Lisa Reiber

“The projects helped me apply what I learned and understand how to tackle all the little things that come along in real life.”



Lisa Reiber

Data Analyst

Project overview

In this project, you’ll step into the role of a data analyst at Northwind Traders, an international gourmet food distributor. Using PostgreSQL window functions and CTEs on the company’s database, you’ll analyze various aspects of the business, including employee performance, product sales, category performance, sales growth, and customer purchase behavior.

Throughout the project, you’ll construct complex SQL queries to calculate metrics, rank data, and identify trends. Your insights will help management make data-driven decisions to boost productivity, optimize inventory and marketing strategies, monitor company progress, and target high-value customers. By the end, you’ll have honed your SQL skills and be able to apply these advanced techniques to real-world business scenarios.

Objective: Use SQL window functions and CTEs to analyze sales data and provide actionable insights to drive strategic business decisions at Northwind Traders.

Key skill required

To complete this project, it's recommended to build these foundational skills in SQL

  • Querying and filtering data using SELECT and WHERE clauses
  • Defining windows using OVER() and partitioning data with PARTITION BY
  • Performing calculations on groups of rows with aggregate functions
  • Interpreting query results to derive analytical insights from data

Projects steps

Step 1: Introduction

Step 2: Getting to Know the Data

Step 3: Ranking Employee Sales Performance

Step 4: Running Total of Monthly Sales

Step 5: Month-Over-Month Sales Growth

Step 6: Identifying High-Value Customers

Step 7: Percentage of Sales for Each Category

Step 8: Top Products Per Category

Step 9: Next Steps

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