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SQL is very important to SPS Commerce for looking at store performance metrics and keeping track of complicated data relationships in the supply chain network. That’s why SPS Commerce tests people for jobs in Data Science, Data Engineering, and Data Analytics with SQL query questions.
So, here are 10 SPS Commerce SQL interview questions to help you get ready for the real thing. Can you answer them?
Interviewing at SPS Commerce? You’ve come to the right place. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover the top 15 most commonly asked SPS Commerce interview questions and provide sample answers to help you ace your next job interview.
SPS Commerce is a leading cloud-based supply chain management solutions provider. With over 75 consecutive quarters of revenue growth, SPS Commerce has established itself as a premier workplace for top talent However, the interview process can be demanding Advance preparation is key to standing out amongst the competition.
We’ve broken down the questions into relevant categories to help you prepare effectively. Let’s get started!
Questions about your background and resume
1 Walk me through your resume and highlight your most relevant experiences for this role.
This is your chance to give an overview of your background and highlight key skills or achievements that make you a strong candidate. Focus on experiences related to the position you’re applying for. Provide brief examples that emphasize qualities like strong work ethic, leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities. Avoid simply relisting what’s already on your resume. Instead, use this as an opportunity to expand on your top qualifications for this role.
2. Why are you interested in working at SPS Commerce specifically?
Research the company beforehand and highlight specific things that appeal to you about their culture, values, leadership, or products/services. Share how your skills would allow you to contribute to their continued success. Convey genuine enthusiasm for the company and position.
3. What motivates you in your work?
Discuss what truly drives you in your career, such as solving complex problems, mentoring others, creativity, collaboration, continuous learning and growth, or making a positive impact on customers or clients. Align your motivations with the goals and values of the company.
Questions about your skills and qualifications
4. What do you consider to be your greatest strengths?
Pick 2-3 relevant strengths and provide specific examples of how you’ve applied these skills to achieve results. Quantify your accomplishments when possible. Choose strengths that align with the role, such as technical expertise, relationship building, problem-solving, work ethic, creativity, communication, etc.
5. In your experience, what does it take to build strong client relationships and ensure high levels of customer satisfaction?
Emphasize listening skills, understanding client needs, clear communication, managing expectations, following through on commitments, seeking feedback, resolving issues promptly, and providing exceptional service. Share examples of how you’ve built loyal client relationships.
6. How do you stay current on industry trends, technologies, and best practices?
Demonstrate passion for continuous learning. Discuss reading industry publications, taking online courses, attending conferences and seminars, participating in forums, networking with peers, researching innovations in your field, and more.
7. Describe your approach for solving complex technical problems.
Showcase analytical and critical thinking skills. Highlight systematically gathering information, identifying root causes, brainstorming solutions, collaborating cross-functionally, implementing appropriate solutions, testing, iterating based on feedback, and documenting processes. Provide real examples if possible.
8. Tell me about a time you successfully led a project or team. What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?
Highlight leadership skills like goal-setting, time management, delegating responsibilities, motivating team members, managing conflicts or setbacks, facilitating collaboration, and celebrating wins. Share an example that demonstrates adaptability in the face of challenges.
Questions about handling workplace scenarios
9. How do you respond to pressure or stressful situations at work?
Share strategies for remaining calm under pressure, such as taking a short break, focusing on one task at a time, asking colleagues for support, exercising mindfulness techniques, or maintaining a sense of humor. Emphasize that stress does not impact the quality of your work. Provide an example if possible.
10. Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work. How did you handle it?
Be honest and own up to the mistake. Discuss how you took responsibility, implemented solutions to correct the mistake, learned from the experience, and put preventive measures in place. Do not blame others or make excuses. Demonstrate accountability, maturity and growth.
11. How do you stay organized when juggling multiple projects and deadlines?
Highlight tools and systems such as to-do lists, project management software, calendars, notebooks, file systems, etc. Discuss prioritizing based on importance and urgency. Provide examples of this organizational process in action and how it led to success.
12. Tell me about a time you disagreed with a supervisor or colleague. How did you handle the situation?
Emphasize respectfully listening to their perspective. Discuss communicating your opinion constructively and finding a compromise. Share how you maintained a positive relationship despite the disagreement. Demonstrate emotional maturity, flexibility and conflict resolution skills.
