Course Number: ISM 3116

Course Name: Introduction to Business Intelligence

Course Descriptions:
Many organizations have a wealth of data residing in their databases, and generate additional valuable data that is
often not captured. Business intelligence (BI) is the process of collecting and turning this resource into business
value. This course will provide an understanding of data organization, and examine the BI processes and techniques
used in transforming data to knowledge and value. Students will also develop skills to analyze data using generally
available tools (e.g., EXCEL). The class format consists of discussion of a large number of articles/cases,
presentations by business professionals, class lectures and discussions on data modeling and design, and hands-on
work with Excel.
Course Objectives:
The fundamental objective of this course is for the student to develop knowledge and expertise on "how to select
and/or develop, and deploy an information system to help a manager in decision making." Specifically, each student
should develop:

Analyze managerial decision situations to determine whether it is practical to support them with computer
technology and, if so, how.
Work on BI development projects in a team environment.
Select and/or develop, and deploy successful business intelligence systems to assist managers in decision
making.
Use data analysis techniques to make better business decisions.
Know when to use various data preparation and analysis techniques.
Know the strengths and weaknesses of various data mining tools and methods.
Master the use of simple tools for solving data mining problems.

Prerequisite:
This course has a prerequisite of ISM 3011 (Management Information Systems) along with a working knowledge of
basic mathematics (high school algebra), and the ability to use simple computing tools (e.g., passing familiarity with
EXCEL and ACCESS). Students should have access to EXCEL spreadsheet and ACCESS database software
(comes with Microsoft Office). The students are assumed to be familiar at an intuitive level with general business
practices of collecting, storing, and using data. However, these subjects will be reviewed in detail at the beginning of
the course as a refresher for students who may have forgotten some of the details.
List of Topics:

Data warehousing concept and business applications

Data warehousing architecture, development, and security
Business analytics with OLAP
Reporting and visualization of business analytics
Real-time decision support, web intelligence, and geographic information systems
Data mining: concept, business applications, and managerial issues
Text and web mining concept and business applications

Business performance management concepts and methodologies

Business performance monitoring and dashboards