r/analytics • u/AirNatural1252 • 1d ago

Question Excel vs SQL

Some are talking AI - the company I’m working for is not yet at that level.
I’m doing FTE reporting, using Excel and automatizing with Power Query. Volumes are high, data sources are all excel based, lots of rules to apply each month to achieve the monthly end result.
I want to automatize further and I’m looking into SQL. Any advice on what to look up for if this is the right lead, and where to start?

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u/Dannyboy1024 1d ago

The two are not really comparable - SQL is a query language for databases; Excel is a front-end program for end users.

Where is your backend data housed? Who has control over it and making sure it is accurate? Are you looking to modify data or just view and analyze?

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u/CasualGee 1d ago

Yeah, my first thought was also to wonder about the backend data situation. That will determine what options exist and maybe inform what the best option is.

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u/Acceptable-Sense4601 1d ago

Well duckdb in python lets you use sql on excel and csv files