LahoreUniversityofManagementSciences

DISC212IntroductiontoManagementScience
FallSemester2015

Instructor
RoomNo.
OfficeHours
Email
Telephone
TAs&OfficeHours
CourseURL(ifany)

M.AdeelZaffar
403
TR121:15pm
adeel.zaffar@lums.edu.pk
X8026
TBA
suraj.lums.edu.pk

COURSEBASICS
CreditHours
Lecture(s)/Lab(s)
Tutorial(perweek)

3
NbrofLec(s)PerWeek
NbrofLec(s)PerWeek

2
TBD

Duration
Duration

75

COURSEDESCRIPTION

This is a core course for undergraduate business students. It is designed to provide students with a sound conceptual
understandingoftherolethatmanagementscienceplaysinthedecisionmakingprocess.Itisanimportantintroductorycoursein
developing decision models and understanding their application to management problems. The emphasis is on models and
techniques that are widely used in all industries and functional areas, including operations, finance, accounting, and marketing.
Specifictopicscoveredinthiscourseinclude:techniquessuchaslinearprogramming,discriminantanalysis,queuingtheoryand
applications,MonteCarlosimulations,decisionmakingunderuncertainty,decisiontreesandmulticriteriadecisionmaking.

COURSEPREREQUISITE(S)

MATH101

COURSEOBJECTIVE(S)

Thecoursehasthreeprimaryobjectives
1. Introducestudentstotheconceptofmodeldrivendecisionmakinginbusiness
2. Introduce key techniques in three broad categories of decisionmodels typically discussed in the area of management
science:descriptive,prescriptiveandpredictivemodels
3. Developstudentsabilitytocriticallyanalyzeabusinessproblem,designandapplyappropriatedecisionsupporttoolsand
interprettheresultsgeneratedfromthetools

LahoreUniversityofManagementSciences
COURSELEARNINGOUTCOMES
Uponsuccessfulcompletionofthecourse,studentsshould beto
1. Discuss basic modeling techniques across prescriptive, descriptive and predictive decisionmodels in the area of
managementscience
2. Implementthesetechniquesaspartofaspreadsheetbaseddecisionsupporttool
3. Setupandsolvearangeofoptimizationproblems(indifferentareasofapplication)bycorrectlyrecognizingconstraints,
decisionvariablesandobjective(s)
4. Setupandsolvebasicpredictivemodelsbycorrectlyidentifyingtheappropriatetechnique,understandingitsunderlying
assumptionsandinterpretingtheresults
5. Setup and solve descriptive modeling techniques including simulation and basic queuing models by correctly describing
the defining features of the queuing system, including server(s), customer(s), length of the queue, arrival rate(s) and
servicerate(s)
6. Setup and solve single and multicriteria problems using basic decision analysis techniques suchas influence diagrams,
payoffmatricesanddecisiontrees
7. Effectivelycommunicatetheirproblemsolvingapproach,selectedtool(s),results,limitationsandimplicationstosupport
thedecisionmaker

UNDERGRADUATEPROGRAMLEARNINGGOALS&OBJECTIVES

GeneralLearningGoals&Objectives
Goal1EffectiveWrittenandOralCommunication
Objective:Studentswilldemonstrateeffectivewritingandoralcommunicationskills
Goal2EthicalUnderstandingandReasoning
Objective:Studentswilldemonstratethattheyareabletoidentifyandaddressethicalissuesinanorganizational
context.
Goal3AnalyticalThinkingandProblemSolvingSkills
Objective:Studentswilldemonstratethattheyareabletoidentifykeyproblemsandgenerateviablesolutions.
Goal4ApplicationofInformationTechnology
Objective:Studentswilldemonstratethattheyareabletousecurrenttechnologiesinbusinessandmanagement
context.
Goal5TeamworkinDiverseandMulticulturalEnvironments
Objective:Studentswilldemonstratethattheyareabletoworkeffectivelyindiverseenvironments.
Goal6UnderstandingOrganizationalEcosystems
Objective:StudentswilldemonstratethattheyhaveanunderstandingofEconomic,Political,Regulatory,Legal,
Technological,andSocialenvironmentoforganizations.

