Latest Module Specifications
Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026
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Description This module aims to provide students with an enhanced understanding of performance management in organisations in the two dimensions of operations performance and financial performance and to equip students with an overview of Business Analytics tools and how they are used to inform strategic decision making. With regard to operational performance, the role of process improvement and innovation in operational performance will be explored. Process change will be examined as an inevitable requirement in all organisations. Process improvement and innovation and related techniques such as process mapping and business modelling tools and methodologies will be analysed. The financial dimension of the module will consider how accounting contributes to strategic and operational management through activities such as budgetary control and financial performance review. Elements of external financial reporting and financial analysis will also be examined The third strand, Business Analytics, will explore the myriad uses of descriptive, predictive and prescriptive analytics within organisations (eg production scheduling, HR, marketing ) and how these are used to inform business strategy and decision making. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Learning Outcomes 1. Recognise the role played by, and the elements of, operational performance, human performance and financial performance in an organisation. 2. Critically appraise and decompose real world processes into a process map. 3. Identify and contrast current business modelling tools and methodologies and evaluate the most appropriate business modelling tool or technique for a problem situation 4. Outline the context of budgetary control within an organisation and prepare and interpret basic accounting information for planning and control purposes. Appreciate the role of non-financial performance management and evaluate tools such as the Balanced Scorecard. 5. Recognise the fundamental principles regarding the preparation of financial statements, and analyse such statements using ratios for the purposes of assessing firm performance and financial position. 6. Use descriptive statistics and appropriate graphical techniques to illustrate business problems and convincingly support arguments 7. Express business problems logically, using mathematical terminology where appropriate, and use appropriate techniques to advise on solutions, including situations of uncertainty. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml |
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Indicative Content and Learning Activities
Operational performance Introduction to operational performance and processes What is a process? an introduction to process improvement; product v process innovation Process analysis and improvement frameworks Document process; understand process behaviour; model and analyse process interactions; implement best process design Process analysis and Improvement - tools and techniques Financial performance Accounting in organisations The nature and role of accounting; management accounting v financial accounting; alternative purposes of management accounting; changes in management accounting, the accounting environment. Performance management and budgetary control Budgetary control systems; budget setting within the organisation; role of variance analysis; behavioural issues and budgetary control; developments in performance management, including the Balanced Scorecard. Primary financial statements and ratio analysis Understanding financial statements; interpreting performance using ratio analysis. Business Analytics Business Analytics and its role in organisational decision making. Elements of Business Analytics: Descriptive, Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics. Use of Descriptive Analytics to elucidate and support arguments: using summary statistics and data visualisation. Principles of effective data visualisation. Selected techniques and applications of Prescriptive Analytics. Decision making under uncertainty. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Indicative Reading List Books:
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Other Resources None | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||