The goal of the assessment is to allow you to understand business situations in order to develop a BI solution by consolidating what you have learned in the class and to apply the theoretical knowledge. The assignment has two parts: a problem analysis and solution prototype development. The problem analysis gives you the opportunity to identify problems and recommend a course of action of decision supports in a business situation. The problems should be from real-world businesses that represents a complex situation with no ready solutions. The analysis enables you to improve your critical thinking and analytical abilities, evaluate sources of information, alternatives to support decision making to predict future need as well as to enhance your written communication skills. On the other hand, the solution development gives you the opportunity to identify appropriate technologies in terms of developing relevant queries, filtering, sorting and representing information aiming to regular decision making and to predict future.
Part One:
Most companies do not have the adequate skilled staff or knowledge to conduct problem analysis prior to information systems such as BI development and implementation. Most of the cases, companies have to depend on external organizations like BI consultants. Consulting firms are typically involved in conducting problem analysis prior to BI systems development or purchasing BI functionalities and their relevant implementation. The problem analysis is relevant to managing the data collection and analysis with outcome based recommendations. A detailed report on analysis provides the solid foundation of implementing appropriate BI functionalities for business decision support. A problem study will start with a background research and strategy analysis of the company followed up with designing a frameworkfor catering the main management decision problems that the company wants to solve or understand.
Part Two:
In this aspect the group will be required to develop a solution prototype in order to demonstrate the functionalities of the proposed BI application to meet the target demand identified through the problem analysis.Your group is required to demonstrate creativity in designing the solution and innovation to the process of decision making specially for meeting the future strategic planning. Students are free to use any tool or online platform to develop the solution model. The prototype will only focus on management decision making for the company and provide provisions to senior management of the company with detailed options that can provide the decision support required to address the problem. Groups can be made up of 3 students and are to be formed by the first three weeks. Please be noted that no individual work will be accepted for marking. Groups are expected to take their own initiative to approach appropriate company/organizations for this project. The company has to be local so that group members can meet and discuss directly or virtually with the relevant personal about the project.