analytics-dictionary / term / transformation & metrics

Data modeling

Data modeling is designing how data is structured in a warehouse so it is easy and consistent to analyse.

Written by Reflective Data experts · updated Oct 5, 2026

A good model turns raw tables into clean, documented layers, typically staging, intermediate and marts. Analysts then query business-friendly tables rather than raw event logs.

Models encode business logic once, such as what counts as revenue or an active user, so every report agrees.

Data mart dbt Semantic layer Star schema

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SQLMesh

SQLMesh is a data transformation framework with virtual environments and strong change management.

data-grain.md

Data grain

The grain of a table is what a single row represents, such as one order line…

incremental-model.md

Incremental model

An incremental model processes only new or changed data on each run instead of rebuilding the…

omni.md

Omni

Omni is a business intelligence platform that combines a governed semantic model with flexible exploration.

dbt-macro.md

dbt macro

A dbt macro is a reusable piece of SQL logic written with Jinja templating.

dimension.md

Dimension

A dimension is an attribute used to slice or group metrics, such as country, device or…

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