MSc Management

Data Driven Decisions for Business

Coursework Assessment Brief

Submission mode: Turnitin online access

1. General Assessment Guidance

 Your summative assessment for this module is made up of this 2500-word submission, which
 accounts for 100% of your final module mark.
 A total of 100 marks are available for this module assessment and you are required to achieve
 minimum 50% to pass this module.
 The deadline for submission is shown on the submission link. Please note late submissions will
 not be marked.
 You are required to submit all elements of your assessment in one Word document, via The Hub
 Assessment area. Only submissions made via the specified mode will be accepted and hard
copies or any other digital form of submissions (such as via email or pen drive etc.) will not be
accepted.
 For coursework, the submission word limit is 2500 words, excluding your list of references. You
 must comply with the word count guidelines. You may submit LESS than 2500 words but not
more. Word Count guidelines can be found on the assessments tab of your module.
 Do not put your name or contact details anywhere on your submission. You should only put
your student registration number (SRN) which will ensure your submission is recognised in the
marking process.
 You are required to use only Harvard Referencing System in your submission. Any content which
is already published by other author(s) and is not referenced will be considered as a case of
plagiarism.
 You can find further information on Harvard Referencing in the online library on The Hub (Found
in Help&Support)
 BPP University has a strict policy regarding authenticity of assessments. In proven instances of
plagiarism or collusion, severe punishment will be imposed on offenders. You are advised to
read the rules and regulations regarding plagiarism and collusion in the GARs and MOPP which
are available on The Hub in the Academic registry section (Found via Help&Support).
 You should include a completed copy of the Assignment Cover sheet. Any submission without
this completed Assignment Cover sheet may be considered invalid and not marked.
2. Assessment Brief

2.1. Scenario

You have recently been employed as a data analyst in a consultancy called Wood From the
Trees (WFTT). The consultancy was established 10 years ago and specialises in helping
companies that don’t have the skills to analyse data to support business decisions. WFTT
have successfully established a strong reputation and they are now working with
internationally recognised brands.

As WFFTs expands they continue to bring in new employee’s. The recruitment strategy is to
employ less experienced people and give them the support and development they need to
succeed in the company. They like recruits to have a broad management experience and not
be specialist analysts because they offer more commercially viable recommendations.

As part of the approach to introducing you to how the company works WFFT have asked you
to complete a number of initial tasks to ensure that you have a grounded knowledge and
understanding of the company. This is your opportunity to demonstrate your capability and
give them the confidence to let you run your own project in the future. The responses to
requests detailed below should be included in a summary Word report that you save and
submit in a PDF file.
2.2. Summative

Your line manager is happy with your performance and because you have familiarity with
the Bangles data she has asked you to lead the next stage of the project. Bangles invested in
a marketing campaign in the UK in month 5 2020.

The business question that Bangles are trying to address are:

 Did the marketing campaign have a positive impact on sales performance in the UK?

A new dataset is available to you (see separate file)

You have been asked to complete a report for the client. This should be written in Word and
then saved as a PDF and be no more than 2,500 words. Because this is your first client
report for WFTT your line manager has given you additional detail re the structure and
content that she expects to see

By completing this assessment, you would be able to:

 LO1: Critically evaluate the use of data in solving business problems, presenting
logical arguments based on evidence
 LO2: Explore how data analytics can be used within a business context
 LO3: Critically appraise the presentation of data within a business environment
 LO4: Critically evaluate different business analytical techniques as part of planning a
data analytics initiative

Here the information needed for your report.

a) Context. Summarise the key changes and trends that are leading to the increased
importance of data analysis in companies such as Bangles, and how data analytics can add
value

400 words 10 marks

b) Plan. Summarise and justify the analytical approach that you will take using business
analytics to answer the business question

350 words 10 marks

c) Analysis
i. Data. Outline any steps you have taken to clean the data
ii. Analysis. Apply relevant analytical techniques that will support answering the
business question. Summarise your analysis in insightful tables and charts and
include an appropriate management commentary that highlights the key points that
can be drawn from your analysis

