MIS770 Foundation Skills in Business Analysis

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND BUSINESS ANALYTICS

DEAKIN BUSINESS SCHOOL
FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND LAW, DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

Assignment Two
Analysis of Click Sales Data

Particulars

• Due: Week 10, 8 pm, Thursday 20th of May 2021. (Contrary to the Unit guide, this is the
new due date).
• Marks: 30%.
• Words: 2,000 words or approximate equivalent.
• Submission: Two files (Word and XL) electronically submitted in CloudDeakin. Email submissions
will not be accepted. Note: Do not convert your Word document to pdf
format.
• Notes: This assignment is to be completed individually. Please ensure you are familiar with the
Extension Request and the Late Penalties rules governing assignments in the Faculty of Business and Law
(see details below).

Assurance of Learning

This assignment assesses the following Graduate Learning Outcomes and related Unit Learning Outcomes:

Graduate Learning Outcome (GLO) Unit Learning Outcome (ULO)

ULO2: Manipulate and summarise data that
GLO4: Critical thinking: evaluating information using
accurately represents real-world problems
critical and analytical thinking and judgment
ULO3: Interpret and appraise statistical output to
assist in real-world decision making

Faculty of Business and Law Assignment Extension Procedures

Information for students seeking an extension BEFORE the due date

If you wish to seek an extension for this assignment prior to the due date, you need to apply directly to the Unit
Chair by completing the Assignment and Online Test Extension Application Form (available from
https://www.deakin.edu.au/students/faculties/buslaw/student-support/assignment-extensions) and sending the
completed form as well as your supporting documentation and a draft of your assignment, to
scott.salzman@deakin.edu.au. (Note: completing the Extension Application Form is mandatory if you wish to
apply for an extension.)
This process needs to occur as soon as you become aware that you will have difficulty in meeting the due date,
but no later than 5-00 pm Thursday the 21st of May 2021.
Specifically, requests for extensions will not be considered after the normal close of business on the due date
of the assignment.
Please note: Unit Chairs can only grant extensions up to two weeks beyond the original due date. If you require
more than two weeks, or have already been provided an extension by the Unit Chair and require additional
time, you must apply for Special Consideration via Student Connect within 3 business days of the due date.
Misreading the due date and time, assignment anxiety or returning home will not be accepted as grounds for
consideration.

MIS770 Foundation Skills in Business Analysis Assignment Two Page 1

 Conditions under which an extension will normally be considered include:
• Medical – to cover medical conditions of a serious nature, e.g. hospitalisation, serious injury or chronic
illness.
Note: temporary minor ailments such as headaches, colds and minor gastric upsets are not serious medical
conditions and are unlikely to be accepted. However serious cases of these may be considered.
• Compassionate – e.g. death of a close family member, significant family and relationship problems.
• Hardship/Trauma – e.g. sudden loss or gain of employment, severe disruption to domestic arrangements,
a victim of crime.
Information for students seeking an extension AFTER the due date
If the due date has passed and you require more than two weeks extension, or you have already been provided
with an extension and require additional time, you must apply for Special Consideration via Student Connect.
Please be aware that applications are governed by University procedures and must be submitted within three
business days of the due date or previously granted extension due date.
In most instances the maximum amount of time that can be granted for an assignment extension is three weeks
after the due date, as Unit Chairs are required to have all assignments submitted before results/feedback can be
released back to students.
Penalties for late submission
The following marking penalties will apply if you submit an assessment task after the due date without an
approved extension:
• 5% will be deducted from the available marks for each day, or part thereof, up to five days.
• Work that is submitted more than five days after the due date will not be marked; you will receive 0% for
the task.
Note: 'Day' means calendar day.
The Unit Chair may refuse to accept a late submission where it is unreasonable or impracticable to assess the
task after the due date.

Additional information

For advice regarding academic misconduct, special consideration, extensions, and assessment feedback,
please refer to the document “Rights and responsibilities as a student” in the “Unit Guide and Information”
folder under the “Resources” section in the MIS770 CloudDeakin site.

