Explain your optimization approach

You are asked how you would optimize a slow-running PostgreSQL query used in an Automation Anywhere reporting or operational workflow. Describe how you would diagnose the issue, interpret the execution plan, and decide whether the main problem is in joins, subqueries, CTEs, window functions, or aggregations.

A strong answer should be practical and PostgreSQL-specific. The interviewer expects more than “add an index”: explain how you would measure the problem, isolate the bottleneck, propose a rewrite or indexing strategy, and validate that the optimized query still returns correct results.