What is

Business Analysis
?

2014 XL Numerics Pty Ltd

Business Analysis

Turning numbers
Better
into better Meaningful
business
decisions
business
information
business decisions
Numbers

2
What activities are involved in business analysis?

Examining the past and present

Developing specialist models to answer specific business problems

e.g. cash flow cover, financial returns, inventory levels etc.

Supporting a structured approach to management decision-making

Processing data quickly and accurately

Testing assumptions in a 'safe' environment i.e. scenarios

Understanding more precisely the variables or rules in a problem

Learning about the sensitivity and behaviour of variables

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What should we be
thinking about
during this course?

The ability to take data

- to be able to understand it, to process it, to extract
value from it, to visualize it, to communicate it
- thats going to be a hugely important skill in the
next decades. Hal Varian Google Chief Economist
in the McKinsey Quarterly, Jan 2009
This course is

focused on
understanding and
managing the
numbers that drive
businesses
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There is a method to doing this

Collect the Group & Analyse Forecast Check

data manage (look INSIDE) (look OUTSIDE) the validity
Communicate

Capture the Format, filter, View the data Use the data Do the sanity Package the
data from scale, sort, with reference to make a checks and information
database, group and to its source(s) considered match outputs into the most
spreadsheet, make fields to gain view of the to the relevant effective
document or compatible if strategic future, based business format for
direct feed using with business on the queries your client(s):
sources; or other data insights available tables, charts,
from the web sets credible inputs presentations.
Represent it to
your client(s)
in support of
the business
Numbers Business decisions queries &
decisions
Business data Strategic value needed.

6
We will be doing a lot of work with Excel

Collect the Group & Analyse Forecast Check

data manage (look INSIDE) (look OUTSIDE) the validity
Communicate

Capture the Format, filter, View the data Use the data Do the sanity Package the
data from scale, sort, with reference to make a checks and information
database, group and to its source(s) considered match outputs into the most
spreadsheet, make fields to gain view of the to the relevant effective
document or compatible if strategic future, based business format for
direct feed using with business on the queries your client(s):
sources; or
from the web
Excel can help us do just about all of this
other data
sets
insights available
credible inputs
tables, charts,
presentations.
Represent it to
your client(s)
in support of
the business
queries &
decisions
needed.

7
Why Excel?

Its the Swiss Army Knife

of business analysis! E = SAK

8
The course contents
S1. Introduction
S2. The Business Analyst's Excel Toolbox
S3. Collecting and Managing Business Data
S4. Communicating Your Message
S5. Winning Charts for Business Communications
S6. Looking Inside your Data (Analysis)
S7. Comparing Business Scenarios
S8. Looking Outside your Data (Forecasting)
S9. Summing it Up

9
The course lines up with the business analysis process

Collect the Group & Analyse Forecast Check

data manage (look INSIDE) (look OUTSIDE) the validity
Communicate

Capture
S2. the Format, filter, View the data Use the data Do the sanity S4.Package the
data from scale, sort,
S6.
with reference S8.make a
to
S7.
checks and information
The
database,Business Analyst's
group and Looking
to its source(s) Looking
considered Comparing
match outputs Communicating
into the most
Excel Toolbox make fields
spreadsheet, Inside
to gain Outside
view of the Business
to the relevant Your Message
effective
document or compatible if strategic
your Data future, based
your Data business
Scenarios format for
direct
S3. feed using with business on the queries S5.your client(s):
sources; or and Managing
other data
(Analysis)
insights (Forecasting)
available tables, Charts
charts,
Collecting Winning
from the web sets credible inputs presentations.
Business Data for Business
Represent it to
Communications
your client(s)
in support of
the business
S1. S9. queries &
Introduction Summing it Up decisions
needed.

10
Before working with the numbers

Everything should be made

as simple as possible
. . . but not simpler.

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A most important chart

Jessica Hagy http://thisisindexed.com/2009/10/needles-and-haystacks-and-such/

12
So W I I F M?

If you need to ask why HI Quantitative

Analyst
CFO CEO

you should develop both

Functional
your numerate and Senior
Manager

Numerate

presentation skills, just skills Business

Analyst

Entry Level
take a moment to think Business
Analyst
Sales/
Marketing
Team
where you would like to
LO 2014 XL Numerics

be . . . LO
Presentation
HI
skills

13
The course outcomes

If you can effectively analyse, model

AND COMMUNICATE business information;
you will . . .

14
MAINTAIN A CLEARER
UNDERSTANDING OF THE DATA
DRIVING YOUR BUSINESS
MAKE THE
MOST USE OUT OF
YOUR CURRENT
DESKTOP SYSTEMS
AND TOOLS
SPEND LESS TIME
AND MONEY
ON DATA
HANDLING
IMPRESS
YOUR
STAKEHOLDERS
AND CLIENTS
MAKE BETTER DECISIONS
BASED ON THE NUMBERS
And it has been studied too . . .

Impact of a 10% improvement in data usability on

productivity (sales per employee)

Retail 49%
Consulting 39%
Air Transportation 21%
Food Products 20%
Construction 20%
Steel 20%
Automobile 19%
Publishing 18%
Industrial Instruments 18%
Telecommunications 17%

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Lets get
started