards:
Power BI connects to Snowflake and allows you to use live data in your reports and dashboards – there’s no need to transfer files or copy data by hand.

3. dbt – Organized Data Transformation

dbt is a tool that allows you to write transformation logic in SQL and applies it seamlessly inside your data warehouse like Snowflake. 

It helps teams build reliable, re‑usable data models. You can automatically test data quality, track changes, and keep transformation code in version control.

How it helps with dashboards:
dbt allows you to make sure that your data is always well-structured, accurate, and easy to connect to Power BI, so that you can trust your dashboards.

4. PostgreSQL – Open‑Source Database & Warehouse

PostgreSQL is a free, open-source relational database that can handle large datasets with advanced features like indexes and partitioning.

It’s great for teams that want a dependable, affordable way to store structured data. While not as scalable as Snowflake, PostgreSQL works well when managed properly.

How it helps with dashboards:
You can connect Power BI directly to PostgreSQL to pull in clean, real-time data, perfect for quick analytics or light reporting.

5. Power Automate – Simple Workflow Automation

Power Automate is Microsoft’s tool for building automated workflows with no coding required. It connects tools like SharePoint, Excel, and Planner to automate tasks.

You can pull data, refresh sources, or move files without manual effort, saving time and avoiding mistakes.

How it helps with dashboards:
For example, Data Inseyets uses Power Automate to pull Planner task details and feed them directly into a Power BI dashboard, no manual exports needed.

Here’s a quick look at how each tool supports the Power BI dashboard:

These tools work together to ensure your Power BI dashboard shows clean, accurate, and updated data, so you can focus on insights, not fixing data.

Final Thoughts

The right data engineering creates value for Power BI dashboards. Without solid pipelines, effective storage, and automation, Power BI dashboards fail. By using tools like Apache Spark, Snowflake, dbt, PostgreSQL, and Power Automate, BI professionals can develop significant systems that prioritize better data, faster refreshes, and insights that businesses trust.

Want to get ahead? Data Inseyet’s Power BI dashboards already combine automated data flows and clean visuals so you can get started right away with your analysis.