Program

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https://business.wsu.edu/graduate-programs/pullman-mba/advantages/

Course Overview
This course explores data analytics and business intelligence which are a collection of computer
technologies, processes and perspectives that together harness data assets to support managerial decision
making. Data Analytics and Business Intelligence are business topics not solely IT topics. The number of
jobs in these areas outpaces the number of local citizens that are prepared to reach for these high-paying
positions.
In 2014 Google reported that 85% of the demand for data scientists and analysts are derived from three
countries, the U.S., Australia, and the UK while 75% of those professionals that are filling these positions,
were coming from three other countries; India, China and Brazil. Would you like to reach for one of these
modern high-paying data focused positions?
The effective use of these technologies and procedures can be used to design business strategies, to
measure the performance of current operations and whether the firm is progressing towards goals that are
outlined in the strategic planning process. Effective use of these technologies and procedures enable a firm
to be more competitive in their marketplace and to identify new business opportunities. Collectively these
technologies are called business intelligence (the logical and physical infrastructure) and business analytics
(the analysis of measures).
Companies seek to manage and leverage the massive amounts of data they collect from business
transactions and operations. Organizations must manage the data coming in to optimize product design and
supply chains. Business Intelligence (BI) is the current term for the reporting systems that alert
management of problems and opportunities. Traditional BI however analyzes past data to understand what
happened. For example how effective was a sales promotion (comparing cost of promotion and discounts
against revenue stream) in a city, how efficient is the warehousing and shipping fulfillment operations of an
e-commerce firm, analysis of what customers are buying what product (to suggest cross-selling), or
comparing overall factory operations at the Tianjin and Mexico City factories.
Business Analytics (BA) is a sub-branch of BI that also analyzes the data streams, but does so using
statistical methods. Because the amount of data (giga, tera and petabytes) is more than humans can
examine, computer algorithms (such as data mining decision trees) are used to examine the data looking for
trends, patterns and groups of data. In addition Business Analytics attempts to predict future events and
operations. Some examples of questions that BA can help to answer are; which customers are ready to buy
my new product line, which factory machines will soon malfunction, and what demographics and
psychographics does my current target market possess?
This class covers both BI and BA and serves as your introduction to the processes, technologies and best
practices that are currently in use.
Buried in the stored data are the insights that can alert management and drive continuous improvement.
Each data-driven organization must design a data strategy and structure designed to collect, clean,
transform, analyze and leverage business data.
BI architectures turn columns, tables, and gigabytes of data into management dashboards that provide upto-date status on agreed upon KPIs. BI system architects design database systems, analytics, reporting and
electronic scorecards to provide the needed health indicants (akin to heart rate and pulse) of the firm. BI
specialists know what types of reports and alerting systems are needed at different levels of organizations.
These BI specialists use special database technologies to clean, extract, transform, and aggregate data,
turning a streams of data (both structured such as sales records and unstructured such as Facebook and
twitter data) into a set of precise KPI analytics that are the data source of a websites gauge, chart, map or

stoplight, which in turn provide indicants of business performance. It has been reported that the #1 growth
job in America for the next decade is technical business analyst. This BI course will begin to prepare you
for these job opportunities by providing you a BI-based analytical mindset and skill set. You will need to
study and practice the techniques and procedures a great deal however before you can land more than an
entry-level reporting analyst position.
This BI course empowers the participant with BI systems knowledge, BI architecture design and BI
implementation skills. The course reviews the concepts, best practices, Microsoft database, data mart,
analytical methodologies and tools, and various evolving analytical techniques. Going further than just
analyzing and reporting the data gathered, the course teaches participants the process of business analytics:
creating and implementing data-driven key performance indicators (KPIs). KPI-based business analytics
are envisioned, and mapped to existing information stores. Next data expressions are used to derive the data
source needed to implement the analytic. The outcome is a live web-based management performance
dashboard with KPI gauges, graphs, maps and other data visualizations.
Course participants will be introduced to a broad array of concepts, best practices, technologies and
methodologies related to Business Intelligence and analytics. Through a deep dive review of Microsoft
data, analytical, and visualization methodologies and technologies, participants can prepare themselves to
design BI systems and improve their management abilities.
Student Learning Outcomes:
1.
2.
3.

4.

5.
6.
7.

Demonstrate the ability to create the data structures and methodologies currently used in BI
systems
Demonstrate the ability to envision, operationalize, and implement business analytics used to
measure business performance on key performance metrics.
Gain hands-on skills and demonstrate proficiency using SQLServer technologies implementing
databases, data marts, cubes, analytics, and visualization techniques such as balanced score cards,
performance dashboards, and reports.
Gain insight and demonstrate the ability to turn piles of disparate organizational data into a BI
structure that delivers the correct information to different management functions, resulting in
identification of significant problems and opportunities
Conductdata driven analysis and BI architect design, develop skills to participate in or perhaps
even lead a BI implementation project.
Demonstrate the ability to envision, design and implement business analytics that monitor key
performance business processes, enabling the BI analyst to recommend corrective action.
Conduct data-driven analyses to identify significant business problems, feasible solutions to
problems, and justify a course of action.

