Operational Analytics Digest - October Edition

Welcome to the October edition of the OA Digest! ?? As always, this monthly newsletter highlights valuable resources published recently by the greater data community. More specifically, you’ll find content on how to improve your SQL skills and how to manage a data team!

????????????????????????????????????????

Improving your SQL skills ???

SQL Hack: How to get first value based on time without a JOIN or a Window Function??by?Ahmed Elsamadisi?(CEO,?Narrator AI)

There’s nothing worse than having to write long, complex queries to answer simple questions. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, but other times you simply need to leverage some handy-dandy, pre-built SQL functions.

In this article, Ahmed shows you how to substitute subqueries and self-joins with simple SQL functions like CONCAT.

┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

SQL patterns every analyst should know?w/?Ergest Xheblati?(Virtual Event - October 13th @ 11am PT)

Want to learn how a 15+ year expert writes SQL? In this live event, Ergest (Data Engineer & Author of?Minimum Viable SQL Patterns)?will lead a?hands-on session to teach you how to make your queries more efficient, readable, and easier to debug. ?

This event is free (duh!) and it’s hosted by us, the?Operational Analytics Club. If?you’d like to take your SQL skills from intermediate to expert, grab your free seat!

If you can't make it, don't worry! we'll also have a recording available in the?Operational Analytics Club slack.

????????????????????????????????????????

Data Team Management ??

What can data teams learn from the Toyota Production System (and manufacturing teams)??By?Prukalpa Sankar?(Co-founder,?Atlan)

Data folks are constantly bombarded with tools and technologies to fix inefficiencies with their data products. But you know what? Sometimes our brains, a pen, and paper can solve our problems – for free.

In Prukalpa’s blog, you’ll learn how to conduct a value-stream mapping exercise. This exercise will help you map your data product in detail so you can identify waste and optimize the process, all while maintaining a quality.?

?If you want a sneak peek of what level of detail you can expect from her blog, just check out the simple value stream map she did for making coffee ?

┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

Why you’re doing ad hoc analytics wrong?by?Robert Yi?(Co-founder,?Hyperquery)

Do you often find yourself spending hours on ad hoc requests from stakeholders? Do you ever ask yourself, “Why am I doing this? Nobody is ever going to use it?” ??

In this blog, Robert teaches you the right way to do ad hoc analysis so that it actually brings value to your organization. More specifically, he teaches:

• Always ask “why” to stakeholders. The question they’re asking might not get the answer they’re looking for, and asking “why” will help uncover the real business objective
• Document ?? everything. ?? This keeps you on track, and will save you time on future ad hoc requests

┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

Fine, let's talk about data contracts?by?Benn Stancil?(Chief Analytics Officer,?Mode)

Data contracts has been a hot topic for over a month in the data community, and it all stemmed from?Chad Sanderson’s blog back in August. In a nutshell, data contracts are "an API-like agreements between software engineers who own the services and data consumers who understand how the business works in order to generate well-modeled, high-quality, trusted, real-time data."?

Implementing a data contract in your organization can potentially solve the universal ‘garbage in, garbage out’ problem among data professionals, while requiring software engineers to take on additional responsibilities.

Now, if your organization were to implement a data contract, how would the software engineers react? ??

????????????????????????????????????????

Other Data Resources ??

Podcast -?The Value of Investing In your Data?w/?Boris Jabes?(CEO,?Census) &?Cyril Marques?(CEO,?Montreal Analytics)

In this podcast episode, Boris and Cyril discuss their path to becoming founders, the value of investing in your organization’s data, learning through trial and error, and more!?

If you want to learn about what it means to lead organizations in the right direction, check out this recent episode of?The Sequel Show. ??

┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

Virtual/In person Event -?Coalesce?by?dbt?(October 17 - 21)

Coalesce is one of the most valuable conferences for data professionals (most specifically, analytics engineers). Whether you’re attending virtually or in person, it’s a great way to learn new tips, tools, and best practices.?

If you’re attending, check out the panel discussion?Turning data into gold: Meet the alchemists at Census, Carta, and Clickup!

????????????????????????????????????????

The end! As always, if you find a great piece of data content, send it my way. It might even make next month's newsletter! ??

Until next month,

Parker Rogers, data community advocate