Post Graduate Programme in Management

A.Y. 2016-17 Term: VI

COURSE: ADVANCED DECISION MODELLING AND ANALYSIS WITH VBA
(WORKSHOP)
CREDITS: 2 NUMBER OF SECTIONS: MAXIMUM 2
DOMAIN: ANALYTICS, IT AND ITES
NAME OF THE FACULTY: Prof. Madhukar Dayal
EMAIL: madhukar@iimidr.ac.in
TELEPHONE NO.: 0731-2439 531 FACULTY BLOCK: A ROOM NO.: 208
CONSULTATION HOURS: 4.30 PM to 5.30 PM MON walk-in, other times by prior
appointment via email.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Managers have to deal with a large volume of data, analyse it, and arrive at conclusions for
decision making. Introduction to families of functions available in Microsoft Excel and
simple data modelling and analysis is covered in the basic workshop. This course is designed
to enable managers to build advanced inter-active spreadsheet models which are robust, re-
usable, and error free.
Further, the available functions in Microsoft Excel fall short of being able to meet all
requirements for managers. Managers equipped with functional knowledge of VBA (Visual
Basic for Applications) can build their own functions and sub-routines rapidly in an easy-to-
use VBA environment for performing a wide variety of otherwise difficult or impossible
analysis and tasks. This course unleashes the power of VBA for managerial applications.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
The students shall learn to build spreadsheet models designed for inter-active analysis, in both,
structured and un-structured decision environments. The students will also learn to build inter-
active decision support models using their own functions in Visual Basic for Applications
(VBA) through user-defined functions and sub-routines to arrive at better decisions.
Software used: Microsoft Excel (preferably latest version) OR LibreOffice Calc (free,
open source).
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES (AOL mapping: Not applicable):
Upon successful completion of the course the students will be able to build VBA functions and
sub-routines to perform advanced managerial tasks of data analysis for decision making in
Microsoft Excel or LibreOffice Calc, as well as, develop small applications for independent
use.
PEDAGOGY / TEACHING METHOD:
Mix of lectures, demonstrations, short cases and case exercises.
EVALUATION:
Pass / Fail.
Evaluation shall be based on one or more of short quizzes, exercises, and/or assignments.
ELIGIBILITY:
Outstanding or Good in basic spreadsheet modelling course (Average or Poor are not eligible).
PRE-READING BEFORE THE COURSE:
Walkenbach, J. (2015). Excel 2016 Bible. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN13: 978-1119067511.
Walkenbach, J. (2013). Excel 2013. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN13: 978-1118490365 (available
in ebrary).
Jelen, B. (2015). Excel 2016 In Depth. QUE Publishers. ISBN13: 978-0789755841.
PRE-CLASS PREPARATION REQUIRED BY STUDENTS BEFORE THE COURSE:
Add: Analysis Toolpack, Data Analysis Toolpack - VBA, and Solver Add-in in
Microsoft Office.
Add: Developer Tab to their Quick Access Toolbar.
Note: Students are expected to complete the above on their own before the first session.
SUGGESTED READING (ebooks, available free, shall suffice):
Alexander, M. (2016). Excel 2016 Power Programming with VBA (Mr. Spreadsheet's
Bookshelf). John Wiley & Sons. ISBN13: 978-1119067726.
Mansfield, R. (2013). Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 2013. Sybex Publishers. ISBN13:
978-1118695128 (available in ebrary).
Walkenbach, J. (2013). Excel 2013 Power Programming with VBA (Mr Spreadsheets
Bookshelf). John Wiley & Sons. ISBN13: 978-8126542420 (available in ebrary).
For further readings, see list of books suggested at the end of course outline.
MODULES AND SESSIONS
Module I Structured modelling for Interactive Decision Analysis in EXCEL
Module objective To build robust interactive models for structured managerial
analysis and decision making avoiding common errors and pitfalls
in EXCEL.
SESSION 1 Common errors and pitfalls in spreadsheet modelling (with $, NPV,
VLOOKUP, INDEX & MATCH).
Session objective: To learn common disastrous errors, pitfalls and how to prevent them in
spreadsheets.
Reading: Shrivastava, R., Das, S., & Dayal, Madhukar. (2016, October 4).
NPV@MicroSoft Excel: Avoiding Seven Common Errors [Blog
Post]. Available online at WordPress:
https://madhukardayal.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/npv_avoiding_se
ven_common_errors_ver1-12.pdf.
SESSION 2 Transportation and Assignment problems with EXCEL and Solver.
Session objective: To learn to model and solve transportation and resource assignment
problems in Excel.
Exercise: Assignment of resources to tasks in Excel by faculty (solving with
Solver).
Case: Das, Saini & Madhukar Dayal. (2015). The Transportation Problem: A
Spreadsheet based Decision Support Model, IIM Indore working paper
WP/02/015/IS.
SESSION 3 Advanced concepts in structured modelling (BOOLEAN data and
BOOLEAN variable modelling) and good modelling principles.
Case: Dayal, Madhukar & Saini Das. (2016). Book Recommender System: An
Interactive Spreadsheet Decision Support Model for IIM Indore Library
(upcoming case with Excel workbook).
Case: Dayal, Madhukar & Saini Das. (2016). Organising WEPME 2014:
Interactive Event Budgeting (upcoming case with Excel workbook).
SESSION 4 Interactive modelling in EXCEL.
Session objective Modelling real World data for interactive analysis and decision making.
Case: Das, Saini & Madhukar Dayal. (2016). End Term Grading Excel
Model Part (A) (upcoming case with Excel workbook).
Case: Das, Saini & Madhukar Dayal. (2016). Multi-quiz Grading Excel
Model Part (A) (upcoming case with Excel workbook).

