ETX3231 Business forecasting Unit Guide Semester 1, 2011 The information contained in this unit guide is correct at time of publication. The University has the right to change any of the elements contained in this document at any time. Last updated: 27 Feb 2011 Table of Contents ETX3231 Business forecasting - Semester 1, 2011................................................................................1 Chief Examiner:...............................................................................................................................1 Lecturer(s) / Leader(s):....................................................................................................................1 Caulfield...............................................................................................................................1 Tutor(s):.......................................................................................................................................................1 Caulfield...........................................................................................................................................1 Unit synopsis...............................................................................................................................................2 Learning outcomes......................................................................................................................................2 Contact hours..............................................................................................................................................2 Workload.....................................................................................................................................................2 Unit relationships.........................................................................................................................................2 Prerequisites....................................................................................................................................2 Prohibitions......................................................................................................................................2 Teaching and learning method....................................................................................................................3 Timetable information......................................................................................................................3 Unit Schedule..................................................................................................................................3 Unit Resources............................................................................................................................................5 Prescribed text(s) and readings.......................................................................................................5 Recommended text(s) and readings................................................................................................5 Library resources.............................................................................................................................5 Blackboard (MUSO).........................................................................................................................5 Q Manual.........................................................................................................................................6 Calculators.......................................................................................................................................6 Equipment and consumables required or provided.........................................................................6 Assessment.................................................................................................................................................7 Assessment Summary.....................................................................................................................7 Faculty assessment policy...............................................................................................................7 Hurdle requirements........................................................................................................................7 Second marking...............................................................................................................................7 Return of final marks........................................................................................................................7 Applications for extension of time....................................................................................................7 Assessment tasks............................................................................................................................7 Assessment task 1...........................................................................................................................7 Assessment task 2...........................................................................................................................8 Examinations...................................................................................................................................9 Examination 1..................................................................................................................................9 Special consideration.....................................................................................................................10 Assessment criteria - grading descriptors table.............................................................................11 Appendix....................................................................................................................................................12 ETX3231 Business forecasting - Semester 1, 2011 Chief Examiner: Ann Maharaj Lecturer(s) / Leader(s): Caulfield Dr Elizabeth Maharaj Senior Lecturer Phone: +61 3 990 32236 Email: Ann.Maharaj@monash.edu Location: Room 86, Building H5, Caulfield Tutor(s): Caulfield Please see the ETX3231/ETF5231 MUSO website for tutors' contact information. 