Written by the innovator of the spreadsheet teaching revolution and highly regarded leader in business analytics, Cliff Ragsdale’s new edition of SPREADSHEET MODELING AND DECISION ANALYSIS: A PRACTICAL INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS ANALYTICS retains the elements and philosophy of past success while now helping your students transition to business analytics. SPREADSHEET MODELING AND DECISION ANALYSIS, 8E’s updates work seamlessly with Microsoft® Office Excel® 2016. Succinct instruction highlights the most commonly used business analytics techniques and clearly demonstrates how to implement these tools with the most current version of Excel® for Windows. This text focuses on developing both algebraic and spreadsheet modeling skills. This edition now features Analytic Solver and XLMiner Platforms with powerful tools for performing optimization, simulation and decision analysis in Excel, as well as complete tools for performing data mining in Excel and techniques for predictive analytics.
1. Introduction to Modeling and Decision Analysis.
2. Introduction to Optimization and Linear Programming.
3. Modeling and Solving LP Problems in a Spreadsheet.
4. Sensitivity Analysis and the Simplex Method.
5. Network Modeling.
6. Integer Linear Programming.
7. Goal Programming and Multiple Objective Optimization.
8. Nonlinear Programming & Evolutionary Optimization.
9. Regression Analysis.
10. Data Mining.
11. Time Series Forecasting.
12. Introduction to Simulation Using Analytic Solver Platform.
13. Queuing Theory.
14. Decision Analysis.
15. Project Management (Online).
Cliff Ragsdale, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
A recognized innovator in spreadsheet instruction and highly regarded pioneer in business analytics, Dr. Cliff Ragsdale is the Bank of America Professor of Business Information Technology and Academic Director of the Center for Business Intelligence and Analytics in the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech, where he has taught since 1990. Dr. Ragsdale received his Ph.D. in Management Science and Information Technology from the University of Georgia. He also holds an M.B.A. in Finance and B.A. in Psychology from the University of Central Florida. Before pursuing his Ph.D., he was supervisor of Benefit Finance & Qualified Plans at the international headquarters of Red Lobster, Inc. He has served as an information systems and statistical consultant for a variety of companies and as an expert witness in the area of spreadsheet forensics. Dr. Ragsdale's primary areas of research interest include applications of artificial intelligence, mathematical programming, and applying statistics to business problems. His research has appeared in Decision Sciences, Naval Research Logistics, Omega: The International Journal of Management Science, Computers & Operations Research, Operations Research Letters, Personal Financial Planning, and other publications. He has received both the Pamplin award for excellence in teaching and the Outstanding Doctoral Educator Award from the Pamplin College of Business Administration at Virginia Tech. Dr. Ragsdale is a Fellow of the Decision Sciences Institute and active member of DSI and INFORMS.