Module II Advanced Inter-active Decision Modelling and Analysis in EXCEL

with VBA.
Module objective To learn making user defined functions and sub-routines in
EXCEL using VBA for complex real World problems.
SESSIONS 5 & 6 Introduction to VBA (Visual Basic for Applications), making simple
functions, debugging VBA code.
Sessions objective To learn VBA Environment and platform, making user-defined
functions, recursive functions, and debugging.
Case: Das, Saini & Madhukar Dayal. (2016). End Term Grading Part (B)
VBA Function version. Case under registration.
Group Assignment: Das, Saini & Madhukar Dayal. (2016). Multi-quiz Grading Part (B)
VBA function version. Case under registration.

SESSION 7 VBA: Making user sub-routines.

Sessions objective: To learn making user-defined VBA sub-routines, debugging sub-
routines, automating tasks using VBA.
Case: Das, Saini & Madhukar Dayal. (2016). End Term Grading Part (C)
VBA Sub-routine version. Case under registration.
Group Assignment: Das, Saini & Madhukar Dayal. (2016). Multi-quiz Grading Part (C)
VBA Sub-routine version. Case under registration.

SESSION 8 VBA: Application design and automation of routine processing

Session objective: To identify application requirements and translate into an application in
VBA.
Exercise: Dealing a hand of bridge.

Module III Unstructured Decision Modelling with VBA.

Module objective Interactive decision making environment for complex real life
problems.
SESSIONS 9 & 10 VBA: Handling Graph objects.
Sessions objective: Learning to use OBJECTS, PROPERTIES, METHODS, and EVENTS
in VBA.
Case: ALOHA-DSS: A Location decision support system with VBA
(upcoming case).

SUGGESTED FURTHER READINGS:

Alexander, M. (2013). Mr. Spreadsheet's Bookshelf: Excel Dashboards and Reports (2nd
Edition). John Wiley & Sons. eISBN: 978-1118491416 (available in ebrary).
Blackwood, N. (2014). Wiley Corporate F&A: Advanced Excel Reporting for Management
Accountants. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. eISBN: 978-1118658185 (available in ebrary).
Gottlieb, I. (2013). Wiley Finance: Next Generation Excel: Accounting and Financial
Modelling in Excel for Analysts and MBA's (2nd Edition). John Wiley & Sons. eISBN:
978-1118469095 (available in ebrary).
Walkenbach, J. (2013). Excel VBA Programming For Dummies. For Dummies. ISBN13: 978-
1118490389 (available in ebrary).

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