BA 545–Quantitative Methods for Business Decision Making–Fall 2014
Professor Richard Cobb, Ph.D.
Email:
Office phone: 256-782-5503 or 5787
Introduction: This course focuses on quantitative decision-making methodology for contemporary businessmanagers, including topics such as statistical data analysis, forecasting, decision-making under uncertainty, linear programming, Inventory models and simulation. Prerequisites: BA 500 and CBA 390. It is assumed that students have a basic understanding of the topics in a college algebra course and a basic statistical methods course.
Course Objectives:
a. Refine analytical skills, in general.
b. Understand the usefulness of mathematical and technical management science techniques in business decision-making.
c. Enhance the ability to analyze and solve business problems.
Required Text: Quantitative Analysis for Management, 11th ed. by Render, Stair and Hanna, published by Pearson/Prentice-Hall.
Course Policies and Procedures: This is an online class. As such, students will be responsible for studying textbook material and working homework problems without the face-to-face interaction of the classroom. The professor will normally be available for consultation by telephone(Office 256-782-5503 or 5787)during the day (8 AM to 4:30 PM) if I am not in, leave a message and I will return your call or email. You may contact me by emailat (). If your work limits your ability to callduring the day, email me your contact phone number and best time for me to contact you. USE ONLYYOUR JSU EMAIL ADDRESS IN THIS COURSE.
All work submitted for credit is expected to be the work of the individual student. Complete academic honesty is a minimum standard for passing this course.
Any individual who qualifies for reasonable accommodations under The Americans with Disabilities Act or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 should contact the instructor.
Process: The material we will cover is specified below in the course schedule. There are textbook pages to study and homework problems specified for each assignment.
Additional material and problems will be posted on Blackboard during the semester.
The deadline for submitting homework problems will be at Midnight on the due date shown on the course outline. For exams, I will email your exam questions approximately 48 hours before the exam due date. Unless otherwise specified, homework and exam solutionsmust be your handwritten work. This will require you to have access to a scanner. Submit homework sets and each scheduled exam in a “pdf” format (use Adobe Acrobat Image). Submit to my email address as a “pdf” attachment to () and list your name and course number in the subject line. Once again,example chapter problems, other learning aids, and class announcements will be posted on Blackboard. Check this source andstudy the examples.
For some problems you will be required to use either “POM-QM for Windows” or “Excel QM”software. Both of these packages are provided on the publisher companion website for your text. You can also do the problems requiring the use of software by the Excel “Add-In” called “Analysis ToolPak”. You may also find it useful to use one of these software packages to check your work on the handwritten problems, but on homework and exams you must show how you derived your answers and not just write down answers which come from a software package.
You are strongly advised to diligently study the assigned pages and carefullyanalyze the solved problems at the end of the chapter before you begin to work on the homework problems. For some of the chapters I will post additional solved problems.
Do not procrastinate!! Get ahead. Taking this graduate course online is challenging. No problems or exams will be accepted after the midnight deadline shown on the course content outline.
My expectation is that you make a good faith effort on the problems. Being able to take the right approach is more important than getting the correct answers.
After the deadline for each set of homework problems or exams, I will grade and email them back to you. If you have made any errors, try to figure out why. This is part of the learning process. If you have difficulty figuring out why you made errors, call me for a consultation. (256-782-5503 or 5787)
Grading: I will grade your homework problems – 40 in all each worth 5 points. The three exams shown on the schedule are each worth 100 points. Thus, there are 500 points and your grade will be based on the percentage of the points you earn (at least 90% for an A, 80% for a B, etc.)
BA 545 – Quantitative Methods for Business Decision Making – Fall 2014
Study Homework
TopicMaterial HW# Problems * Due Date
Ch. 1: Introduction pp. 1-18 1.1.19, 1.23 Aug. 26 Tu
Ch.3: Decision Analysispp.69-86 2.3.18, 3.21, 3.26, 3.27 Sept. 2 Tu
Ch.4: Regression Modelspp.116-130 3.4.16, 4.26, 4.27, 4.28 Sept. 9 Tu
Ch.5: Forecastingpp. 154-172 4.5.22, 5.23, 5.24, 5.25, Sept. 15 Mon
EXAM #1 All of the above Sept. 21Sun
Ch.12: Project Managementpp. 460-485 5.12.24, 12.28, 12.31 Sept. 30 Tu
Ch.7: LP – Graphical Modelpp.250-290 6.7.21, 7.22, 7.24, 7.39 Oct. 7 Tu
Ch.8: LP – Simplex Applicationpp.308-330 7.8.3, 8.5, 8.6, 8.7, 8.14 Oct. 14 Tu
Ch.9: LP - Transportation Model pp.342-347 8.9.14, 9.18, 9.32 Oct. 20Mon
EXAM #2 All since exam #1 Oct. 26Sun
Ch.9: LP - Assignment Modelpp.348-372 9.9.40, 9.41 Nov. 4 Tu
Ch.11: Network Modelspp.430-444 10.11.18, 11.21, 11.28 Nov. 11 Tu
Ch.6: Inventory Modelspp.196-233 11.6.27, 6.31, 6.43 Nov. 18 Tu
Ch.14: Simulationpp. 534-560 12.14.18, 14.25, 14.30 Dec. 1 Mon
EXAM #3 All since exam #2 Dec. 8 Mon
* Use software as needed
Note: All homework problems are 5 points each. Total homework points possible = 200.