Overview

The purpose of this assignment is to investigate a dataset utilising the knowledge learned up to and including
week 10. This will enable conclusions to be drawn that ultimately assist in decision making.
The assignment requires you to analyse a given dataset, interpret the results, and then draw conclusions such
that you are able to reply to specific questions being asked. You will respond in the form of a business report.
(These questions are asked in the following memorandum).
The aims of the assignment are to:
• provide you with some examples of the application of data analysis
• test your understanding of the material presented in the relevant topics thus far
• test your ability to analyse data and interpret your results
• test your ability to effectively communicate your results to others, particularly, those with very little
knowledge of statistics or analytics.
Before attempting the assignment, make sure that you have prepared yourself well. At a minimum, please read
the relevant sections of the prescribed textbook and review the materials provided to date.

MIS770 Foundation Skills in Business Analysis Assignment Two Page 2

Scenario and the data

Click Sales is an online store (fictitious) that sells electronic gadgetry all over the world. The annual board
meeting is on the horizon, and you have been asked to provide summary information and estimates. Although
Click Sales has no “bricks and mortar” storefront, some purchases are made directly from the different
warehouse locations. The data set contains thirteen variables with information about 150 randomly selected
Click Sales warehouses throughout the world.

You play the role of the senior analyst that will be responsible for modelling the data. The questions you need to
answer are contained in the following memorandum.

MIS770 Foundation Skills in Business Analysis Assignment Two Page 3

Memorandum

Date: 23rd April 2021

To: The Senior Analyst
From: Click Sales Business Intelligence team
Subject: Analysis of warehouse data

Dear Senior Analyst,

Please carry out an analysis of the Click Sales data (contained in the file ClickSales data.xlsx) and prepare a
report for me containing answers to the following questions.

My specific questions are:

Q1. We need an overall view of both (a) the number of items sent from warehouses and (b) the review ratings
that are given to us by our customer.

Q2. Relationships

a) Is there a difference in the customer review ratings when comparing male and female location
managers?
b) Is there a relationship between the annual sales and the number of team members operating at that
warehouse location?
c) The Business Intelligence team would like to get an understanding of the relationship between the
wages paid and whether or not the location managers were male or female.

Q3. Using the random sample of 150 warehouses, the BI team would like to get an estimate of the following.

a) The average annual sales of all warehouses managed by Females.

b) The proportion of all of our stores that have a customer review rating of “high”.

Q4. The Business Intelligence team would like to compare this year’s annual wages to the industry average of
$65,000.

a) The average wage for warehouse staff who do not work for Click Sales is 65,000 dollars. Is this wage
we pay our Click Sales warehouse staff higher than this?
b) Based on the industry observations, it is known that elsewhere, fewer than 22% of warehouse
managers are male, is this the same for Click Sales managers? That is, is the proportion of Click Sales
managers who are male really less than 22%?

Q5. Appropriate Sample Size

Finally, the Business Intelligence team is concerned that a sample of 150 might be too small to draw
reliable inferences and conclusion from. For a survey we intend to undertake next year, we would like your
advice on the following:

a) Is a sample size of 150 suitable to make reliable estimates from?

b) What size sample should be taken in order to accurately estimate the true proportion of warehouses
that have a high customer review rating to with plus and minus 5%

I look forward to your responses.

Sincerely,
The Business Intelligence Team

MIS770 Foundation Skills in Business Analysis Assignment Two Page 4

Business Report Requirements

• Your report should be no longer than 3 pages and should not include any charts and tables, or
appendices. Charts/graphics and tables are only to be placed in the Data Analysis file i.e. the
Excel spreadsheet and not reproduced in the report.
• Suggested formatting for the report: single‐line spacing; no smaller than 10 point font; page margins
approx. 25mm, and good use of white space.
• Your report must have a cover sheet containing your particulars and Unit details (This does not count
towards the suggested report length of 3 pages).
• The report is to be written as a stand‐alone document (assume that the Business Intelligence team will
only read your report). Thus, you should not have any references in the report to your data analysis
output. Eg. “According to Table 1 in the analysis…”
• Your report must contain an executive summary that explains in plain language the purpose of the report
and summarises the main findings. The executive summary should be no more than 700 words long and
should ideally fit onto one page. Dot points may be used to summarise your main findings. The executive
summary page is included in the three-page limit.
• The body of your report must be set out in the same order as in the originating memorandum from the
Business Intelligence team, with each section (question) clearly marked.
• Use plain language and succinct explanations. Do not use technical or statistical jargon as the Business
Intelligence team cannot be expected to understand statistical terminology. As a guide to the meaning of
“Plain Language”, imagine you are explaining your findings to a person without any statistical training
(e.g. someone who has not studied this unit). What type of language would you use in this case? Part of
this assessment is to ensure that you can convey the results of complex statistical modelling, to a person
with no knowledge of statistics.
• Marks will be lost if you use technical terms (even if you attempt to explain them), irrelevant material, or
have poor presentation/organisation.
• All Microsoft Excel data analysis output associated with each question in the Memorandum are to be
placed in the corresponding tab (the corresponding XL spreadsheet/worksheet) in the
T12021MIS770_A2_yourstudentid.xlsx file. Your working is to be placed in the area provided.

