Mastering Business Data Collection, Analysis and Presentation

Introduction

Effective use of business data, information technology, and various analytical methods helps managers and employees gain improved insight into their business issues and helps make better-informed decisions. Tools and techniques presented in this program can be applied across many areas in a wide variety of organizations to improve stakeholder satisfaction, enhance return on investment, mitigate business risks, and improve planning. The Mastering Business Data Collection, Analysis, and Presentation training course cover the foundational knowledge necessary to collect reliable business data and conduct a comprehensive analysis to help maximize organizational value. The training course is focused on the enhancement of essential knowledge and skills and equips participants with a toolbox of ideas and methodologies for effective data collection and analysis. Participants in the Mastering Business Data Collection, Analysis, and Presentation training course will develop the following competencies:

• Critical thinking
• Problem definition and business needs analysis
• Business data collection, including the design of questionnaires
• Business data analysis
• Feasibility studies
• Management problem solving and decision making
• Influencing stakeholders through persuasive communication

Objectives

By the end of this training course, the participants will be able to:

• Understand the business context of data collection
• Learn to obtain and analyze business information from a wide range of primary and secondary information sources including stakeholder consultations, surveys, and research
• Use proven diagnostic and analytical tools to organize, verify, validate and prioritize data
• Apply some simple statistical analysis tools to obtain specific business insights
• Develop and present viable business solutions based on a rational analysis of options
• Learn a simple, tried, and tested approach for the persuasive and influential presentation of business information

Training Methodology

This is an interactive course. There will be open question and answer sessions, regular group exercises and activities, videos, case studies, and presentations on best practices. Participants will have the opportunity to share with the facilitator and other participants on what works well and not so well for them, as well as work on issues from their own organizations. The online course is conducted online using MS-Teams/ClickMeeting.

Who Should Attend?

The Mastering Business Data Collection, Analysis and Presentation training course will benefit employees and managers who are involved in the collection, analysis, and communication of business data and information and wish to be able to develop robust and justified business solutions and convince stakeholders to support their recommendations. This training course will equally appeal to decision-makers and those who support them in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors.

Course Outline

DAY 1: Introduction and Key Concepts

• Fundamentals of business decision making
• Decision process and critical thinking
• Data, information, knowledge
• Fact, statistic, rumor, fiction​

Understanding Business Problems / Opportunities

• Recognizing business problems
• Formulation of objectives
• Problem definition Recognising and formulation of assumptions, priorities, and constraints

Day 2: Collecting Relevant Evidence

• Data for decision making; uses of business research
• Business research process
• Research purpose, objectives, and value
• Research design
• Data sources
• Sampling
• Research proposal
• Gathering and organizing relevant data
• Surveys/questionnaires: asking the right questions
• Asking the questions right

Day 3: Data Verification and Validation

• Types of business data
• Data reliability and validity
• Decision models and basic spreadsheets

 Visualizing and Exploring Data

• Data analysis: analyzing information, basic business statistics, and tools
• Charts and frequency distributions
• Pivot tables

Descriptive Statistics

• Descriptive analysis
• Using the measures of central tendency and variability in business decisions

DAY 4: Probability Distributions and Data Modelling

• Probability in management decisions
• Statistical decision theory
• Simple business applications of probability distributions

Business Data Analysis

• Measures of association in business: correlation and regression analysis
• Popular diagnostic and analytical models
• Fundamentals of option analysis
• Choice heuristics
• Payoff tables and decisions under certainty, risk, and uncertainty
• Decision trees and utility theory​

DAY 5: Effective Business Communication to Persuade and Influence

• A framework for persuasive communication: AIMFOCUS
• The importance of AIM
• The need to FOCUS your message
• Writing convincing reports
• The art of influence through business presentations
• Case study
• Lesson learned