select @@version

CREATE TABLE [dbo].[fact_SALES_TRANSACTIONS](
	[ORDER_DATE] [date] NOT NULL,
	[ID] [bigint] IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL,
	[DIVISION] [varchar](2) NULL,
	[SUPPLIER_CODE] [varchar](8) NULL,
	CONSTRAINT [PK_FACT_SALES] PRIMARY KEY NONCLUSTERED (	[ID] ASC)
)

CREATE UNIQUE CLUSTERED INDEX [IX_fact_SALES_TRANSACTIONS_ORDER_DATE_ID] ON [dbo].[fact_SALES_TRANSACTIONS]
(
	[ORDER_DATE] ASC,
	[ID] ASC
)

set showplan_text on
select ORDER_DATE, count(1) from [dbo].[fact_SALES_TRANSACTIONS] group by ORDER_DATE order by ORDER_DATE option(maxdop 1)

  |--Sort(ORDER BY:([edw].[dbo].[fact_SALES_TRANSACTIONS].[ORDER_DATE] ASC))
       |--Compute Scalar(DEFINE:([Expr1002]=CONVERT_IMPLICIT(int,[Expr1005],0)))
            |--Hash Match(Aggregate, HASH:([edw].[dbo].[fact_SALES_TRANSACTIONS].[ORDER_DATE]), RESIDUAL:([edw].[dbo].[fact_SALES_TRANSACTIONS].[ORDER_DATE] = [edw].[dbo].[fact_SALES_TRANSACTIONS].[ORDER_DATE]) DEFINE:([Expr1005]=COUNT(*)))
                 |--Index Scan(OBJECT:([edw].[dbo].[fact_SALES_TRANSACTIONS].[PK_FACT_SALES]))