13. How would you deal with an unhappy customer?
Express empathy, apologize, take responsibility, and assure the customer you will address their complaint. Discuss investigating the issue, solving it promptly, following up to ensure satisfaction, and learning from the experience. Convey that customer satisfaction is your top priority. Provide an example if possible.
14. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Show ambition and growth potential aligned with the company’s needs and opportunities. For example, you may want to transition into a more senior role, manage a team, lead key initiatives, or develop deep expertise in certain areas. However, balance ambition with a sense of groundedness and patience.
15. Why should we hire you over other candidates?
Summarize your top skills and achievements. Convince the interviewers that you are exceptionally qualified for the role and will bring immediate value to the company. Highlight what sets you apart, like relevant certifications, specialized skills, leadership experience, specific knowledge, or impressive track record. Convey enthusiasm to contribute to their success.
Takeaway Tips for Acing Your SPS Commerce Interview:
- Thoroughly research the company, role, and industry trends beforehand
- Review common interview questions and prepare strong stories and examples
- Practice aloud to polish your responses and delivery
- Highlight relevant skills, achievements, and motivation fit for the role
- Convey genuine passion and interest in the company
- Be prepared to answer behavioral and situational questions
- Maintain confidence and professionalism, even if faced with challenging questions
- Ask insightful questions that show your engagement and curiosity
With diligent preparation using this advice, you’ll be ready to impress hiring managers and land the job at your SPS Commerce interview. Best of luck!
10 SPS Commerce SQL Interview Questions
SPS Commerce is a supply chain software company that helps businesses in achieving their goals with retail solutions. One of their key performance indicators (KPI) could be the number of transactions processed per customer. In this case, a power user, also known as a VIP user, is someone who makes the most transactions.
Let’s say you can see the SPS Commerce product table that has the fields transaction_id, customer_id, transaction_date, and amount. Identify the power users who have made more than 100 transactions in the last year.
transaction_id | customer_id | transaction_date | amount |
---|---|---|---|
101 | 123 | 2021-06-10 | $500 |
102 | 265 | 2021-01-04 | $75 |
103 | 123 | 2021-06-18 | $300 |
104 | 362 | 2021-07-26 | $600 |
105 | 123 | 2021-07-05 | $200 |
This query finds the heavy users by keeping track of how many times each customer has bought something in the last year. In the result set, any user with more than 100 transactions is shown. The users are ordered descending by the number of transactions to show who the real power users are.
Try this Walmart Labs SQL Interview Question for another SQL customer analytics question where you can code right in the browser and have your SQL query run right away:
SQL Question 4: Retailer Relationship Analysis
As a retail-focused company, SPS Commerce is interested in understanding the relationship between retailers and suppliers. In particular, they want to know what kinds of products a supplier sells to each retailer and how much money changes hands in each of these relationships.
For this task, we have 3 relevant tables: , , and .
table has columns and .
table has columns , , .
table has columns , , , , .
retailer_id | retailer_name |
---|---|
1 | Walmart |
2 | Target |
3 | Costco |
supplier_id | supplier_name | product_category |
---|---|---|
101 | BestProducts | Electronics |
102 | GreatDeals | Clothing |
103 | SuperStuff | Sporting Goods |
transaction_id | retailer_id | supplier_id | transaction_date | transaction_amount |
---|---|---|---|---|
501 | 1 | 101 | 2022-06-01 | $100.50 |
502 | 1 | 102 | 2022-06-05 | $200.75 |
503 | 2 | 103 | 2022-06-10 | $150.30 |
504 | 3 | 101 | 2022-06-15 | $250.75 |
505 | 3 | 102 | 2022-06-20 | $300.60 |
If you run this SQL query, it will list all the stores, the suppliers they work with, and the total amount of transactions.
This query joins the tables and then groups the results by and. The function is used to calculate the total sales for each grouping. The results are ordered by and then by in descending order. This will give the company a rundown of supplier-retailer relationships and the value of transactions for each.
EMPOWER 2018 | SPS Commerce Interview
FAQ
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