Data Analysis Instructions/Guidelines

For obvious reasons, do not post your data, your working, nor your conclusions to the cloud assessment
discussion area. Ask questions of a general nature only.

In order to prepare a reply to the Business Intelligence teams memorandum, you will need to examine and analyse
the dataset ClickSales data.xlsx thoroughly.
The BI team has asked a number of questions and your Data Analysis output (i.e. your charts/tables/graphs) should
be structured such that you answer each question on the separate worksheet provided in your Excel document.
Include all of your relevant analysis results (for each question) in the bordered area defined within each separate
worksheet. There are also two other worksheets in ClickSales data.xlsx file called CI & HT, and you may use the
various templates contained in these worksheets to determine relevant “Confidence Intervals” and “Hypotheses”
should you wish to do so.
General: Although not mandatory, you can copy the data for each question to the worksheet dedicated to that
question.
Q1. Comprehensively describe both of these variables using the most appropriate descriptive summary
techniques (graphical and tabular).
Q2. Use the most appropriate descriptive techniques.

Q3 & 4 Use the most appropriate inferential techniques.

Q5. A response revealing your understanding of the theory is required, as well as an estimate of an
appropriate sample size to deal with the stated margin of error. You can use the relevant Excel templates
provided in tutorials.

MIS770 Foundation Skills in Business Analysis Assignment Two Page 5

Other Guidelines:

• To answer some questions, you may need to make certain assumptions about the data set we are using.
Mention these in your data analysis, where relevant. There is no need to mention them in the report.
• Please ensure you analyse the data thoroughly.
• We assume you will be using Excel to perform you data analysis.
• You can use the relevant Excel templates (CI and HT) provided in the Data file or from your tutorials. 95%
confidence intervals are appropriate. When conducting hypotheses tests, set alpha to 5%.
• Detailed algebraic responses are not expected. Thus, avoid including extensive derivations, formulae,
etc. You are to use Excel where possible to complete your answers.
• In your data analysis output you may include, as annotations, appropriate comments in either plain or
technical language. These will be assumed to be your personal working comments.
• Overall, you will generate a great deal of output for this assignment, but you should trim it down to only
show the most relevant results. Superfluous output will be penalised, so ensure you only include relevant
materials (graphs, tables, calculations, tests, etc.) that are essential for writing up your report.
• Any of your computer work that is not useful should be discarded – your data analysis should only include
computer output that is relevant to your report.
• Save your computer analysis frequently (every 10 to 15 minutes).

Submission

Your completed assignment should be submitted in two separate files:

• Business report (Part A): A Word document of no more than 3 pages that is not to contain any
charts/tables/graphs. (Note: Do not submit a pdf document in lieu.). Please name your Word document
T1 2021 MIS770_A2_yourstudentid.docx
• Data Analysis (Part B): An Excel document containing separate tabs/worksheets with charts/tables/graphs
for each question. Please note that all interpretations should be presented in your “Business Report” and
the Excel document should only contain your intermediate analysis and final output. Please name your
Excel document T1 2021 MIS770_A2_yourstudentid.xlsx
The assignment is to be submitted to the MIS770 assignment box in Deakin’s Cloud Campus before 8 pm,
Thursday 21st May 2021. Please ensure that you include your name and student details in your Word document
as well following the above file naming convention. Failure to follow this convention may lead to a delay in
receiving feedback and marks.

