SQL Server 2025 vs Power Query: Fuzzy Matching (with Rob Farley)

Stream Date 📅

July 17th 2025 at 4:00 PM (PT)

DESCRIPTION 📄

Twenty years ago, Fuzzy Lookup and Grouping in SSIS cracked open new possibilities for data quality and cleansing. Later, of course, Power Query brought these capabilities closer to analysts and self-service BI.

Now, in 2025, T-SQL introduces native fuzzy string functions. It’s a major shift: what once lived in transformation pipelines is now pushing into the query engine itself. We’ll unpack how each tool handles fuzzy logic, where they converge, and where they don’t. We’ll also explore scaling options, so that you can see ways to make this work beyond your PoC. Spoiler: the most powerful path forward might not be the one you’re expecting.

GUEST BIO (Rob Farley)👤

Rob Farley, a long-time MVP based in Australia, has been asking for fuzzy capabilities in T-SQL for nearly twenty years, back in the days of Connect items. His company is LobsterPot Solutions, and his hobbies include stand-up comedy and working as Santa Claus.