1. UNDERSTAND THE LEGISLATION AND ETHICS AROUND DATA COLLECTION AND STORAGE (INCLUDING CONFIDENTIALITY, INTEGRITY, AND AVAILABILITY).
Knowledge and Understanding, Learning.

2. APPLY A RANGE OFTECHNICAL TOOLS AND METHODS TO ANALYSE BUSINESS AND/OR DATA REQUIREMENTS IN ORDER TO IMPROVE BUSINESS AND/OR DATA FUNCTIONS
Knowledge and Understanding, Analysis, Application, Communication.

3. PRODUCE A FEASIBILITY STUDY WHICH IDENTIFIES AND MODELS ‘AS IS’ AND ‘TO BE’ FUNCTIONALITY FOR BUSINESS/DATA IMPROVEMENT WITH SOLUTIONS IDENTIFICATION (SUCH AS COST, FUNCTIONALITY, AVAILABILITY AND MAINTAINABILITY).
Knowledge and Understanding, Analysis Application, Communication.

4. DEPLOY TECHNICAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE TO CREATE A WORKING RELATIONAL DATABASE Knowledge and Understanding, Analysis Application, Communication.

5. DEMONSTRATE THE TECHNICAL ABILITY TO MANAGE DATA, RETRIEVE INFORMATION AND PRESENT IT IN AN APPROPRIATE WAY.
Application, Problem Solving, Communication.

WRITTEN: A Feasibility Study which models ‘as is’ and ‘to be’ business functions and justifies the best solution given required criteria.
Learning Outcomes 2 and 3
A structured analysis and reflective report containing:
- Analysis documentation
- Design models and associated documentation
Learning Outcome 2

PRACTICAL: A creation of a working database artefact which corresponds to the design report containing query statements and their output with discussion relating to the level and use of the information retrieved.
Learning Outcomes 1, 4 and 5

Data Systems development lifecycle
Data gathering techniques mapped to benefits realization management
Definitions for Business Analysis
- PESTLE and GAP analysis.
Analysis techniques such as DFD and Use Case will be used to model the system ‘as is’ and ‘to be’.
Feasibility Study will suggest business improvements with costings and evaluation against required criteria.
Data quality, value and classification for analysis
- Legislation around data collection and storage
- Data security (CIA)
Databases
- Types of data (structured, unstructured etc)
Legislation and standards around data management and use e.g. GDPR
Data structures and data types
- Entity Life Histories
- Entity Relationship Modelling
Relational database design and SQL
- Introduction to concepts of Big Data
NOSQL databases
OLTP vs OLAP

The discipline of Business Analysis is associated with Requirements Analysis but focuses on helping organisations to achieve their strategic goals by understanding their strengths, weaknesses and capabilities, and using them to improve their policies, processes, and information systems. Business analysis helps organisations to understand and describe their functions and activities with a view to improving them to reduce overall costs, use resources more efficiently and provide better support to customers. This module introduces the notion of process orientation and gives experience of modelling business processes as activities that create value for customers. It will give students the potential to work as business analysts and to improve business processes in a range of organisations in the public or private sectors. Following investigation work carried out, students will analyse a business function/s using techniques such as SWOT, PESTLE, GAP analysis, DFD, Use Case, etc., to identify and suggest possible improvement in the form of a Feasibility Study.

The study of data and databases will enable students to model data solutions using conceptual data modelling techniques and to implement a database solution using an industry standard database management system (DBMS). You will learn how to perform key database administration tasks. The module also looks into the legislation relevant to data collection and storage, and the ethics involved in data gathering.

A package of lectures and practical sessions:
Lectures will introduce key topics and concepts with tutor-assisted practical sessions. In the practical sessions you will get hands-on experience of the principles taught in the lectures. Academic learning will be achieved through reading around the subject area. Module tutors will suggest useful texts, though many others will be suitable and can be found in our e-library. If you require help understanding any of the concepts, you may contact your module tutor for assistance.

Quinn, M. (2010) Ethics for the Information Age: International Edition, Pearson Education, ISBN-10: 0132134853, ISBN-13: 978-0132134859 (Edition: 4)

Paul, D. 2014, Business analysis, 3rd edn, BCS, Swindon. ISBN: 178017277x; 9781780172774.

Cadle, J., Paul, D., and Turner, P. (2014) Business Analysis Techniques: 99 Essential Tools for Success. 2nd Edition. BCS, Swindon. ISBN 1906124236

Connolly, T.M. & Begg, C.E. 2015, Database systems: a practical approach to design, implementation, and management, 6th edn, Addison-Wesley, Boston. ISBN: 0132943263, 9780132943260

Coronel, C. & Morris, S. 2017, Database systems: design, implementation, and management, 12th edn, Cengage Learning, Australia. ISBN: 9781305627482, 1305627482

Churcher, C. 2016, Beginning SQL queries: from novice to professional, 2nd edn, Apress, New York. ISBN: 1484219546, 9781484219546

An annually updated key links online resource bank will be made available

Access to PHPmyadmin (or similar professional) environment
Use of a case tool such as QSee Superlite