We talk a lot about optimizing SQL with building the most efficient queries and application architectures. It’s what we enjoy doing and what we’re paid to do. We love to twiddle bits and tweak code, and can spend day after day doing this. But are we looking at the big picture? Is what we are working on the highest priority for the business or organization we work for? Are we extending our value beyond just implementing and optimizing SQL databases and applications? Can we deliver value that has a return on investment (ROI) to organizations? That ROI can be in terms of making people more productive, saving infrastructure costs, and even making trade-offs for when we should code and when we should automate. This even applies to when to use consultants like me. Can an hour of consultation with me save days or weeks of research and trial-and-error in addressing a major performance roadblock?