ACF5320 - Business analytics - 2018

Business analytics and their applications to financial and management decision making will be explored for a range of business situations including: investment; planning; cash flow management; capital budgeting; contract awards; and risk analysis. Analytics covered include: problem structuring; multiple criteria decision making; optimisation; simulation; and data mining. Upon completion of this unit, students are expected to competently use selected analytics, to provide management interpretation of the solutions and to formulate business analyst's recommendations. The unit utilises advanced computer modelling tools available in Microsoft Excel and other modelling software packages.

The learning goals associated with this unit are to:

1. appraise the role of business analytics in organisations, the decision making life cycle in business and financial management, model building techniques, model solving techniques, interpretation of results from business models and cutting edge business analytics tools
2. propose modelling and simulation as effective business and financial decision making procedure, evaluate the risks and benefits of interactive computer-supported business decision making
3. formulate business problem, choose theoretical framework and decide appropriate decision modelling techniques for given business management situations, assess the limitations of models and the appropriateness of modelling environments
4. integrate critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills in the assessment of individual summative tasks and/or group tasks dealing with business analytics topics covered in ACF5320.

Within semester assessment: 50% + Examination: 50%

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities. The unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information