Business Intelligence: Unit 14 Report - BTEC HND Computing

This document is a comprehensive report on Business Intelligence, tailored for a BTEC HND in Computing course. It delves into the core concepts of business processes, data input and output, and the significance of meaningful information for effective decision-making. The report examines various tools, techniques, and technologies associated with business intelligence, including data mining, data integration, and data warehousing. It also covers the different types of business decision support, from operational to strategic levels, and explores the functionality of business intelligence systems. The report further discusses the practical application of these tools, the design considerations for creating effective solutions, and the legal and ethical considerations surrounding their use. The document also includes the learning outcomes, assessment criteria, and a detailed scheme of work for the unit, providing a structured overview of the course content and how business intelligence impacts effective decision-making. The report aims to equip students with skills in communication, critical thinking, analysis, and interpretation, which are crucial for employment and academic competence.

Module Booklet
Unit Unit 14: Business Intelligence
Unit level 5
Unit code M/615/1641
Unit Type Core
Qualification Code RQF Level 05 - 603/0471/6
Credit Value 15
Qualification BTEC HND in Computing (RQF)
Term Start Date 17 September 2018
Hand out date 17 September 2018
Submission Deadline 25 November 2018
Lecture 8 Weeks
Revision & Formatives 2 Weeks
Guided Learning hours 60
Module Leader Ms Kusum
Lecturer Ms Kusum
Copyright Statement:
Copyright © - All rights reserved - UK College of Business and Computing
This document is the product and property of the UK College of Business and Computing and therefore may
not be: shared with any external third party; reproduced in full or in part; or used in any other related manner
whatsoever, without prior expressed written permission. This statement is for the attention of students, staff
and external parties. In the case of copyright infringement, legal action will be exercised.
1
Copyright © - All rights reserved - UK College of Business and Computing

CONTENTS
Contents
1.0 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................................3
2.0 Learning Outcomes and assessment criteria:.............................................................................................................6
3.0 Programme Specification/ Schemes of work (RQF)..................................................................................................8
4.0 Recommended resources.........................................................................................................................................14
5.0 Assessment Brief.....................................................................................................................................................18
6.0 Assignment Guidelines:..........................................................................................................................................27
7.0 Glossary of academic words used in this and other assignments.............................................................................30
2
Copyright © - All rights reserved - UK College of Business and Computing

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Data and information is core to any organisation and business process. The necessity of having
meaningful information is the key driver for effective decision making and problem-solving.
Business intelligence has evolved from technologies such as decision support systems (DSS) to
include tools and methods associated with data mining, data integration, data quality and data
warehousing in conjunction with other information management systems and applications.
This unit introduces students to a range of tools, techniques and technologies for acquiring data
and processing this into meaningful information that can be used to support business functions
and processes.
Within this unit students will examine the concept of business processing in terms of data
capture, conversion and information output. Students will also be required to define the tools
and technologies associated with business intelligence functionality. The use of a business
intelligence tool/s and techniques is also required to demonstrate an understanding of a given
problem. Finally, students will be expected to evaluate the impact of business intelligence for
effective decision-making.
On successful completion of this unit students will be able to appreciate the importance of
business intelligence in terms of optimising decision-making and performance. By exploring
the tools, techniques and systems that support business intelligence students will have an
awareness of the role and contribution that these technologies and methodologies have and
their importance to organisations.
As a result students will develop skills such as communication literacy, critical thinking,
analysis, reasoning and interpretation, which are crucial for gaining employment and
developing academic competence.
3
Copyright © - All rights reserved - UK College of Business and Computing

By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
LO1 Discuss business processes and the mechanisms used to support business decision-making
LO2 Compare the tools and technologies associated with business intelligence functionality.
LO3 Demonstrate the use of business intelligence tools and technologies.
LO4 Discuss the impact of business intelligence tools and technologies for effective decision-
making purposes and the legal/regulatory context in which they are used.
4
Copyright © - All rights reserved - UK College of Business and Computing

