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 course 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 course 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 course 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.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course a student will be able to:

1. Discuss business processes and the mechanisms used to support business decision-making.

2. Compare the tools and technologies associated with business intelligence functionality.

3. Demonstrate the use of business intelligence tools and technologies.

4. Discuss the impact of business intelligence tools and technologies for effective decision-making purposes and the legal/regulatory context in which they are used.