Profitable Business Operation (5 cr)

Evaluation scale

0-5

Content scheduling

Lectures (wk 2-14)
Winter break (wk 9)
Exam (wk 16)
Exam resit 1 (wk 18)
Exam resit 2 (wk 20)

The course includes independent familiarization with literature and videos as well as lectures and exercises and assignments.

Objective

The object of the course
Profitable operations are the core of any business operations. This course will provide you with the key knowledge and capabilities to run profitable operations.

Course competences
Ethics
Business competence

The learning objectives of the course
During this course, you will learn the logic, principles and methods of running profitable operations. You are capable of preparing calculations for determining the costs and profitability of operations. You are able to identify and examine development targets from the perspective of enhancing the efficiency and profitability of operations. You are able to review and analyze processes related to business operations and put forward development proposals for them. You are able to model tools for running profitable operations and assess the information generated by calculation systems to develop the running of operations.

Content

During the course, the earnings logic, a company’s processes, cost-volume-profit analysis and profitability thinking, activity-based costing and analysis, enterprise resource planning, efficiency of the use of capital, management reporting systems and performance measurement and management will be discussed.

Location and time

Timetable 8.1. - 20.5.2024

Materials

Neilimo K. & Uusi-Rauva E. Johdon laskentatoimi. 2014. Helsinki. EDITA: chapters 1-7, 9 and 12-14 (previous editions also possible)).

Järvenpää M., Länsiluoto A., Partanen V. & Pellinen J. Talousohjaus ja kustannuslaskenta. WSOYpro, Helsinki, 2020 (other editions also possible).

Teaching methods

Lectures
Books
Video materials
Learning tasks
Guidance and feedback

Exam schedules

Exam during week 16
1st resit exam week 18
2nd resit exam week 20

Completion alternatives

A corresponding course completed in another university may be accredited partially or completely. Competence acquired through informal learning may be recognized and accredited on the basis of competence test. More precise instructions can be found in Degree Regulations and in Study Guide.

Student workload

Allocation of time on various tasks and student work load in total 135 h
Lectures and exam 20 h
Independent familiarization with literature and videos 35 h
Exercises and assignments 80 h

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

Adequate 1
You are able to name a company’s basic processes from the enterprise resource planning point of view and know which processes affect profitability. You understand the basic principles of cost-volume-profit analysis and are able to draw up a cost-volume-profit calculation for an example company. After completing the course, you will be able to explain the basic principles of activity-based costing in your own words. You recognize factors affecting the efficiency of the use of capital and are able to name key factors in performance measurement.

Satisfactory 2
You are able to present a company’s basic processes from the enterprise resource planning point of view and recognize the factors related to the management of profitability. You are able to prepare cost-volume-profit and activity-based costing calculations for an example company under guidance. You recognize factors affecting the efficiency of the use of capital in the example company and are able to name key factors in performance measurement in companies operating in different industry sectors.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

Good 3
You are able to outline a company’s basic processes, itemize the process steps from the enterprise resource planning point of view and describe the impact of processes on profitability. You are able to prepare error-free cost-volume-profit calculations and cost-volume-profit analysis in enterprise resource planning. You are able to carry out activity-based costing analysis and a profitability analysis based on cost-volume-profit and activity-based costing. You are able to define the factors affecting the efficiency of the use of capital in the example company and are able to define key factors in performance measurement in companies operating in different industry sectors.

Very Good 4
You are able to assess a company’s basic processes and costing methods from the profitability management point of view. You are able to develop profitability analyses based on cost-volume-profit and activity-based costing. You are able to define the impact of the efficiency of the use of capital in the example company and the significance of performance measurement in companies operating in different industry sectors.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

Excellent 5
You are able to plan a company’s costing and basic processes from the profitability management point of view. You are able to plan active measures related to cost-volume-profit and activity-based costing to influence the company’s profitability. You are able to assess the impact of the efficiency of the use of capital in the example company and report the actions taken based on it and the impact of performance measurement in companies operating in different industry sectors.

Qualifications

Basics of profitability and break-even calculation, cost accounting and budgeting.

Further information

The assessment in the course is based on the competence demonstrated in the exam (40 %, 2 ECTS credits) and in learning assignments (60 %, 3 ECTS credits).