2.0 Unit / Module Content
LO1 Discuss business processes and the mechanisms used to support business
decision-making
Business process model: Data input and capture, data processing/conversion and
information output, security considerations; unstructured and semi-structured data.
Tactical and operational decisions, the business process model, business intelligence
functionality. Analyse and compare the systems and technologies associated with
business intelligence.
Mechanisms: Application software, databases, which are used to collect and store
intelligence. Systems that are used to manage, analyse and display business intelligence
to support the decision-making process; the importance of reliable data; impacts of
reliable data in businesses.
Business processes: Management e.g. supporting decision-making, problem-solving;
operational e.g. sales, purchasing and marketing; support e.g. accounting, technical
supporting processes; improving the efficiency of a business process e.g. forecasting,
decision-making, predictive reasoning; automating processes e.g. print runs, salary slips
etc.
LO2 Compare the tools and technologies associated with business intelligence
functionality
Support for business decisions: Operational tactical and strategic. Operational examples
could include product positioning or pricing. Tactical decisions could include financial
outlays to gain competitive advantage. Strategic business decisions could include
priorities, goals setting and forecasting for the future, global diversification etc.
Business intelligence functionality: Analysing data, decision-making, problem-solving,
designing more intuitive/innovative systems.
Systems and technologies: Information systems at an operational, tactical and strategic
level. Transaction processing, management information systems, decision support
systems, expert systems.
LO3 Demonstrate the use of business intelligence tools and technologies
Tools and techniques: Descriptive and predictive analysis, predictive modelling e.g.
forecasting, use of statistical models to predict and identify trends. Data mining
techniques to find anomalies, cluster patterns and/or relationships between data sets.
Converting data into visual information using charts, graphs, histograms and other visual
mediums.
5
Copyright © - All rights reserved - UK College of Business and Computing

Solutions: Supporting a business process e.g. end user requirements, systems
requirement, application to automate procedures. Designing a tool, program or package
that can perform a specific task to support problem-solving or decision-making at an
advanced level.
Uses: For example, designing an application to solve a specific user need or system
requirement. Create an e-commerce function for a website to support a specific business
process, design a program for a specific end user that will support another application or
process.
Design considerations: Addressing a user or system requirement; designing a user-
friendly and functional interface; considering user engagement and interaction with the
designed solution; customisation of the solution to satisfy the user and system
requirements.
LO4 Discuss the impact of business intelligence tools and technologies for effective
decision-making purposes and the legal/regulatory context in which they are used
Recognise the legal, social, ethical and professional issues involved in the exploitation of
computer technology.
Cybersecurity management: Understanding the personal, organisational and
legal/regulatory context in which these tools could be used, the risks of such use and the
constraints (such as time, finance and people) that may affect how cybersecurity is
implemented.
Evaluation criteria: Enhanced or improved operations e.g. more efficient, faster results,
more user-friendly, higher productivity, extended target audience, more competitive,
more profitable, improved customer service.
6
Copyright © - All rights reserved - UK College of Business and Computing

2.0 Learning Outcomes and assessment criteria:
7
Copyright © - All rights reserved - UK College of Business and Computing

8
Copyright © - All rights reserved - UK College of Business and Computing

3.0 Programme Specification/ Schemes of work
(RQF)
Accrediting Body: Pearson EDEXCEL
Course: BTEC HNC IN Computing
Unit 14: Business Intelligence
Session
s
Learning
Outcome(s) Session Activities
Week 1
Session
1
LO1
Topic: Business
processes
Sample activities:
 Discussion and presentation on data input and capture,
data processing/conversion and information output (I/O
diagram).
 Lecture and general introduction to business process
modelling.
 Practical activity: Students to produce an (I/O) for a
given scenario.
Week 1
Session
2
LO1
Topic: Data types
Sample activities:
 Lecture introducing students to different data types:
unstructured and semi-structured.
 Group activity: Students to produce a table of examples
for unstructured and semi-structured data.
 Issue Assignment 1.
Week 2
Session
3
LO1
Topic:
Mechanisms to
support business
processes
Sample activities:
 Lecture introducing the mechanisms used to support
business processes such as applications software, for
example: spreadsheets, database, presentation,
graphics, desk-top publishing and word processing.
 Practical activity researching the role of business
processes within an organisation and their function at
different levels.
Week 2
Session
4
LO1
Topic: Workshop
and in class
assignment
support
Sample activities:
 Opportunity for students to undertake research within a
supervised environment.
Week 3
Session
5
LO2
Topic: Business
Intelligence systems
and technologies
Sample activities:
 Lecture introducing the systems and technologies
associated with business intelligence functionality.
 Guest speaker: Invite a guest speaker to discuss
business system functionality within their organisation.
9
Copyright © - All rights reserved - UK College of Business and Computing

