analytic mindset

• Read below (and/or download the attached Word file IntegrateCo (Links to an external site.).) with the Instructions for this assignment:
• Download the following four datasets (located in the Module 5 folder) in MS Excel—CSV files:
  1. Job codes
  2. Locations
  3. 2015 payroll
  4. 2016 payroll

Background:

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You serve as a data analyst for IntegrateCo, a company that installs and services integrated building-management systems in the Intermountain West of the United States. “Building-management systems” are computer-based systems installed in buildings to control all mechanical and electric equipment in the building. Examples of mechanical and electric equipment include lightning, air conditioning, heating, security systems, power systems, sound systems, video cameras, and door-locking systems. IntegrateCo serves both large and small customers. It is privately held and expects to have $15 million in revenue in 2016.

The CFO, Noah Summers, noticed that payroll for the first six months of 2016 was approximately $266,000 more than in the first six months of 2015. Noah wants to know why there was a difference and asked you to compare payroll for the first six months of 2016 with the first six months of 2015 and report to him what you find.

One complication in performing this analysis is that IntegrateCo implemented a new accounting system at the start of 2016. Thus, the payroll data in 2015 and 2016 came from different systems. As a result, you will have to take great care to understand the data output from each system and appropriately combine the data for your analysis.

Upon receiving this assignment from Noah, you recognize that you will need to exercise an analytics mindset to respond to his request. As a reminder, an analytics mindset is the ability to:

• Ask the right questions
• Extract, transform, and load (ETL) relevant data
• Apply appropriate data analytics techniques
• Interpret and share the results with stakeholders

This case is broken into four parts to help you use an analytics mindset and provide the information Noah wants.

• In Part I, you will develop questions to ask Noah before you begin your analysis. You will also evaluate the data and gain an understanding of the two different data files.
• In Part II, you will transform and load the data into Excel, which you will use to analyze the data.
• In Part III, you will analyze and interpret the data and then prepare a report for Noah.
• In Part IV, you will respond to follow-up questions asked by Noah after his initial review of your report.

Case and Assignment Requirements:

You are to submit a Word document with your answers to Noah’s 10 (ten) questions in Part IV, which include a copy of the first page of the Excel output for those questions where Excel output was required or a screen shot of that first page.