GB513: Business Analytics Unit 5

Unit 5 [GB513: Business Analytics]

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Assignment

This Assignment requires you to use Excel. Make sure to use the Unit 5 Assignment template located in Doc Sharing when you turn in your answers.

Submit your Assignment to the Unit 5 Dropbox.

Question 1 Determine the error for each of the following forecasts. Then, calculate MAD and MSE.

Period Value Forecast Error

1 202 — —

2 191 202

3 173 192

4 169 181

5 171 174

6 175 172

7 182 174

8 196 179

9 204 189

10 219 198

11 227 211

Question 2 The U.S. Census Bureau publishes data on factory orders for all manufacturing, durable goods, and nondurable goods industries. Shown here are factory orders in the United States over a 13-year period ($ billion).

First, use these data to develop forecasts for the years 6 through 13 using a 5-year moving average.

Unit 5 [GB513: Business Analytics]

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Then, use these data to develop forecasts for the years 6 through 13 using a 5-year weighted moving average. Weight the most recent year by 6, the previous year by 4, the year before that by 2, and the other years by 1.

Answer the following questions:

a) What is the forecast for year 13 based on the 5-year moving average? b) What is the forecast for year 13 based on the 5-year weighted moving average? c) What is the MAD for the moving average forecast? d) What is the MAD for the weighted moving average forecast? e) Which forecasting model is better?

Year Factory

Orders ($ billion)

1 2,512.70

2 2,739.20

3 2,874.90

4 2,934.10

5 2,865.70

6 2,978.50

7 3,092.40

8 3,111.10

9 3,222.20

10 3,555.00

11 4,221.50

12 4,551.20

13 4,137.00

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Question 3 The “Economic Report to the President of the United States” included data on the amounts of manufacturers’ new and unfilled orders in millions of dollars. Shown here are the figures for new orders over a 21-year period.

Use the Charting tool in Excel to develop a regression model to fit the trend effects for these data. Use a linear model and then try a polynomial (order 2) model. Make sure the charts show the line formula and the r-squared value. Include both charts in your report. Then answer the following question:

• How well does either model fit the data? Which model should be used for forecasting? Explain using the relevant metrics.

Year Total Number

of New Orders

1 55,022

2 55,921

3 64,182

4 76,003

5 87,327

6 85,139

7 99,513

8 115,109

9 116,251

10 121,547

11 123,321

12 141,200

13 162,140

14 168,420

15 171,250

Unit 5 [GB513: Business Analytics]

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16 176,355

17 195,204

18 209,389

19 237,025

20 272,544

21 293,475

Unit 5 Assignment Rubric

Content Points Possible

Points Earned

Question 1

Provided the MAD.

5

Question 1

Provided the MSE.

5

Question 2a

Correct forecast for year 13 using a 5-year moving average.

5

Question 2b

Correct forecast for year 13 using a 5-year weighted moving average.

5

Question 2c

Correct MAD for moving average forecast.

5

Question 2d

Correct MAD for weighted moving average forecast.

5

Question 2e 5

Unit 5 [GB513: Business Analytics]

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Recommended the better model with justification.

Question 3

Used Excel Charting to fit a linear trendline, including the formula and r-squared.

5

Question 3

Used Excel Charting to fit a polynomial trendline, including the formula and r-squared.

5

Question 3

Recommended the better model with justification.

5

Total 50