Session
s
Learning
Outcome(s) Session Activities
Week 3
Session
6
LO2
Topic: Business
decision support
Sample activities:
 Lecture introducing students to the type of support for
business decisions at operational tactical and strategic
levels within an organisation.
 Student activity: Students to find examples of business
decisions that are made within an organisation at the
operational, tactical and strategic levels.
 Class discussion and feedback: Following the activity,
class to discuss their examples. Operational decision
examples could include product positioning or pricing.
Tactical decisions could include financial outlays to gain
competitive advantage. Strategic business decisions
could include priorities, goals setting, forecasting for
the future and global diversification.
Week 4
Session
7
LO2
Topic: Business
intelligence
functionality
Sample activities:
 Lecture on business intelligence functionality: analysing
data, decision-making, problem solving and designing
more intuitive/innovative systems.
Week 4
Session
8
LO2
Topic: Decision
support systems
Sample activities:
 Lecture on the history and development of decision
support systems (DSS).
 Discussion on how business intelligence has evolved
from technologies such as decision support systems
(DSS) to include tools and methods associated with
data mining, data integration, data quality and data
warehousing in conjunction with other information
management systems and applications.
 Practical activity: Students to find examples of
transaction processing systems, management
information systems, decision support systems and
expert systems.
Week 5
Session
9
LO2
Topic: Workshop
and in class
assignment
support
Sample activities:
 Opportunity for students to undertake research within a
supervised environment.
10
Copyright © - All rights reserved - UK College of Business and Computing

Session
s
Learning
Outcome(s) Session Activities
Week 5
Session
10
LO3
Topic: Business
intelligence tools and
techniques
Sample activities:
 Lecture and presentation on the tools and techniques
that support business intelligence.
 Presentation introducing students to descriptive and
predictive analysis, predictive modelling (e.g.
forecasting and the use of statistical models to predict
and identify trends).
 Practical activity: Students to find examples of how
data mining techniques can be used to find anomalies,
cluster patterns and/or relationships between data sets.
Week 6
Session
11
LO3
Topic: Business
intelligence solutions
Sample activities:
 Lecture providing an understanding of how business
intelligence can address organisational problems and
provide solutions.
 Discussion on business intelligence solutions, to support
a business process (e.g. end user requirement, systems
requirement, an application) to automate procedures.
 Practical activity: Students to start designs on a tool,
program or package to perform a specific task/provide
a solution to a given problem.
Week 6
Session
12
LO3
Topic: Business
intelligence
design
Sample activities:
 Lecture and discussion to support the practical activity:
Identify uses for the design (e.g. designing an
application to solve a specific user need or system
requirement).
 Visual demonstration of business intelligence solution
(e.g. an e-commerce function for a website) to support
a specific business process. Design a program for a
specific end user that will support another application
or process.
Week 7
Session
13
LO3
Topic: Customising
business intelligence
designs
Sample activities:
 Lecture and support for the practical activity identify
design considerations: addressing a user or system
requirement; designing a user-friendly and functional
interface; considering user engagement and interaction
with the designed solution; customisation of the
solution to satisfy the user and system requirements.
 Presentation on how to customise business intelligence
solutions/designs.
 Group discussion on the ways in which customisation
has been integrated into individual designs.
Week 7
Session
14
LO3
Topic: Workshop
and in class
Assignment
support
Sample activities:
 Opportunity for students to undertake research within a
supervised environment.
11
Copyright © - All rights reserved - UK College of Business and Computing

Session
s
Learning
Outcome(s) Session Activities
Week 8
Session
15
LO4
Topic: Evaluating
business intelligence
tools
Sample activities:
 Lecture evaluating the impact of business intelligence
tools and techniques.
 Practical activity: Students to produce an evaluation as
to whether business intelligence tools are effective for
decision making purposes.
Week 8
Session
16
LO4
Topic: Business
intelligence and
effective decision
making
Sample activities:
 Guest speaker: Invite a guest speaker from the college
to talk about how business intelligence tools can be
used to support effective decision-making (e.g. student
enrolment process, resource and timetabling etc.).
 Practical activity: Students to produce an evaluation of
the talk in terms of how these tools support functional
departments in their decision making process. Produce
a set of recommendations which could be presented to
the class and representatives from the college that
business intelligence applies to.
Week 9
Session
17
LO4
Topic: Evaluation
criteria
Sample activities:
 Lecture examining evaluation criteria. Look at how
systems and/or operations could be more efficient,
faster, or more user friendly.
 Discussion reviewing how success could be measured in
terms of increased productivity, extending to a wider
target audience, being more competitive or profitable
or having an improved customer service.
Week 9
Session
18
LO4
Topic: Workshop
and in class
assignment
support
Sample activities:
 Opportunity for students to undertake research within a
supervised environment.
Week 10
Session
19
LO4
Sample activities:
 Practical activity: Students to research real-life
examples of an organisation meeting one or more of
the evaluation criteria due to the design and use of
business intelligence tools.
Presentation: Students to feedback their findings to the class
and share good practice.
Week 10
Session
20
LO4
Topic: Workshop unit
consolidation and
feedback
Informal workshop to consolidate and finalise tasks that need
completing for assignments. Provide unit feedback forms for
completion. Provide feedback on assignments submitted.
12
Copyright © - All rights reserved - UK College of Business and Computing