INTHEBLACK December 2023/January 2024 Special Edition - Flipbook - Page 51
SQL can streamline cross-departmental financial
processes, improve data accuracy and allow
accountants to find more meaning in large volumes
of data, says Barry Sullivan, tax technology and
innovation partner at KPMG.
While SQL can pull data from databases into
Excel, it enables accountants to manage, analyse and
extract valuable insights from data more powerfully
than with Excel, Sullivan says.
“SQL enables accountants to pull together
disparate sources of data and look at the big picture,
such as identifying trends and detecting anomalies,”
he says.
“It empowers accountants to spend less time
crunching numbers and more time understanding
the business, so they can deliver insights to support
improved decision-making.”
While entry-level accountants may have little
need for SQL, it becomes an invaluable tool in
more senior roles.
Almost any experience with databases or with
other programming languages makes learning
SQL easier. Even accountants who are only familiar
with the advanced capabilities of Excel can pick
up the basics of SQL in as little as a few weeks,
adds Busulwa.
“I wouldn’t say that it’s much more complex than
learning Excel formulas,” he says.
“If you’ve already got a good grasp of high-end
Excel features, then you should be confident to turn
your hand to learning SQL.
“Using SQL to tackle more complex tasks can
require a good understanding of wider business
know-how, so you understand what data might
be meaningful and how to best analyse it.”
BUSINESS VALUE
The role of accountants and the value they offer
is changing as businesses in every sector look to
leverage their data as a competitive advantage.
As such, accountants who are not embracing
more advanced tools are limiting the value they
can offer businesses, and potentially their own
career progression, says Sullivan.
“Whether you’re looking to move jobs or step
up into a new role, you’re potentially hampering
your opportunities if you’re limiting yourself to
traditional tools like Excel,” Sullivan says.
“As technology encroaches on more of
accounting’s low-end number-crunching tasks,
learning how to harness the power of tools like
SQL ensures accountants are still in a position to
drive value and be an asset to the business.” ●
UPSKILL NOW
SQL fundamentals
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SQL for data
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