Business Analytics

MBA 791 Project Additional Guidance

DELIVERABLES. Each team (not each individual) will submit the following:
(1) A business memo that summarizes your study and its results (Word file). Address the memo to the executive who requested the study and your point of contact. Use the format required in your organization: Date, To, From, and Subject format. Use the following section headings in your memo:
1. Business Situation and Business Questions
2. Data and Methods Used—Describe any data used; identify the analysis methods used to answer each question.
3. Results—Tables and graphs of key quantitative results and observations for each question. Put tables and figures within the memo text, not as attachments at the end.
4. Conclusions and Recommendations—Include best answers to each of the business questions.
(Note: A business memo should be clear, concise, easy to read, with minimum technical detail and generous use of headings and subheadings.)

(2) An Excel file containing all technical details of your analysis. This analysis file must provide the backup for all the results and recommendations in your memo.

TEAM ORGANIZATION.
Possible Team Roles. Most teams have two members. One division of responsibilities is as follows. One person could take the role of primary modeler. The other could take the role of support modeler/memo developer. However, all need to understand (agree to) the details of the models and their use—if not there certainly WILL BE errors in the models. All need to review and edit all the details of the analysis and business memo—if not there certainly WILL BE (1) inconsistencies between the analysis and the business memo and (2) clarity and responsiveness weaknesses.

EVALUATION OF PROJECTS
A. Modeling and analysis (about 50 percent of the grade)
a. Complete analysis
b. Accurate models
c. Appropriate use of models vis-à-vis the business questions
d. Good documentation of analysis and results (in the Excel file you hand in)
NOTE: This assignment cannot earn an “A” grade if there are errors in the optimization models or the simulation models. Both team members need to carefully review the modeling.
B. Business communication of results (about 50 percent of the grade)
a. Use format requested
b. Focus on responding to the business request using the guidance provided
c. Clear, concise, and logical communication of analysis results and business implications
d. Professional business memo (clear, concise, well edited, professional word choice, business language, not too technical)
NOTE: This assignment cannot earn an “A” grade if the memo format requested is not used or if the business questions you received are not all addressed/answered. Both team members need to carefully review and edit the business memo.