MajorSpecificLearningGoals&Objectives
Goal7(a)DisciplineSpecificKnowledgeandUnderstanding
Objective:Studentswilldemonstrateknowledgeofkeybusinessdisciplinesandhowtheyinteractincluding
applicationtorealworldsituations.(includingsubjectknowledge)
Goal7(b)Understandingthesciencebehindthedecisionmakingprocess(forMGSMajors)
Objective:Studentswilldemonstrateabilitytoanalyzeabusinessproblem,designandapplyappropriate
decisionsupporttools,interpretresultsandmakemeaningfulrecommendationstosupportthedecisionmaker

LahoreUniversityofManagementSciences
Indicatebelowhowthecourselearningobjectivesspecificallyrelatetoanyprogramlearninggoalsandobjectives.

PROGRAMLEARNINGGOALSAND
OBJECTIVES

COURSELEARNINGOBJECTIVES

Goal1EffectiveWrittenandOral
Communication

Studentsgetanumberofopportunitiesto Onlywrittenskills*canbeassessedin
learnanddemonstratetheseskills
Quizzes,MidTermandFinal
throughoutthecourseCLO7

Goal2EthicalUnderstandingand
Reasoning
Goal3AnalyticalThinkingandProblem
SolvingSkills
Goal4ApplicationofInformation
Technology
Goal5TeamworkinDiverseand
MulticulturalEnvironments
Goal6UnderstandingOrganizational
Ecosystems
Goal7(a)DisciplineSpecificKnowledge
andUnderstanding(SubjectKnowledge)
Goal7(b)Understandingthescience
behindthedecisionmakingprocess

COURSEASSESSMENTITEM

Studentsgetanumberofopportunitiesto Quizzes,MidTermandFinalExam
learnanddemonstratetheseskills
throughoutthecourseCLO26
Studentswilllearntodesignand
Quizzes,MidTermandFinalExam
implementdecisionsupporttools
primarilyinExcelCLO2

Studentsgetanumberofopportunitiesto Quizzes,MidTermandFinalExam
learnanddemonstratetheseskills
throughoutthecourseCLO16

GRADINGBREAKUPANDPOLICIES

Quiz(s):20%
Quizzeswillbegiveninclass/lab.Makeupquizzeswillnotbegiven.Thenatureandlevelofdifficultyofquizzesacrossthe
varioussectionsmayvary.Inviewoftheclassperformance,theinstructormaydecidetogiveadditional(surprise)quizzes.
TheN2policywillapply.
MidTerm:40%
Midtermexammaybegiveninthelaborinclass.Thedatehasbeenindicatedintheschedule.Makeupexamwillnotbe
given.
FinalExamination:40%
Finalexamwillalsobegiveninlaborinclassduringregularexamweek

Attendance:0%
Therearenopointsforattendance.However,attendancewillbetakenineveryclassandyouarestronglyencouragedto
attendallclasses.Pastperformanceofstudentsinthecoursehasshownthatstudentswithlowattendancereceivedapoor
gradeinthecourse.
Class/Lab:
Please make sure you arrive ahead of time. The lecture/lab will start at the appointed time. Please do not enter the
class/labifyouarelate.Whiletheclass/labisinsession,pleaseturnyourmobiledevicesoff.Labsessionswillbeconducted
asandwhendeemednecessarybytheinstructor.Pleasedonotusethelabtimetobrowsetheweborcheckemailsetc.

LahoreUniversityofManagementSciences
COURSESCHEDULE*
TOPICS

RECOMMENDED
READINGS

DATE

LECTURE

9/2

CourseIntroduction

Syllabus

9/4

IntroductiontoModeling

Chapter1

9/9

IntroductiontoOptimization&
Chapter2
LinearProgramming(LP)

