Prerequisites

Completion of all business honors foundation requirement (BHON-102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, COMS 103).

Course Description [Top]

Focuses on enterprise problem solving and decision making using information technology, and data and financial analyses for mission critical and integral applications in planning and control. Alternative solutions are examined and evaluated for their effectiveness in achieving results.  Prerequisite: Completion of all business honors foundation requirements. Graded: Graded student. Units: 3.0.

Course Objectives [Top]

Learning Goal: To critically think about and solve business problems to generate business opportunities.

Learning Objectives:

• Apply information technology to aid in problem solving
• Determine the feasibility of alternative solutions using financial analyses, including identifying risk and return tradeoffs
• Evaluate alternative solutions using statistical analyses

Detailed Learning Objectives:

• Understand business strategy
• Explain the decision making process including:
  • Identifying, analyzing, interpreting and presenting results
  • Utilizing decision making tools, including optimization and simulation
  • Presenting value
• Identify data requirements, architecture, and infrastructure of a Data Warehouse
• Learn how to acquire and cleanse data
• Learn how to model data
• Use different data mining methods and technology
• Perform statistical analysis including model selection, hypothesis formulation, model fitting, testing, interpretation/evaluation, and application
• Perform financial analysis and assessment
• Understand the management issues behind BI including:
  • Organizational factors that can impede or facilitate BI effectiveness
  • Knowledge management

Efraim Turban, et al. Business Intelligence, 2/E , 2011, Prentice Hall, IS BN-10: 013610066X • ISBN-13: 9780136100669

Course Methodology

I will not lecture on the material of this book "cover to cover". Lectures will be presented to supplement the subject covered in the text. In most cases, I will explain the most important topics covered in each chapter, then we will work cooperatively to analyze and understand the use of the subject matter in organizations. You are expected to have completed the reading assignments prior to class and to participate in class discussions.

Tools [Top]

1. The SAP GUI 7.3. Connect to http://worker.cob.csuchico.edu/ to download and install this software to your computer.
2. SAP Dashboard Design (I will provide a copy of this software).

Homework 
Assignments [Top]

No make-up examination will be given without the prior approval of the instructor. If you fail to take the exam, without valid documentation, I will prepare a different exam which you will take at 75% of its grade value.

Final grades will be assigned according to the total points you have obtained through exams and homework assignments  relative to the total possible number of points. 

Your grade is also affected by the number of unexcused absences. You are allowed to have 5 unexcused absences. For each absence after your allowance, 25 points will be deducted. Note that absences are only excused for a valid reasons (health problems, jury duty etc) and MUST be accompanied with documentation (i.e., health center note).

Pluses and minuses will be awarded along the extremities (i.e., greater than 3% below the upper limit and less than 3% of the lower limit, respectively). 

Based on the total points, your grades will be assigned as follows:

Any queries or appeals for a graded component (such as an assignment or an exam) must be directed to the instructor in person within 2 weeks after the graded component is returned. No adjustment will be made for the scores of graded components after the two-week period. Students are responsible for keeping track of their graded components. Uncollected graded components will be kept in the instructor’s office until the end of the current semester. 

Grading system may change for compelling reasons.

Academic Dishonesty

Unfortunately, the subject of academic dishonestly must be discussed for those who are inclined toward such activities. The university's policy is discussed in the following paragraphs. Please, there is no need to engage in any unethical behavior in this class! If you need help, my door is always open.

Academic dishonesty involves acts which may subvert or compromise the integrity of the educational process of the university. Included is any act by which a student gains or attempts to gain an academic advantage for him/herself, or another, by misrepresenting his/her, or another's work or by interfering with the completion, submission, or evaluation of work. These include, but are not limited to, accomplishing or attempting any of the following acts:

• Using any materials that are not authorized by the instructor for use during an examination.
• Copying from another student's paper during an examination.
• Collaborating (i.e., talking, passing notes and/or signals, etc.) during an examination with any other person by giving or receiving information without specific permission of the instructor.
• Stealing, buying or otherwise obtaining information about an unadministered examination.
• Substituting for another person or permitting any other person to substitute for oneself to take an examination.
• Submitting another person's work as yours either in its original or altered form.
• Giving someone else your work to fulfill his/her assignment.
• Using the assignment of another class to fulfill an assignment for this class without authorized consent of the instructor.
• Plagiarizing

Violations of proper ethical conduct will NOT be tolerated. A failing semester grade will be assigned to all involved parties (NO exceptions). Severe cases of academic dishonesty will be handled at the university level.

If you are aware of any academic dishonesty, please notify me either personally (your identity will remain confidential) or anonymously. Cheating devalues everyone's grade and degree, including your own.

Student Tutorial on how not to plagiarize: http://library.csus.edu/content2.asp?pageID=353

Incomplete (I) and Unauthorized Withdrawal (WU) Grades

An incomplete grade (I) will only be issued in accordance to College of Business Administration policy. Among the conditions imposed by the instructor that must be met are: (1) a current passing grade (70 percent or better), (2) the successful completion of all prior assignments and exams, and (3) an unforeseen and unusual event beyond your control which prevents you from completing the semester, and can be documented and verified (employment-related events do not qualify). (4) An incomplete will only be considered after it has been determined that a withdrawal (W) cannot be issued. If you do not meet (1) through (4), you do not qualify for an incomplete. As stipulated by the University, an incomplete cannot be assigned when it is necessary for the student to attend additional class meetings to complete the course requirements.

Unauthorized Withdrawal (WU) indicates that a student did not officially withdraw from the course but failed to complete it. Among the conditions imposed by the instructor that must be met are: (1) a passing grade (70 percent or better) at the time that the student stopped attending classes, (2) attendance stopped before the 11th week of the semester. If you do not meet (1) and (2), you do not qualify for an unauthorized withdrawal (WU) grade and as a result you will be assigned a failing (F) grade.

Other

Laptop and cell phone regulation: No photographing, recording or text messaging is allowed without permission of the instructor.

If you have a disability and require accommodations, you need to provide disability documentation to SSWD, Lassen Hall 1008, (916) 278-6955. Please discuss your accommodation needs with me after class or during my office hours early in the semester.

A disruptive student is a student who engages in classroom behavior that interferes with the process of teaching and learning. If a student is disruptive to my class, I will follow the Procedures for dealing with incidents of disruptive behavior described in the DEALING WITH INCIDENTS OF DISRUPTIVE STUDENT BEHAVIOR IN THE CLASSROOM document (http://www.csus.edu/umanual/student/UMD03250.htm).