WPC 300: Problem Solving and Actionable Analytics
Fall C 2022 SLN: 98758
Canvas URL: https://canvas.asu.edu/courses/129336
Professor: Geoff Pofahl
Office: BAC 665
Office Hours: Every Thursday 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Arizona Time (via – Zoom Conference call)
Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://asu.zoom.us/j/83602754448?
pwd=emFQdjdWb3VRSGpNZXBRelVlMjVDQT09
passcode: 135419
Please email to make an appointment to meet outside this office hour.
E-mail: gpof[email protected]
Course Description
This course provides foundational skills for exploring unstructured business problems. The course will cover
techniques to approach decision-making in a systematic manner, enabling students to become more comfortable in
handling tasks or projects that are not initially well defined. Methods will include exercises in brainstorming and
iterating as well as the use of more traditional analytical tools (such as spreadsheets and visualization software).
The course will offer applications across different functional areas and disciplines. After the course, a student
should be able to better understand the types of problems businesses confront and solve, the information available
to bring to bear on decisions, and modeling techniques and constructs used to solve them. Throughout,
communication of results is emphasized.
W. P. Carey School of Business Learning Goals
The Undergraduate Program of the W.P. Carey School of Business has established the following learning goals for its
graduates:
• Critical Thinking
• Communication
• Discipline Specific Knowledge
• Ethical Awareness and Reasoning
•Global Awareness
Items in bold have significant coverage in this course.
Teaching Philosophy, Course Objectives, and Course Learning Outcomes
This course will utilize readings, in-class exercises, and software tools to develop student competency in collecting
and organizing information to deliver insight and inform decisions.
After the course, the student should have the ability to
• Ask the right questions to identify problems across functional areas
• Critique available organizational data (both qualitative and quantitative) and its applicability to deliver
insights for a given business situation
WPC 300 Syllabus 1
The information contained in this syllabus (except grading policies) is subject to change
• Create problem statements to establish objectives, scope, relevant data sources, and strategies for data
collection, including ethical considerations
• Develop basic models to predict and prescribe decisions and actions
• Explore data to visualize and communicate insights and recommendations
Textbook and Other Materials
Book #1
Online Book/Software: Data Analysis with Microsoft Excel
Author: Allen, Gove, Ball, Nicholas, Anderson, John, Jackson, Robert
Publisher: MyEducator
Version: 2022, online
Cost: $39.99
ISBN: 978-1-952023-19-4
We will be using MyEducator to access the above interactive smartextbook. Information on how to purchase
access to MyEducator can be found in the Start Here section on Canvas. Here are some tips for accessing
MyEducator via Canvas in order to begin:
●Please do not use a tablet or a phone to purchase the book - use a computer.
●Please use Chrome or Firefox as your Internet browser.
