In short
Visian sets up dbt so that data transformations are written in versioned, tested and documented SQL on Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery or Fabric. The value comes from modelling conventions, systematic tests and code review.
dbt
The technology
dbt (data build tool) lets data transformations be written in versioned, tested and documented SQL, directly in the warehouse: Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery or Fabric.
dbt brings software engineering practices to data transformation. They still have to be kept alive: modelling conventions, systematic tests, code review and up-to-date documentation.
Commitments
Visian engagements on dbt
- Setting up a dbt project and modelling conventions
- Taking over existing transformations (stored procedures, ETL)
- Quality tests, data contracts and generated documentation
- Orchestration (Airflow, dbt Cloud, Dagster) and CI/CD
- Training data engineering and analytics engineering teams
These engagements are part of the Data platformexpertise, on a fixed-price, time-and-materials or service-centre basis.
Comparison
dbt Core or dbt Cloud
| Criterion | dbt Core | dbt Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | Open-source command-line tool | Managed SaaS service |
| Execution | Orchestrated by you (Airflow, CI/CD) | Built-in scheduler and environments |
| Development | Local IDE | Web IDE, hosted documentation |
| Cost | Free licence, internal running cost | Per-user subscription |
Key figures
Facts and figures
- 350 data & AI consultants and 120+ projects delivered since 2016 (Visian, 2026).
- 98% of FinOps teams manage AI costs in 2026, up from 31% in 2024, and 72% of organisations had an unexpected AI bill spike during the year (Visian white paper FinOps Data & IA, 2026).
Frequently asked questions
dbt: FAQ
Does dbt replace an ETL tool?
dbt covers transformation (the “T”). Extraction and loading are still handled by another tool: Fivetran, Airbyte, Azure Data Factory or scripts.
dbt Core or dbt Cloud?
dbt Core is open source and fits into existing orchestration. dbt Cloud adds the IDE, scheduling and hosted documentation, at a per-user cost.