MN-M534 Business Analytics Assignment 2 Coursework Brief | Swansea University

Individual Coursework Assignment 2

The coursework assignment for this module is an individual assignment worth 50% of the overall module mark. 

Coursework Brief  

The second assignment follows on from the data analysis conducted in assignment 1 and will focus more specifically on presenting the data in a coherent report that conveys the meaning of the results you have provided.

This assignment also allows you to apply the feedback from assignment 1, update your analysis and fix any errors before creating the report. 

• Based on the feedback from assignment 1, update any errors from assignment 1
• Could you develop a report and include the analysis and appropriate data visualisations within the report?
• You will be expected to answer six questions based on the data analysis you completed in assignment 1. These questions will fit with the same themes as those provided in assignment 1. 

Based on various market surveys, the consulting firm has gathered a large data set of different types of cars across the American market. 
The company wants to know:

• Which variables are significant in predicting the price of a car?
• How well do those variables describe the price of a car? Are they the same for each model

Business Goal

SBR analytics are required to model the price of cars with the available independent variables (both numerical and categorical). It will be used by the management to understand how exactly the prices vary with the independent variables. They can accordingly manipulate the design of the cars, the business strategy, etc., to meet certain price levels. Further, the model will be a good way for management to understand the pricing dynamics of a new market.

The overall aim of this assignment is to present the data you analysed in assignment 1. Question 1 will be completing the final analysis and is related to forecasting. You will need to appropriately present the data so the value of it can be understood by the manager. The overall goal between assignments 1 and 2 will be to determine what variables impact the selling price of cars and whether the car prices can be forecast based solely on the month. 

USING the data analysis conducted in assignment 1, please provide a report that answers the following questions: 

Update – explain and provide examples of any data you have updated based on the feedback from assignment 1. 

1. Undertake a time series analysis to determine whether a moving average or exponential smoothing would be the most appropriate method for predicting Average Price. As a minimum, you are expected to create the following forecasts

• 4-point moving average and associated error measures of forecast accuracy (ME, MAE, MAPE, RMSE, MSE)
• 5-point moving average and associated error measures of forecast accuracy (ME, MAE, MAPE, RMSE, MSE)
• Simple exponential smoothing – choose any two alpha levels, one for each forecast, and then calculate associated error measures of forecast accuracy (ME, MAE, MAPE, RMSE, MSE) 

2. Provide an interpretation for the numerical data analysed in assignment 1. Think about the answers for Q1 and Q4 here. 

3. Provide an interpretation for the categorical data analysed in assignment 1. Think about the answers for Q2 and Q3 here. 

4. Provide an interpretation of each regression in questions 5 and 6. 

a. What are the most significant variables in each regression? 
i Make sure to include reference to R2, adjusted R2, sig F, regression coefficient equation and any multicollinearity and insignificant variables that were removed as part of assignment 1. 
b. Provide a comparison of the significant variables in each regression. Are they the same or different?.

A conclusion should review all of the data and answer the following question: 

• Which variables are most Price?
• If you broke this down by car type, or any other categorical variable, you can include that here
• Can car prices be predicted, and if so, which model best average monthly price?
• You should make sure to highlight any additional information that is important to help answer the question.

Please remember to use appropriate data visualisations to support your answer and avoid just describing the data

Report structure:

The report should be addressed to Mr Robbins, so it should be appropriately presented to take into account his lack of understanding of analytics. Therefore, if you are including statistical equations, these should be clearly explained. 

1. Executive Summary – 150 words

• A brief overview of the key findings and recommendations, written in a way that is easy for a non-technical audience to understand.

2. Contents

3. Problem Description – 150 words

• a clear statement of the problem or question being addressed, and the business context for the analysis.

4. Data and Methodology – 150 words

• A high-level overview of the data sources and methods used, without going into too much technical detail.
• The software used for the analysis and presentation also needs to be discussed

5. Results/Analysis – 1800 words

• A clear and concise presentation of the key findings, with visualisations (such as charts, tables, and graphs) that help to explain the data and insights. This section should focus on the most important and relevant insights and avoid overwhelming the manager with too much information.
• This is where you present the data analysis that you conducted in assignment 1
• Make sure you provide a clear interpretation of what the data means with each question (Q1-Q4). 

6. Conclusions and Recommendations – 250 words

• A summary of the key conclusions and specific recommendations for next steps or action for the company based on your interpretation of the data

7. References - (not included in word count)

• Remember to include any textbooks that you may have used to help with analysis and interpretation.
• I would expect around 3-5 references
• APA 7 format

8. Appendices – (not included in word count)

• Additional information, such as detailed calculations and sources, that support the findings and conclusions of the report, but are not essential to the report.
• If you are including appendices, please make sure you refer to the content within the relevant section in the main body of the report above. 

Key Marking Criteria and Marking Guide

• Executive Summary 
• Problem Description
• Data and Methodology
• Results/Analysis - 
  a. Updating results based on feedback from the assignment 
  b. Interpretation of each question (Q1-Q4) 
  i. Q1 
  ii. Q2
  iii. Q3 
  iv. Q4 
• Conclusions and Recommendations
• References
• Structure
  a. Assignment structure 
  b. Presentation of visualisations 
• Any headings in RED in the assignment structure should be included within the structure of your assignment. 
• Any data visualisations (tables, graphs, etc) should be presented. Marks are awarded for this and will be deducted if you use screenshots. 
• Partial marks will be awarded for some answers if you have made appropriate assumptions for the data, you have used however the data used is incorrect. 

A rubric containing the marking criteria is also available at the end of this handbook. 

Notes on Style and Word Count

Assignments are a critical part of the learning experience and development for scholars at Swansea University.  Practice will pay dividends when it comes to honing your skills in report and essay writing. Students are therefore encouraged to submit the highest quality work they can to reach their maximum potential. Students with concerns about how to present their work can consult with the Module Co-ordinator for guidance in addition to the notes listed below:

Assignment 1 - The maximum word limit for the main assignment (excluding tables, contents page, footnotes, charts, graphs, figures, reference lists but including in-text references) is 2500 words. The word count must be stated in the assignment cover sheet. 

Assignment 2 - The maximum word limit for the main assignment (excluding tables, contents page, footnotes, charts, graphs, figures, reference lists but including in-text references) is 2500 words. The word count must be stated in the assignment cover sheet. 

Students are required to adhere to the maximum word limits and should note their final assignment/examination word count in the space provided on the accompanying cover sheet. Students will incur a 5-mark penalty for exceeding the word limit. Please note that word counts should not include cover sheets, bibliographical footnotes, or bibliographies. 

Students who submit work that is below the word limit will not be penalised. This is because students will not have taken full advantage of the word limit available to them, which in itself may constitute a penalty.

The assignment should be in a data file (assignment 1) or report style (assignment 2) (i.e. use headings/sub-headings). Full academic referencing using the APA (7th Edition) referencing style should be used throughout the assignment. The APA Referencing Guide provides guidance on how to reference using the APA style, and this short recording by Subject Librarian, Philippa Price