Hybrid skills in a functional role: Data Analysis

How often have you been asked to analyze an issue along the lines of "How often has this happened in the past?". For instance, "How many times has the original sales order number not been recorded on a Return?" or "How often has a customer address been entered without an email address?"

We know that the standard reports are useful only as a starting point when a question like this arises. These reports are written with the user in mind, wont have all the display fields you need and be difficult to import into Excel.

If you can write an SQL query you can analyze detailed scenarios, display all the data you need, analyze in Excel & answer the question at hand. Cross-checking against standard reports validates your analysis.