Providing Source Data
How a branch's source data reaches the platform — through the ingestion pipeline, not an in-app upload — and what the branch provides.
Overview
Onboarding starts with getting the branch's data out of its source system and into the platform. All source data enters through the ingestion pipeline — there is no in-app data upload. The branch and Data Platform enginering team establish the connection together (Phase 1), then the ingestion team transforms and loads the data.
Establishing access
The first step is a coordination effort between the branch and Engineering to establish connectivity and understand the source landscape:
- Identify the source system — Caliber, TOPS, Jenark, VMS, a custom system, and so on.
- Choose an access method — a CSV export to S3, an ODBC/JDBC connection, an API, or a database dump.
- Establish connectivity — credentials, networking, and bucket or database access.
- Inventory the data — which entities and fields exist in the source system.
- Assess initial quality — completeness, format consistency, and volume.
What the branch provides
The branch's contribution is two things:
- The source data itself, delivered through the agreed access method.
- Source-system knowledge — what each field means and where it lives — captured in Field Mapping Notes. This knowledge drives the transformation logic the ingestion team writes.
What happens to the data
Once access is established, the data flows through the process:
- Ingestion — Engineering transforms the source data and loads it into the platform, starting with associations (the root entity) and following the entity load order. Data quality rules run automatically during ingestion.
- Standardization, review, and validation — Implementation and the branch map codes, review quality, and validate each association in the app.
- Loading to C3 — signed-off waves are loaded into C3 UAT, tested, and finally loaded into C3 Production. See Loading & Go-Live.
Before you deliver data
- Review the Required Data — the entities and minimum fields a successful onboarding needs.
- Follow the Data Formats conventions so values import cleanly.
- Understand the Data Identity Model — keep using your existing IDs; they're what keeps records in sync.
Questions?
See the FAQs or contact your onboarding coordinator.