1 Unit synopsis Basic forecasting tools. Review of basic time series analysis techniques. Moving averages and exponential smoothing forecasting methods. Box-Jenkins method of forecasting. Comparison of forecasting techniques. Introduction to time series regression and dynamic models. Applications to time series from the accounting, economics, banking, finance and management areas. Excel and SPSS will be used. Learning outcomes The learning goals associated with this unit are to: identify the basic tools of forecasting and define the basic time series analysis techniques1. describe the decomposition techniques, exponential smoothing forecasting techniques and Box-Jenkins method of forecasting 2. compare the forecasts of real economic, business and financial time series by decomposition techniques and exponential smoothing techniques using Excel and Box Jenkins method using SPSS 3. differentiate between decomposition methods, exponential smoothing methods and autoregressive methods of forecasting 4. analyse time series in the business environment using the appropriate methods and interpret computer output. 5. Contact hours Two 1-hour lectures and one 2-hour tutorial per week Workload The unit credit points are 6 points equivalent to a time commitment of 12 hours per week. The total time commitment expected for this unit is 156 hours. In addition to the (3 hours per week) 39 hours of class contact (on campus students), you should plan to spend an additional 117 hours during the semester in study for this unit. This includes time spent in preparing for and completing assessment tasks, together with time spent in general study, revision, and examination preparation. Distance education students should plan their schedules to allow for 10 to 12 hours a week, consistent over the semester. Unit relationships Prerequisites ETX2111, ETX2121, ETX2171, ETX2161 or ETC1010 Prohibitions ETC2450 ETX3231 Business forecasting - Semester 1, 2011 2 Teaching and learning method The unit credit points are 6 points equivalent to a time commitment of 12 hours per week. The total time commitment expected for this unit is 156 hours. In addition to the (3 hours per week) 39 hours of class contact you should plan to spend an additional 117 hours during the semester in study for this unit. This includes time spent in preparing for and completing assessment tasks, together with time spent in general study, revision, and test and examination preparation. This unit will be taught as a two-hour class session and a one-hour tutorial each week for 13 weeks. This will include lectures and tutorials. Material relating to the unit will be available on the ETX3231/ETF5231 MUSO site. ALL STUDENTS MUST ACCESS THIS SITE REGULARLY. Timetable information For information on your timetable, including tutorial allocation if required, please refer to: http://allocate.its.monash.edu.au/ Unit Schedule Week Topic Tutorials References/Readings Key dates Week 1 The Forecasting Perspective Basic Forecasting Tools MWH Chapter 1, 2 Week 2 Regression - Simple Linear Regression and Multiple Linear Regression Tutorial Exercises 1.1, 1.2 MWH Chapter 5, 6 Time Series Decomposition Tutorial Exercises 2.1 (MWH: 5.8, 6.7), 2.2, 2.3 MWH Chapter 3 Week 4 Exponential Smoothing Methods - Averaging Methods and Single Exponential Smoothing Computing Exercises 3.2, 3.3 MWH Chapter 4: 4/1, 4/2, 4/3/1, Week 5 Exponential Smoothing Methods - Holt's Linear Method; Holt-Winter's Trend and Seasonality Method Computing Exercises 4.4, 4.5 MWH Chapter 4: 4/3/3, 4/3/4, Week 6 Exponential Smoothing Methods- A comparison of methods and general aspects of smoothing methods Computing Exercises 6.1, 6.2 MWH Chapter 4: 4/3/5, 4/4, 4/5 Week 7 Box-Jenkin Method of Forecasting; Examining correlations and Differencing Tutorial Exercises 4.3, 5.2, 5.4 MWH Chapter 7: 7/1, 7/2 Week 8 Box-Jenkin Method of Forecasting ARIMA models Tutorial Exercises 6.4, 6.5, 6.6 MWH Chapter 7: 7/3 Assignment 1 is due by Monday of this week Mid Semester Break ETX3231 Business forecasting - Semester 1, 2011 3 Week 9 Box-Jenkin Method of Forecasting; Identification; Estimation and Identification Computing Exercises 7.2, 7.3, 7.4 MWH Chapter 7: 7/4, 7/5, 7/6 Week 10 Box-Jenkin Method of Forecasting; Diagnostic Checking and Forecasting Tutorial Exercises 7.1, 8.1 MWH Chapter 7: 7/7, 7/8 Week 11 Advanced Forecasting Models; Regression with ARIMA, Advanced Forecasting Models - Introduction to Dynamic Regression Models; Introduction to Intervention Analysis and Introduction to Multivariate Autoregressive Models Computing Exercise 10.2 MWH Chapter 8: 8/1 Week 12 Review Tutorial Exercises 9.1, 10.1, 11.1 Assignment 2 is due by Monday of this week Lecture program and Tutorials Please note the following: MWH refers to the textbook Forecasting – Method and Applications by Makridakis, Wheelwright and Hyndman . • Notes refer to Hand-outs.• Tutorials will start in Week 2. Some of the exercises in the EXERCISES SECTION will be discussed in the tutorial or worked through in the computing labs. All other exercises as well as those not completed in the tutorial or lab times must be completed in your own time. • All material specified in the syllabus is assessable. Syllabus material that is not in the textbook is provided in the form of notes. • ETX3231 Business forecasting - Semester 1, 2011 4 Unit Resources Prescribed text(s) and readings Makridas, S., Wheelwright, C. and Hyndman, R.J., Forecasting: Methods and Applications, 3rd edition ; Wiley 1998. Notes will be made available on certain topics, including applications. Recommended text(s) and readings These provide further reading for the unit. Note, however, that assessment is based on the terminology and techniques of the textbook and other notes provided. Albright, S.C., Winton, W.L., & Zappe, C. Data Analysis and Decision Making with Microsoft Excel, Duxbury Press, 1999. (Required for some of the exercises.) Hanke, J.E. and Reitsch A.G., Business Forecasting. 