Data Driven in Practice: How Data Engineering Transforms Business Decisions

Nowadays, companies have access to massive volumes of information, but the real competitive advantage lies in how that data is handled and applied to guide strategy. More than a trend, a data-driven culture is a necessity for any organization that wants to stay relevant in an increasingly agile and digital market.

But what actually happens, in practice, before information becomes an insight capable of changing the course of a business decision? In the second episode of Zallpy Insiders, João Pedro, a Data Engineer at Zallpy, shares how his work, and the work of the entire data team, directly impacts business success.

From data capture to insight: the data lifecycle

“My responsibility is to take care of data from start to finish. From capture, through structuring and processing, all the way to making it available so it can be used in artificial intelligence, reports, or dashboards,” explains João Pedro.

This process involves different stages and roles within a project. Data scientists, business analysts, and engineers work together to understand which information is needed, where it is stored, in what format, and how it will be made available. “Sometimes the data comes from an internal database, other times it is extracted from the internet. It can be a simple file or a distributed database. Our challenge is to turn all of this into something useful and accessible for those who need to make decisions,” he adds.

This journey is what ensures that data truly transforms business decisions, giving companies a solid foundation for strategic action, not just isolated reports or contextless dashboards.

Data-driven culture: what separates success from failure

For João Pedro, intelligent use of data is a game changer. “In my view, today, being a data-driven company is what will differentiate success from failure. Data is information, and very often that information is the competitive advantage within a company,” he says.

The point is not just collecting information, but ensuring the entire organization can quickly extract value from it. A strong data-driven culture enables fast, fact-based decisions instead of intuition-driven ones. Without this alignment, companies risk missing opportunities or investing in the wrong direction.

Data engineering as a strategic engine

On a daily basis, tools like Python, SQL, and cloud platforms such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft are used to build robust data ecosystems. More recently, solutions like Databricks, Snowflake, and vector databases have been gaining ground, especially with the rise of generative AI and large language models.

This shift reflects a scenario where data is increasingly distributed, demanding scalable and flexible architectures. For João Pedro, data engineering is the foundation that allows strategic insights to be delivered with quality and speed: “When data is well processed and accessible, we can give companies a solid base for confident decisions, whether it’s launching a product, adjusting operations, or applying AI to predict scenarios.”

In the end, this is how data transforms business decisions: by providing not just numbers, but clarity and direction for executives and teams.

Growth and knowledge sharing: the Zallpy culture

Beyond the technical side, João Pedro highlights the collaborative environment and growth opportunities at Zallpy: “What stands out to me the most is the exchange with people. I might be on one project today and, tomorrow, working with new languages and different challenges. That pushes me to evolve as a professional all the time.”

This constant interaction with different teams, clients, and technologies reflects Zallpy’s culture, which encourages continuous learning, cross-functional perspective, and the development of essential skills for anyone who wants to be part of an ecosystem where data transforms business decisions and guides high-impact strategies.

Today, data engineering is a central pillar of success for modern companies. More than a technical role, it is the link between information and action, between raw data and strategic decisions. And, as João Pedro put it, “knowing how to use data well can be the difference between a company’s success and failure.”