DISC 212 – Introduction to Management Science

Fall 2022

Instructor M. Adeel Zaffar

Room No. 403 – SDSB Building
Office Hours TBA
Email adeel.zaffar@lums.edu.pk
Telephone 8026

Course Basics
Credit Hours 3
Section 1 M/W 11-12:15 2 Duration 75 min
Section 2 M/W 2-3:15 2 Duration 75 min
Section 3 M/W 3:30-4:45 2 Duration 75 min

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed to provide students with a sound conceptual understanding of the role that
management science plays in the decision making process. It is an important introductory course in
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.

COURSE PREREQUISITES
Pre-Calculus or Calculus 1.

COURSE OUTCOMES
The course has three primary objectives
1. Introduce students to the concept of model‐driven decision‐making in business
2. Introduce key techniques in three broad categories of decision models typically discussed in
the area of management science: prescriptive, predictive and descriptive models
3. Develop student’s ability to critically analyze a business problem, design and apply
appropriate decision‐support tools and interpret the results generated from the tools

COURSE OBJECTIVES & LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to
1. Discuss basic modeling techniques across prescriptive and descriptive decision‐models in
the area of management science
2. Implement these techniques as part of a spreadsheet‐based decision‐support tool
3. Setup and solve a range of optimization problems (in different areas of application) by
correctly recognizing constraints, decision variables and objective(s)
4. Setup and solve basic predictive models by correctly identifying the appropriate technique,
understanding its underlying assumptions and interpreting the results
5. Setup and solve descriptive modelling 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 service rate(s)
6. Effectively communicate their problem‐solving approach, selected tool(s), results,
 limitations and implications to support the decision maker.

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM LEARNING GOALS & OBJECTIVES

General Learning Goals & Objectives
Goal 1 –Effective Written and Oral Communication
Objective: Students will demonstrate effective writing and oral communication skills
Goal 2 –Ethical Understanding and Reasoning
Objective: Students will demonstrate that they are able to identify and address ethical issues
in an organizational context.
Goal 3 – Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills
Objective: Students will demonstrate that they are able to identify key problems and generate
viable solutions.
Goal 4 – Application of Information Technology
Objective: Students will demonstrate that they are able to use current technologies in business
and management context.
Goal 5 – Teamwork in Diverse and Multicultural Environments
Objective: Students will demonstrate that they are able to work effectively in diverse
environments.
Goal 6 – Understanding Organizational Ecosystems
Objective: Students will demonstrate that they have an understanding of Economic, Political,
Regulatory, Legal, Technological, and Social environment of organizations.

Major Specific Learning Goals & Objectives

Goal 7 (a) – Discipline Specific Knowledge and Understanding
Objective: Students will demonstrate knowledge of key business disciplines and how they
interact including application to real world situations (Including subject knowledge).
Goal 7 (b) – Understanding the “science” behind the decision-making process (for MGS
Majors)
Objective: Students will demonstrate ability to analyze a business problem, design and apply
appropriate decision-support tools, interpret results and make meaningful recommendations to
support the decision-maker

PROGRAM LEARNING COURSE LEARNING COURSE ASSESSMENT ITEM

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES
Goal 1 –Effective Written and Objective 6 (partially) Project
Oral Communication
Goal 2 –Ethical Understanding
and Reasoning
Goal 3 – Analytical Thinking Objectives 1-6 Quizzes, Exams, Project
and Problem Solving Skills
Goal 4 – Application of Objectives 2-5 Project
Information Technology
Goal 5 – Teamwork in Diverse
and Multicultural Environments
Goal 6 – Understanding
Organizational Ecosystems
Goal 7 (a) – Discipline Specific Objectives 1,2 and 6 Project
Knowledge and Understanding
Goal 7 (b) – Understanding the Objectives 1, 2 and 6 Project
“science” behind the decision-
 making process

GRADING BREAKUP
Attendance: 5%
Attendance will be taken in every class and you are strongly encouraged to attend all
classes. Past performance of students in the course has shown that students with low
attendance received a poor grade in the course.
Term Exams: 3 x 25% (75%)
Mid-term exams will take place during regular class time. The dates have been indicated in
the schedule. Make-up exam will not be given.
Group Project: 20%
This is a semester-long project. Each group will have 2-3 members. The project will have to
be drawn from a real-life situation. Group names must be submitted on LMS by 18th
September. A 1-2 page project proposal must be submitted on LMS by 9th October. Group
presentations will be made in the last week of classes. Grade on the project will be awarded
on the basis of your presentation and accompanying analysis. A grading rubric will be
provided later on in the course.
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/lab if you are late. While the class/lab is in session, the
instructor may ask you to deposit your phone/laptop or other smart device at the front of the
class. Please do not use the lab time to browse the web or check emails etc.