6th Edition, Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 1998. Deibold F.X., Elements of Forecasting , 2nd Edition, South-Western, Thomson Learning, 2001. Library resources The Monash University Library provides a range of services and resources that enable you to save time and be more efficient in your learning and research at URL: http://www.lib.monash.edu.au or via the Library tab in the my.monash portal. Blackboard (MUSO) All unit and lecture materials, plus other information of importance to students, are available through the MUSO (Monash University Studies Online) site. You can access MUSO via the My.Monash Portal: http://my.monash.edu.au • Under “Online Systems” click the MUSO hyperlink In order for your MUSO unit(s) to function correctly, your computer needs to be set up and certain programs may need to be installed such as a compatible Java version (eg version 1.5.0). This can easily be done by going to http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/students/browserset.html to update the relevant software. You can contact MUSO Support by: Jobdesk: http://jobdesk.monash.edu.au/login/index.cfm?jobdesk_id=14 Email: muso.support@calt.monash.edu.au Phone: (+61 3) 9903-1268 Operational hours (Monday – Thursday) – local time Australia: 8 am to 10 pm (8pm Non Teaching period) Malaysia: 6 am to 8 pm (6 pm Non Teaching period) South Africa: 11pm to 1pm (11 am Non Teaching period) ETX3231 Business forecasting - Semester 1, 2011 5 Operational hours (Friday) – local time Australia: Australia: 8 am to 8 pm Malaysia: 6 am to 6 pm South Africa: 11pm to 11 am Operational hours (Saturday-Sunday) – local time (Teaching and Exam Period Only) Australia: 1 pm to 5 pm Malaysia: 11 am to 3 pm South Africa: 4 am to 8 am Further information can be obtained from the following site http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/index.html Q Manual For referencing essay/report writing structure etc. url: http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/publications/qmanual/ Calculators Students need a calculator with the basic arithmetic functions and statistical functions Equipment and consumables required or provided All students must have access to a computer with a CD ROM and that runs at least WindowsXP. Excel and SPSS will be used. ETX3231 Business forecasting - Semester 1, 2011 6 Assessment Assessment Summary Within semester assessment: 40% Examination (2 hours): 60% Faculty assessment policy For information regarding assessment policy, please refer to the appendix at the end of this Unit Guide. Hurdle requirements The learning outcomes in this unit require students to demonstrate in the final examination a comprehensive understanding of the topics covered in the unit. This is demonstrated by the requirement that the student must attain a mark of at least 40% in the final examination. A student's final mark is normally the sum of the marks obtained in all of the assessment tasks in the unit. Where a student fails the unit solely because of failure to satisfy the hurdle requirement, a mark of 48 will be returned for the unit. Second marking For information regarding second marking practice, please refer to http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/asg/agu/policies/written-assign.html#secmark Return of final marks The final mark that a student receives for a unit will be determined by the Board of Examiners on the recommendation of the Chief Examiner taking into account all aspects of assessment. The final mark for this unit will be released by the Board of Examiners on the date nominated in the Faculty Calendar. Applications for extension of time For information regarding extensions of time, please refer to http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/asg/agu/policies/written-assign.html#extoftime Assessment tasks Assessment task 1 Title: Assignment 1 Learning objectives assessed: Objective 1, first two parts of Objectives 2-3, Objectives 4-5 Weighting: 15% Task details: Assignment 1 is on the Classical Decomposition and Exponential Smoothing Techniques. This is an individual assignment. • ETX3231 Business forecasting - Semester 1, 2011 7 The Assignment will comprise questions on tasks that include using Excel to generate output and interpreting the results. The total number of marks for the assignment is 15 with 40% of it dedicated to how the computing tasks have been carried out and recorded and the remaining 60% on how the results are interpreted. Due date: Assignment 1 is due by 5pm on Monday of Week 8. Submission details: Students may submit the assignment at the tutorial or put it into the in the tutor’s mailbox in the department offices on Level 5 of H block. Electronic lodgement of the assignment is NOT ACCEPTABLE. Return of marks: The assignments must be picked up from the department offices on Level 5 of H block 3 weeks after the due date. Penalties for late lodgement: A maximum penalty of 10 per cent of the mark allocated to this assignment will be deducted for each day that the assessment is late. Assessment coversheet: All assignments must be submitted with a signed faculty cover sheet. This can be downloaded from the ETX3231/ETX5231 MUSO site or from http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/student/forms/index.php Work submitted for assessment must be accompanied by a completed copy of the Assignment cover sheet which has been signed by the student. NO assignment will be accepted or marked if it is not accompanied by a signed Assignment cover sheet. Additional information: Applications for extension of time All applications for an extension of the time allocated to the assignment must be made in writing to the Unit Leader. Approval, if granted, will be in writing and will be recorded on the Faculty Assignment cover sheet accompanying the assessment task by the responsible lecturer/tutor. Assessment moderation Where a written work submitted for assessment is given a Fail grade or High Distinction by an examiner, that piece of work will be marked again by a second examiner who will independently evaluate the work, and consult with the first marker. No student will be awarded a Fail grade for an assessment task or unit without an independent examiner confirming the result. Note: Exceptions to this are pieces of work contributing no more than 10 per cent of the final mark, unless