The content for this class primarily exists on the top and middle portion of the following graphic.
We review databases and data modeling, to facilitate our focus on data analysis. MIS557 focuses on
database and data warehouse design and the BI architecture to facilitate the creation of data cubes, and a
formal pipeline of packaged data useful for analysis.

Job/Program Skills Check List:

Advising People: Since I have worked at my job for three summers in a row, I was also in charge of
advising people on which supplies they may need for their projects in order to fit their price points
and get them the product that is needed for their job. You have to know all the products very well
and know why a customer would choose one product over another (if price is not an issue for the
customer).
Assembling Apparatus: I had to build many different pieces of equipment in order to show
customers how those products actually work and the special things that the products can do. So you
have to make sure that the product is built correctly in order to help sell it to a customer.
Calculating Numerical Data: I had to do a lot of inventory calculating. This was important to the
company because they needed to know what products are getting low, so that they can buy more and
restock that product before it actually runs out. This makes it so that if a customer come in looking
for one thing we can tell them in advance if we have the product in stock or not and save then the
time and effort of driving to the shop to check the inventory themselves.
Budgeting Expenses: I was able to help some of the purchasers in the company last year in their
spending and calculating their budgets. As well as seeing which products we should buy or not buy at
a certain price in order to see if our company could profit from buying those products at the other
companies set prices. I also got to write off certain products as business expenses for our employees
like water bottles and safety equipment.
Handling Complaints: I had to deal with customers complaining about how they bought products
that they thought were not up to par with their standards and I had to determine if the products were
messed up in the shipping or if the customer was trying to get us to compensate them for their errors
in using or buying our products. Some customers would be told they would not get refunded, but if
the terms were for sure our companies fault then we always find a way to compensate them and try
and keep them as a life long customer. Ultimately increasing our brand image and recognition
through positive word of mouth.
Handing Detailed Work: I had to measure and make very precise cuts of wood that people would be
using to finalize their products and if I cut the wood to short then the wood is useless to be sold and
the customer wont want it. If you make to many mistakes then that product goes to scrap which then
turns in to a financial hit on the company since they were not able to sell the product that you made a
mistake on in setting up or cutting.
Dispensing Information: A lot of customers come in and are asking what they think we would do if
we were in their building situation. So we really need to not only know all about our products but we
need to know who and where they are all best used and we need to know other cheaper alternatives
for customers looking to build on a budget. When you know what your talking about the customer
always comes back and continue to be a loyal customer for life, especially when you are nice and very
helpful.
Remembering Information: I had to remember a lot about the different products that my company
sold and know where and which product needs to go where on the normal home building process. I
had to be knowledgeable to the customers to ensure them that I know what I am talking about since a
lot of the older customers dont like hearing advice from people around my age range. So it is
important for me to convey to them that I actually know what I am talking about, and that I am fully
capable of helping them solve any of their building issues.

Supporting Others: I was also part of a team were we would have to collaborate with each other
about our tasks and jobs that must be completed before the day is over. This involved us all to divide
up certain tasks and work together to complete tasks that were important to shipping and dealing
with customer returns. I noticed through this process that the better you work and support others,
the easier the task becomes for everyone involved.
Taking Personal Responsibility: This is very important in every team oriented job because if one
person slacks on their work then the rest of the group is going to have to pick up their slack in order
to keep everything running smoothly and that orders go out on time. This also comes into play when
you make a mistake. It is better for you to own up to your mistake then try and push the blame on
another division or person.
Maintaining Emotional Control Under Stress: All jobs are stressful at times and it is very
important for employees to maintain emotional control under stress to make sure that they dont
start getting behind. In my job they would make us fill out weekly and daily agendas of what each
person should accomplish. This is a good way for people to keep track of the time they are spending
on certain tasks and know when they should be moving on to the next task. Having strong business
structure will definitely help lower employee stress levels.
Thinking In A Logical Manner: This is very important as well in the business world. My boss always
would tell us to work smarter not harder. What he meant by this is that there are easier ways of
doing hard tasks if you give it some thought before jumping right into doing the task. For example if
your going to carry something heavy to one location its easier to ask for help and get the job done
quickly than it is for you to slowly move that object alone. Simply put it just keeps everything running
smoothly throughout the whole company.
Interacting With People At Different Levels: I had to work with people of all different levels of the
job and all different branches from people who were paid less than me to even the top executives of
the company. This teaches you the proper ways of interacting with people of all different levels and
makes sure that you are not treating a lower level person any different than you would a upper
management person.
Organizing Files: I had to keep files of accounts of different contractors who dont pay for the
products they get at the store the day they take them, but rather they have an account that gets billed.
I would have to check their files as well as their trucks to make sure that they actually are taking
what we have them written up for taking. I had to keep these files up to date and alphabeticalized to
make it easier for the processing people to charge that company appropriately.