650 words 35 marks

 d) Conclusion and next steps
i. Concisely summarise your conclusions and recommendations in respect of the
business question. This should include how the analysis could be improved (for
example through using additional data) and highlight any concerns you have re
the analysis
ii. Next steps – critically evaluate the use Bangles could make of advanced
techniques such as econometric analysis in further analysing the effectiveness of
the UK marketing campaign

1,100 words 30 marks

e) Board Summary
i. Bangles would like a 5 slide summary that they can use internally and present to
the Board. This should cover all of the key points in the report

Create and then cut and paste 5 Microsoft Powerpoint slides into your
document that summarises your written report

10 marks

f) Additional marks are available for the professionalism of your report (for example writing
style, quality of your presentation) and the use of appropriate research

5 marks

Mapping Assessment Task towards module Learning Outcome

Learning Outcome Tested in which summative area of the assessment

LO 1: Critically evaluate the use of data in 2.3c - Data cleaning, Analysis

solving business problems, presenting 2.3d – Conclusion & Next Steps
logical arguments based on evidence

LO 2: Explore how data analytics can be 2.3a – Context

used within a business context 2.3d – Conclusion & Next Steps

LO 3: Critically appraise the presentation of 2.3c - Data cleaning, Analysis

data within a business environment 2.3e – Board Summary

LO4; Critically evaluate different business 2.3d – Conclusion & Next Steps
analytical techniques as part of planning a 2.3b - Planned approach for analytics
data analytics initiative
3. Marking Guide

The assignment is marked out of 100 and counts towards 100% of your module mark. The following table shows the tasks, marks and marking rubric:

Assignment task Distinction (70-100%) Merit (60-69%) Pass (50-59%) Fail (0-49%)
2.3 a Guidelines:
Context – key changes and trends  Points related to changes and trends could include for example better software, storage, technical capability, increased commercial focus, data literacy
and how data analytics can add improving in general and in business functions.
value (LO2)  Points related to data analytics could include for example evidence-based decisions, faster decision making, better understanding of customer and
5 trends 5 marks market dynamics.
5 ways data analytics can add value  This is an area where some evidence of research is expected.
5 marks

10 marks
Outstanding knowledge and
understanding of changes and trends
and excellent critical evaluation
identifying the benefits and
challenges of data analytics.
Good knowledge and understanding
of changes and trends and good
critical evaluation identifying the
benefits and challenges of data
analytics.
Satisfactory knowledge and
understanding of changes and trends
and some critical evaluation
identifying the benefits and
challenges of data analytics.
Weak knowledge and understanding
of changes and trends and no critical
evaluation identifying the benefits
and challenges of data analytics.
2.3 b Guidelines:
Planned approach for analytics  Student is presenting an analytical approach that can be used to reply to the question (Did the marketing campaign have a positive impact on sales
(LO4) performance in the UK?). Examples of data analytic framework: Data Analytics Utility Lifecycle or PPDAC or any other relevant frameworks
Mention to analytic framework 2  Student justify her/his choice, for example by presenting benefits or challenges of the chosen analytical framework
marks
Justification of the selected analytic
framework 8 marks

10 marks
Excellent presentation to any
analytical framework or approach
that can be used to answer the
business question. Excellent
justification of why this analytical
framework or approach can be
effective in answering the business
question
Good presentation to any analytical
framework or approach that can be
used to answer the business
question. Good justification of why
this analytical framework or
approach can be effective in
answering the business question
Basic presentation to any analytical
framework or approach that can be
used to answer the business
question. Basic justification of why
this analytical framework or
approach can be effective in
answering the business question
No mention to any analytical
framework or approach that can be
used to answer the business
question. No justification of why this
analytical framework or approach
can be effective in answering the
business question

2.3 ci Guidelines:
Data cleaning (LO1, LO3)  Student explain which steps could been taken to clean the data. For example:
o how errors can be found
4 marks o how those errors could be fixed
 Student should identify some specific errors in the database
Excellent identification of Good identification of appropriate Basic identification of appropriate Weak identification of appropriate
appropriate errors and explanation errors and good explanation how errors and basic explanation how errors and weak explanation how
how they can be fixed. Student they can be fixed. Student identifies they can be fixed. Student identify they can be fixed.
identify some relevant errors in the some errors and give some errors.
database and give specific recommendation on how to solve
recommendation on how to solve them
them
2.3 cii Analysis. Summarise in Guidelines:
appropriate tables and charts with  Tables and charts summarise key information obtained by the data analysis (e.g., data about the markets, categories, sales and volumes)
management commentary  Key commentaries should briefly describe what can be seen in tables and charts
(LO1, LO3)

