Try the Data Drill yourself and let us know how you do! https://bit.ly/4cbnIoj

Four experts. Four tools. One winner… 🏆

In this video, Maven Analytics instructors Aaron Parry, Enrique Ruiz, John Pauler, and Chris Bruehl battle it out with their favorite tools to earn the title of Data Drill Champion.

Excel. Power BI. SQL. Python. Who will come out on top?

For Data Drill #9: "The Price is Right", we’re testing our experts' ability to handle complex historical data. We have a pizza restaurant dataset with three tables: transactions, products, and a price history log.

The task at hand is to accurately look up the price for every transaction based on when it occurred. This isn’t a simple lookup. The experts must navigate price changes over time to ensure the revenue reflects the exact price on the day of the order.

NOTE: If the effective date of a price change is equal to the order date for a transaction, then that is the price that should be reflected.

Each expert will be on the clock as they solve the drill, and the best solution takes the crown. Follow along to sharpen your skills and learn how to master point-in-time lookups and slowly changing dimensions using some of the most popular data and AI tools!

👉 Try Data Drill #9 yourself: https://bit.ly/48zp4qF

🗓️ MARK YOUR CALENDARS! 🗓️

Maven Analytics Spring Skillup: 4/21 - 4/30!
Master new skills & level up your data + AI knowledge for FREE!

Here’s what you can expect from the event…
🔓 FREE ACCESS TO 4 MAVEN COURSES!
During Spring Skillup, anyone with a free Maven Analytics account can enjoy unlimited access to select courses. (Vote for your picks in our LinkedIn polls from 4/14 - 4/16!)

📅 LEARN DATA SKILLS LIVE!
Join the Maven Team for live learning sessions focused on key tools and data + AI skills you'll use every day!

Learn more and register for live sessions 👉 https://bit.ly/4sSIrm9

🔗 Helpful links:

👉 Build job-ready data skills:

Excel Learning Path: https://bit.ly/4mrCFpE

Power BI Learning Path: https://bit.ly/4mveDu8

SQL Learning Path: https://bit.ly/4mrCXge

Python Learning Path: https://bit.ly/41zeHiL

👉 Follow us on LinkedIn:

Maven Analytics: https://www.linkedin.com/company/maven-analytics

Chris D: https://www.linkedin.com/in/csdutton/

Aaron: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amp28/

John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpauler/

Chris B: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbruehl/

Enrique: https://www.linkedin.com/in/enrique-ruiz-tapia/


⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro to Data Drill #9: “The Price is Right”
01:22 - Meet the experts
01:50 - Power BI solution (Aaron)
06:27 - Python solution (Chris B.)
9:25 - SQL solution (John)
16:07 - Excel solution (Enrique)
19:34 - Results & winner selection
 

Maven Analytics is an award-winning learning platform where individuals and teams build new skills, showcase work, and connect with experts around the world.

We've helped 2M+ people build job-ready data literacy & AI skills, master tools like Excel, SQL, Power BI, Tableau and Python, and build the foundation for successful careers.

Start building life-changing skills for FREE 👉 https://bit.ly/4cbnIoj

YouTube

Four data analysts solve the same point-in-time price lookup problem using Python (pandas), Power BI (Power Query), SQL (CTEs and joins), and Excel (VLOOKUP with FILTER). The task involves a type 2 slowly changing dimension: calculating total restaurant revenue using historically correct prices at the time of each transaction. Python's merge_asof function wins on speed and scalability, finishing in under 2 minutes, while Excel comes in a close second at just over 2 minutes. SQL takes the longest at 5.5 minutes but demonstrates a solid, explicit join-based approach.

Excel vs Power BI vs SQL vs Python | Restaurant Price History Lookup