GBUS 8431 - Systems Design and Business Dynamics II

Systems Design and Business Dynamics I is a prerequisite for this course as part II is designed to allow students to apply the fundamental skills learned in part I to significantly more intricate business issues. Students will assess, quantify, and model the behavior of a complete system to determine effective points of leverage for achieving the business performance they select. More advanced system-analysis tools, design frameworks, and business simulations are offered to students who seek a differential capability in unraveling and addressing business-performance dynamics. Increasingly complex business situations are explored that are of particular interest to the strategic consultant, general manager, operations consultant, or market analyst. The course is highly experiential and participatory, relying on workshops, simulations, and interaction with classmates and guest speakers to complement the readings and cases. In addition to developing additional capability in analyzing business performance patterns, students will utilize mapping and modeling software to explore differences in strategic decision policies. Throughout the course, special emphasis is placed on the ability to communicate with others using system-analysis tools to build a shared understanding of business processes and insights. Part I is focused on individual work and exploration while this second part of the course engages students in more team-oriented work, and the class essentially becomes a set of small consulting firms whose purpose is to address intricate business issues.

Credits: 1.5