MIS770 Foundation Skills in Business Analysis Assignment Two Page 6

Marking Rubric

Needs
Poor Improvement Satisfactory Good Very Good Excellent
Executive 0 points 3 points 5 points 6 points 7 points 10 points
summary
Does not Presents some Presents most of Presents nearly all Provides detailed Provides
(Marks: 10) communicate any main findings of the the main findings of of the main findings and accurate outstanding
of the main findings analysis accurately the analysis of the analysis descriptions of the descriptions and
of the analysis in and enables reader accurately and accurately and most important reaches
an accurate or to draw a few enables reader to enables reader to features of the conclusions that
useful way, or the conclusions. draw some draw mostly analysis along with are carefully
findings are basic. reasonable reasonable appropriately considered and
conclusions. conclusions. qualified insightful.
conclusions.
0 – 2.9 Marks 3 – 4.9 Marks 5 – 5.9 Marks 6 – 6.9 Marks
7 – 7.9 Marks 8 – 10 Marks

Data Analysis 0 points 16 points 20 points 24 points 28 points 40 points

(Marks: 40)
Uses irrelevant Uses some Uses Uses Comprehensive Skilful and
This part or inappropriate appropriate data appropriate data appropriate data analysis of the comprehensive
relates to the techniques to analysis and analysis and analysis and data using analysis of data
various analyse the data, visualisation tools visualisation tools visualisation tools appropriate
visualisations or the Data to analyse the to analyse the to analyse the techniques, but
in the form of Analysis and data but there data but there data but there there are some
charts, tables visualisation are many errors are several errors are some errors minor errors in Uses data
& graphs etc. tools were used in the analysis. in the analysis. in the analysis. the analysis. visualisations to
to analyse the produce novel
data but in an Uses data insights.
incomplete or visualisations to
inaccurate understand the
manner. patterns in data.

A very poor The The The The analysis is An excellent

presentation of presentation of presentation of presentation of well organised presentation of
the analysis, or the analysis the analysis is the analysis is of and follows the analysis.
the analysis needs satisfactory. a respectable principles of
does not follow improvement. standard. good graphical
principles of display.
good graphical
display.

0 – 15.9 Marks 16 – 19.9 Marks 20 – 23.9Marks 24 – 27.9Marks 28 – 31.9Marks 32 – 40 Marks

Business 0 points 16 points 20 points 24 points 28 points 40 points
Report
(Marks: 40)
Does not Explains some of Explains most of Explains nearly Provides Provides
This part is the communicate any the main the main all of the main detailed and outstanding
written of the main findings of the findings of the findings of the accurate descriptions and
response to findings of the analysis analysis analysis descriptions of conclusions that
the questions. analysis in an accurately which accurately and accurately and the most are carefully
accurate and/or only enables the enables the enables the important considered and
useful way, or reader to draw a reader to draw reader to draw features of the insightful.
the interpretation few reasonable several mostly analysis along
and conclusions. reasonable reasonable with
communication conclusions. conclusions. appropriately
of findings is at a qualified
basic level. conclusions.

The written The written The written The written The written The written
communication is communication communication communication communication communication
unprofessional or is not very easy is clear and easy is clear and easy is professional, is very
difficult to follow to follow and/or to follow but it to follow and easy to follow professional,
and contains it contains too contains minor generally free of and has a good logical and easy
numerous errors. many errors. errors. errors. structure. to follow.

0 – 15.9 Marks 16 – 19.9 Marks 20– 23.9 Marks 24 – 27.9Marks 28 – 31.9Marks 32 – 40Marks

MIS770 Foundation Skills in Business Analysis Assignment Two Page 7

 Overall 0 points 3 points 5 point 6 point 7 points 10 points
Assignment
Presentation No attempt has Little attempt Majority of the Nearly all of the All of the All of the
(Marks: 10) been made to has been made assignment assignment assignment assignment
follow the to follow the Requirements/ Requirements/ Requirements/ Requirements/
assignment assignment Instructions/ Instructions/ Instructions/ Instructions/
Requirements/ Requirements/ Guidelines have Guidelines have Guidelines have Guidelines have
Instructions/ Instructions/ been followed. been followed. been followed. been dealt with
Guidelines. Guidelines. meticulously.

Poorly Unsatisfactorily Satisfactorily Good Very good Faultless

presented presented presented presentation presentation assignment
presentation

0 – 2.9 Marks 3 – 4.9 Marks 5 – 5.9 Marks 6 – 6.9 Marks 7 – 7.9 Marks 8 – 10 Marks

MIS770 Foundation Skills in Business Analysis Assignment Two Page 8