Business analysis glossary
SQL (Structured Query Language)
What it is
SQL is the standard language for asking questions of, and changing data in, relational databases. Analysts mostly use it to read data: choosing columns, filtering rows, joining tables and summarising results. Most business databases support it, with small differences between products such as SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL and SQLite.
Why it matters
Many business questions are answered by data in a database. An analyst who can read and write basic SQL can check numbers directly instead of waiting for someone else to produce a report. It also helps analysts check dashboards: if a chart looks suspicious, a direct query shows whether the problem is in the data or in the report.
Example
The operations manager at Brightpath Logistics asks how many deliveries were late last week. A short SQL query counts rows in the deliveries table where delivered_at is later than due_at for that date range. The analyst can then share the query, so anyone can repeat the count and confirm the same answer at any time.