9/11

9/16

9/18

9/23

9/25

9/30

10/2

10

10/14

11

10/16

12

10/21

13

10/23
10/28

14
15

10/30

16

11/6

17

11/11

18

SolvingLinearProgramming
problems
ModelingandSolvingLPsina
spreadsheet

ModelingandSolvingLPsina
spreadsheet

Chapter2
Chapter3

SESSIONOBJECTIVES
Introduce students to the area of management
scienceandtheMGSmajor.(CLO1)
Familiarize students with different categories of
modeling techniques and highlight respective
applications, strengths and weaknesses. Introduce
theideaofGoodDecisionsvs.GoodOutcomes(CLO
1)
Introduce students to the concept and essential
characteristics of mathematical optimization and
illustrate the application of Linear Programming as
anexample(CLO3)
Introduce the basic framework for designing and
solvinga2variableLP(CLO2,3)
Introduce the use of spreadsheets to setup and
solveamultivariableLP(CLO2,3)

Introduce the use of LP in solving a range of

different problems including: make vs. buy
decisions, investment problems, transportation
problems, blending problems, production and
ModelingandSolvingLPsina
Chapter3
inventoryplanningandmultiperiodcashflow(CLO
spreadsheet
2,3,7)
Provide students with a basic understanding of the
SensitivityAnalysis
Chapter4
purpose and application of sensitivity analysis (CLO
2,3)
Discuss the benefits and limitations of sensitivity
SensitivityAnalysis
Chapter4
analysis(CLO2,3,7)
Provide a glimpse into the mechanics of the LP
TheSimplexMethod
Chapter4
solutiondiscoveryprocess(CLO2,3)
DROPONLYDEADLINEFriday3rd October2014
EidulAzhaHolidays6th 10th October2014
IntroductiontoNetwork
Introduce the concept of analyzing a class of
Chapter5
Modeling
businessproblemsasnetworkmodels(CLO2,3)
IntroductiontoNetwork
Introducetheuseofnetworkmodelinginsolvinga
Chapter5
Modeling
range of problems including, transshipment,
equipment replacement, transportation and
IntroductiontoNetwork
Chapter5
generalizednetworkflowproblems(CLO2,3,7)
Modeling
MIDTERM
RegressionAnalysis
Chapter9
Introducethebasicsofpredictivemodels(CLO2,4)
Discuss the application of linear regression models
RegressionAnalysis
anddiscusstheinterpretationofkeynumberssuch
Chapter9
DiscriminantAnalysis
as Rsquare, betas and the concept of statistical
significance(CLO2,4)
AshuraHolidays3rd and4th November2014
DiscriminantAnalysis
Chapter10
Introducetheapplicationofdiscriminantanalysisfor
a range of business problems and discuss the
DiscriminantAnalysis
Chapter10
interpretationofdiscriminantscores(CLO2,4,7)
Chapter3

LahoreUniversityofManagementSciences
IntroductiontoQueuing
Theory

11/13

19

11/18

20

11/20

21

11/25

22

IntroductiontoSimulation

Chapter12

11/30
12/2

23
24

IntroductiontoSimulation
IntroductiontoSimulation

Chapter12
Chapter12

12/4

25

DecisionAnalysis

Chapter15

12/9

26

DecisionAnalysis

Chapter15

12/11

27

DecisionAnalysis

Chapter15

12/16

28

IntroductiontoQueuing
Theory
IntroductiontoQueuing
Theory

Chapter13
Chapter13
Chapter13

Introduce the basic elements of a queuing model

including servers, customers, queue lengths etc.
(CLO2,5)
Introduce the application of basic queuing models
(CLO2,5,7)
Introduce the basic concepts of simulation such as
randomvariables,risk,samplingetc.(CLO2,5)
Demonstrate the application of simulation (CLO 2,
5,7)
Introduce decision analysis techniques and revisit
theideaofGoodDecisionsvs.GoodOutcomes(CLO
2,6)
Discuss the application of basic probabilistic and
nonprobabilistic decision analysis techniques (CLO
2,6)
Discuss the application of basic probabilistic and
nonprobabilistic decision analysis techniques (CLO
2,6,7)

Review
FinalExam

Chapters9,10,12,13and15
*Pleasenotethattheinstructorreservestherighttomodifythescheduleduringthesemester

TEXTBOOK(S)/SUPPLEMENTARYREADINGS
SpreadsheetModeling&DecisionAnalysisbyCliffT.Ragsdale,5thedition
Anysupplementalmaterialand/orhandoutswillbemadeavailableviaZambeel