2 Summary tables 10 marks

6 Charts 12 marks
Commentary to tables and charts 9
marks
31 marks
Excellent use of tables and charts to
present the outcome of the data
analysis run to reply to the business
question.
Commentary to tables or charts is
detailed.
Good use of tables and charts to
present the outcome of the data
analysis run to reply to the business
question.
Commentary to tables or charts is
good.
Satisfactory use of tables and charts
to present the outcome of the data
analysis run to reply to the business
question.
Commentary to tables or charts is
basic.
Weak use of tables and charts to
present the outcome of the data
analysis run to reply to the business
question.
Commentary to tables or charts is
weak.

2.3di Conclusions (LO1, LO2, LO4) Guidelines:

 Student highlights the key insights of the report and reply to the business question “Did the marketing campaign have a positive impact on sales
Summary 10 marks performance in the UK?”
Improvements and concerns 12  Student gives recommendations on how the analysis can be improved (e.g., collect additional data)
marks  Student highlights criticalities or concerns about how the analysis is currently done (e.g., not enough data available for a proper analysis)
22 marks
Excellent summary of key insights Good summary of key insights and Basic summary of key insights and Weak summary of key insights of the
and satisfactory answer to the good answer to the business satisfactory answer to the business report. Weak discussion of how the
business question. Excellent question. Good discussion of how question. Basic discussion of how analysis can be improved and weak
discussion of how the analysis can be the analysis can be improved and the analysis can be improved and presentation of concerns about how
improved and excellent presentation good presentation of concerns about basic presentation of concerns about the analysis can be done
of concerns about how the analysis how the analysis is done. how the analysis is done.
is done.
 2.3dii Next steps – the use of Guidelines:
advanced techniques (LO1, LO2,  Student is presenting advanced techniques that can be used for assessment the effectiveness of UK marketing campaigns (e.g., econometric analysis)
LO4)  Students critically evaluate the recommended advanced techniques by presenting advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages (4 marks)
Disadvantages (4 marks)

8 marks
Excellent explanation of advanced
techniques that Bangles can use to
assess the effectiveness of UK
marketing campaigns and a detailed
discussion of their advantages and
disadvantages.
Good explanation of advanced
techniques that Bangles can use to
assess the effectiveness of UK
marketing campaigns and a good
presentation of their advantages and
disadvantages.
Basic explanation of advanced
techniques that Bangles can use to
assess the effectiveness of UK
marketing campaigns and some
basic presentation of their
advantages and disadvantages.
Weak or no explanation of advanced
techniques that Bangles can use to
assess the effectiveness of UK
marketing campaigns

2.3 e Board summary (LO3) Guidelines:

 Students are summarizing the key points of the report in a 5 slides Power Point slide deck
10 marks  Blend Charts and infographics into your presentation to make it visually strong

A Power Point presentation with an A Power Point presentation with a A Power Point presentation with a No slides presented or slides do not
excellent overview of the key points good overview of the key points basic overview of the key points cover any of the basic points
presented in the report presented in the report (6 marks) presented in the report presented in the report

2.3 f Professionalism and research Guidelines:

 Relevant research
5 marks  Professionally presented report and slides (e.g., spelling and grammar correct, tables and figures labelled, consistent formatting)
 Sources are properly cited in the text and in the list of references following the Harvard style
For a distinction the report will use a Referencing has few if any errors. There is a limited number of Weak research with inappropriate
consistent approach to headings, The report is reasonably well references, but the correct format is references.
tables and graphs. Sources will be presented but could be improved by used, albeit with some errors. There No professional appearance of
correctly cited and there will be a greater attention to detail. There is may be some errors in formatting report and slides
complete set of references in the evidence of wider reading and and presentation, but the report is
correct format and in alphabetical research. reasonably professional in
order. There is evidence of extensive appearance.
independent reading and research.
Formatting and presentation is
professional throughout.