Textbook and supplemental material

Spreadsheet Modeling & Decision Analysis by Cliff T. Ragsdale, 5th edition or later
Any supplemental material and/or handouts will be made available via Zambeel

Please note that the instructor reserves the right to modify any aspect of the course, the syllabus
and/or the grading components if he deems it appropriate in view of the progress of the class.
 Planned Lecture Schedule

Suggested
Date Lec # Topic Learning Outcomes
Reading
Course
Mon Sep 5 1 Develop an understanding of
introduction &
 Modeling approach towards decision
syllabus Chapter 1
making
Wed Sep 7 2 Introduction to
 Types of models
Modeling
Develop an understanding of
 The essential elements within
Introduction to mathematical optimization
Optimization and
Mon Sep 12 3 Chapter 2  Characteristics of optimization
Linear
problems
Programming
 Mathematical programming
 Basics of Linear programming (LP)
Solving Linear
Understand the approach towards
Wed Sep 14 4 Programming Chapter 2
modeling linear programming problems
problems
These lectures will focus on the use of a
Mon Sep 19 5 spreadsheet to setup a linear
programming problem. By the end of
these lectures, students should be able to
comprehend and model the following
Wed Sep 21 6
Modeling and range of problems:
Solving LPs in a Chapter 3  Make vs. buy decisions
Spreadsheet  Investment problem
Mon Sep 26 7  Transportation problem
 Blending problem
 Production and inventory planning
Wed Sep 28 8 problem
 Multi-period cash flow problem
Students should be able to
 develop a deeper understanding of the
The Simplex
Mon Oct 3 9 Chapter 4 process of solving a linear
Method
programming problem using the
simplex method.
Wed Oct 5 10 Review
Mon Oct 10 11 Term Exam 1
Students should be able to
 Understand the purpose of sensitivity
Sensitivity analysis
Wed Oct 12 12 Chapter 4
Analysis  Analyze the sensitivity reports
generated in Excel
 Appreciate the benefits and
 limitations of sensitivity analysis
These lectures will focus exclusively on a
variety of network models. By the end of
these lectures students should be able to
Mon Oct 17 13 model the following types of problems:
 Transshipment problem
Network Models Chapter 5  Transportation problem
 Shortest path problem
 Equipment replacement
Wed Oct 19 14
 Generalized network flow
 Maximal flow problem
Mon Oct 24 15 Regression &
Chapters 9 Students should be able to understand
Wed Oct 26 16 Discriminant
and 10 basic predictive modeling techniques
Mon Oct 31 17 Analysis
Wed Nov 2 18 Review
Mon Nov 7 19 Term Exam 2
Students should be able to appreciate the
basic dynamics of simple queuing
Wed Nov 9 20
models, characteristics, notation and
basic terminology
By the end of these three sessions
students should
Introduction to
Mon Nov 14 21 Chapter 13  have a stronger grasp of common
Queuing theory
queuing models with multiple servers,
different arrival and service
distributions
 be able to develop queuing models in
Wed Nov 16 22
a spreadsheet for real problems and
critically assess their performance
Students should be able to understand the
basic characteristics of decision problems
Mon Nov 21 23
and be able to draw influence diagrams
for simple decision problems
Students should have an understanding of
Wed Nov 23 24 some of the simpler techniques for
Decision Analysis Chapter 15 solving different types of decision
problems:
 The payoff matrix
Mon Nov 28 25  Non-probabilistic methods
 Probabilistic methods
 Decision Trees
Wed Nov 30 26 Review
Mon Dec 5 27 Term Exam 3
Wed Dec 7 28 Project Presentation