Math for Business Operations

Applied Accounting with Excel

UNIT06 - Lesson 1

Launch & Competitor Data Import

45 minutes
Lesson Overview

Lesson Focus

Entry event demonstration and Power Query data import skills

Key Unit Objectives

Enduring Understandings:

  • Pricing decisions require balancing profitability with market competitiveness
  • Cost-Volume-Profit relationships govern business viability and strategic planning
  • Data-driven analysis provides objective foundation for subjective business decisions
  • Sensitivity analysis reveals business vulnerabilities and opportunities

Lesson Activities

Activity 1: Entry Event: Live Competitor Price Scrape
10 minutes

Instructor demonstrates Power Query import of live competitor pricing data

Details:

  • Watch instructor perform live web scraping of competitor prices using Power Query
  • Observe data transformation and cleaning process in real-time
  • See how raw web data becomes structured business intelligence
  • Understand the power of automated data collection for pricing decisions
Real-World Data Connection

This demonstrates how businesses actually gather competitive intelligence

  • Power Query can automate competitor price monitoring
  • Fresh data provides competitive advantage over static analysis
  • Data transformation skills are critical for business analysis
  • Real-time pricing intelligence enables agile business decisions
Activity 2: Power Query Fundamentals
20 minutes

Hands-on learning of data import and transformation techniques

Details:

  • Connect to external data sources using Power Query
  • Learn data cleaning and transformation techniques
  • Practice with provided competitor pricing dataset
  • Understand data refresh and update capabilities
Activity 3: Dataset Exploration
10 minutes

Analyze the structure and insights available in competitor data

Details:

  • Examine data columns and understand pricing variables
  • Identify patterns in competitor pricing strategies
  • Note data quality issues and cleaning requirements
  • Discuss implications for pricing strategy development
Activity 4: Challenge Setup & Team Formation
5 minutes

Introduce the unit challenge and organize collaborative teams

Details:

  • Present the essential question about competitive pricing strategy
  • Form teams of 2-3 students for collaborative analysis
  • Assign focus areas: budget, mid-market, or premium segments
  • Establish timeline and milestone expectations
Required Materials
  • Live competitor pricing dataset
  • Power Query tutorial guide
  • Data exploration worksheets
  • Team formation materials
Differentiation Strategies

For Struggling Students

  • • CVP Templates: Pre-built model structures with guided formula entry
  • • Visual Calculators: Step-by-step markup vs. margin calculation guides
  • • Peer Partnerships: Pair with students strong in Excel or business analysis
  • • Alternative Assessment: Focus presentation on business insights rather than technical details

For Advanced Students

  • • Advanced Modeling: Incorporate seasonality and demand elasticity into CVP models
  • • Leadership Roles: Facilitate peer critique sessions and support struggling teams
  • • Extended Analysis: Research actual competitor financial statements for deeper insights
  • • Presentation Enhancement: Create interactive Excel dashboards for town hall debate

For English Language Learners

  • • Business Vocabulary: Glossary of CVP and pricing terms with visual definitions
  • • Formula Explanations: Mathematical concepts explained with universal symbols
  • • Cultural Context: Discussion of pricing practices in different economic systems
  • • Collaborative Support: Mixed-language teams with peer translation assistance