the total of such pieces exceeds 30 per cent of the final mark. Assessment task 2 Title: Assignment 2 Learning objectives assessed: Objective 1, third part of Objectives 2-3, Objectives 4-5. Weighting: 25% Task details: • ETX3231 Business forecasting - Semester 1, 2011 8 Assignment 2 is on the Box Jenkins Method of Forecasting and on comparisons with the Assignment 1 techniques. The Assignment will comprise questions on tasks that include using SPSS to generate output and interpreting the results. The total number of marks for the assignment is 25 with 30% of it dedicated to how the computing tasks have been carried out and recorded and the remaining 70% on how the results are interpreted and compared. Due date: Assignment 2 is due by 5pm on Monday of Week 12. Submission details: Students may submit the assignment at the tutorial or put it into the in the tutor’s mailbox in the department offices on Level 5 of H block. Electronic lodgement of the assignment is NOT ACCEPTABLE. Return of marks: The assignments must be picked up from the department offices on Level 5 of H block 3 weeks after the due date. Penalties for late lodgement: A maximum penalty of 10 per cent of the mark allocated to this assignment will be deducted for each day that the assessment is late. Assessment coversheet: All assignments must be submitted with a signed faculty cover sheet. This can be downloaded from the ETX3231/ETX5231 MUSO site or from http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/student/forms/index.php Additional information: Applications for extension of time All applications for an extension of the time allocated to the assignment must be made in writing to the Unit Leader. Approval, if granted, will be in writing and will be recorded on the Faculty Assignment cover sheet accompanying the assessment task by the responsible lecturer/tutor. Assessment moderation Where a written work submitted for assessment is given a Fail grade or High Distinction by an examiner, that piece of work will be marked again by a second examiner who will independently evaluate the work, and consult with the first marker. No student will be awarded a Fail grade for an assessment task or unit without an independent examiner confirming the result. Note: Exceptions to this are pieces of work contributing no more than 10 per cent of the final mark, unless the total of such pieces exceeds 30 per cent of the final mark. Examinations Examination 1 Weighting: 60%, of which 20% of the marks will be on calculations and 80% on explanations and interpretation of results Duration: 2 hours Type (open/closed book): Materials examinable: All the syllabus material as outlined in lecture and tutorial programs is examinable. • ETX3231 Business forecasting - Semester 1, 2011 9 Remarks: Sample examination papers will be available on the ETX3231/ETF5231 MUSO site Special consideration For information regarding special consideration, please refer to the appendix at the end of this Unit Guide. ETX3231 Business forecasting - Semester 1, 2011 10 Assessment criteria - grading descriptors table High Distinction (80%+) Distinction (70 - 79%) Credit (60 - 69%) Pass (50 - 59%) Fail (Less than 50%) General description Outstanding or exceptional work in terms of understanding, interpretation and presentation A very high standard of work which demonstrates originality and insight Demonstrates a high level of understanding and presentation and a degree of originality and insight Satisfies the minimum requirements Fails to satisfy the minimum requirements Reading Strong evidence of independent reading beyond core texts and materials Evidence of reading beyond core texts and materials Thorough understanding of core texts and materials Evidence of having read core texts and materials Very little evidence of having read any of the core texts and materials Knowledge of topic Demonstrates insight, awareness and understanding of deeper and more subtle aspects of the topic. Ability to consider topic in the broader context of the discipline Evidence of an awareness and understanding of deeper and more subtle aspects of the topic Sound knowledge of principles and concepts Knowledge of principles and concepts at least adequate to communicate intelligently in the topic and to serve as a basis for further study Scant knowledge of principles and concepts Articulation of argument Demonstrates imagination or flair. Demonstrates originality and independent thought Evidence of imagination or flair. Evidence of originality and independent thought Well-reasoned argument based on broad evidence Sound argument based on evidence Very little evidence of ability to construct coherent argument Analytical and evaluative skills Highly developed analytical and evaluative skills Clear evidence of analytical and evaluative skills Evidence of analytical and evaluative skills Some evidence of analytical and evaluative skills Very little evidence of analytical and evaluative skills Problem solving Ability to solve very challenging problems Ability to solve non-routine problems Ability to use and apply fundamental concepts and skills Adequate problem-solving skills Very little evidence of problem-solving skills Expression and presentation appropriate to the discipline Highly developed skills in expression and presentation. Well developed skills in expression and presentation. Good skills in expression and presentation. Accurate and consistent acknowledgement of sources. Adequate skills in expression and presentation Inadequate skills in expression and presentation. Inaccurate and inconsistent acknowledgement of sources. Source: University of Adelaide 2005 ETX3231 Business forecasting - Semester 1, 2011 11 Appendix Please visit the following URL: http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/unit-guide/appendix.html for further information about: Continuous improvement• Assessment policy• Grading Scale policy• Special consideration• Plagiarism, cheating and collusion• Plagiarism register• Non-discriminatory language• Students with disabilities• Using the University’s computer and IT facilities• Faculty policies• Related links• ETX3231 Business forecasting - Semester 1, 2011 12