Mark Mandeville
Address: 805 NE A St. Pullman, WA 99163
Phone: (425) 457-0671
Email: markski20@yahoo.com

January 23, 2016

Washington State University MBA Program

Dear Mr.Featherman,

I chose marketing and sales as my focus in education, but in many ways I feel
the business life chose me as well. From a young age, I have always had an
entrepreneurial out look on life and have been very future-oriented. Growing up
with my parents being a pharmaceutical sales representative and a regional
purchasing director for large companies, I have always had aspirations to follow in
their footsteps in pursuing high-level jobs. In my opinion marketing/sales are some
of the most influential aspects of a business. Marketing provides businesses with
key information that ultimately provides the business clear directions towards what
their target customers want, and ways in which their ideas can bring in more
revenue. This is just one of the many reasons that I want to further my education in
not only marketing/sales but also pursuing my life long goal of getting my Masters
in business analytics and branding here at Washington State University.
I currently am finishing up my bachelor degree in marketing at Washington
State University, and have gained a lot of applicable information that will greatly
help me when I enter the workforce. I have always had a hard working attitude
towards every aspect of my life, especially my education. Studying has always been
a struggle for me throughout my life, since I was diagnosed with dyslexia, but I have
always found ways to worker harder at every task I encounter to make up for my
learning challenges. I have managed to be part of the Honor Society for the past four
years and been able to maintain a 3.2 GPA throughout College. Despite the learning
challenges I have faced throughout my life, I make up for it with hard work and
strong aspirations for my future success. This is one of my main reasons why I feel
that I am fit for the masters program, I have the drive and dedication, I know it takes
to get a masters, and I am willing to put forth all my efforts in pursuing this degree.
After hearing from many family friends who dont have their MBA, and they wish
they would have got them, I know that if I get mine it will be greatly beneficial for
me in the long run and my future in the workforce.
Throughout my younger years I really noticed, I have a go get them attitude
towards making money on my own. I started my own pressure washing company at
a young age and I managed a group of six workers for two years, running my own
pressure washing company. This taught me a lot of skills from my many different
customer interactions. I learned quickly how important professionalism, hard work,
and an outgoing attitude, is to success in making sales and building strong customer
relationships. Then I gained a lot of business knowledge at Triple T Trading, as I got
to work and see how to purchase materials as well as manage budgets. This was a

very important experience for me to finally get to see the inner working parts of
how a large companies runs and all the contributing aspects of each level of the
company that keep it working at full potential. I also learned a lot of valuable
business knowledge through my most recent job, while working for BMC West. In
this job I learned a lot of strong communication tactics from my boss, while dealing
with unsatisfied customers, as well as talking with other companies and negotiating
prices that I was willing to pay for their products. Through negotiating with other
companys sales men I was able to learn a lot about how important negotiating is
when being a product purchaser. This was a great learning experience for me since a
lot of the people I would deal with were much older than me and more experienced
in the building materials business. So I had to find ways to pitch my sales to them to
portray myself as an outgoing, hardworking young man by being as professional as
possible. Being young in that market taught me a lot about how to avoid people
trying to take advantage of me, and make me make a bad business decision that
would ultimately affect my companys profits and revenue in the long run. Clearly I
learned a lot of knowledge through all my job experience that is very valuable to me,
and my future within the business world. All the real world experience I have gained
through my various jobs is all knowledge that I feel cannot be taught in school, but
merely learned through hands on, first hand experience. I know that everything I
have learned throughout my job experiences will stick with me throughout my life
and greatly help me become a successful businessman in the future.
I am a strong believer in branding and brand image. Which has had me
striving to reach my goal of becoming a manufacturer sales representative in the
future. Ever since I was little my family has had the motto of buy the best and buy
it once. What I learned from this is that there are brands that are more expensive
and have very strong brand images and recognition and those are the brands that I
tend to appreciate. I am a very outdoorsy guy and would love to be a manufacturer
sales representative for a sporting goods company, since I have so much knowledge
and passion in and towards that industry. I know that having a masters in business
analytics and branding would really give me the upper hand in my future, for
accomplishing my goals, and ultimately becoming a valuable employee in this
industry.
I am aware of the great reputation that WSUs MBA program has, and I am
looking forward to continuing my education here, as well as making as many
potential business connections that come with being a MBA student. I look forward
to the challenges that will come with pursuing my MBA, because I know I have the
passion and drive needed to fulfill my career goals. I know that my hard work and
dedication will not only hone my educational experiences, but also help me progress
on a personal level, as well as help me lay down the building blocks for my life long
goal of being a successful business man in the future. I am greatly looking forward
for the opportunity to attend this program and become the first generation MBA
person in my family.

Thank you,

Mark Mandeville