Blog entry by Olaoluwa Afolabi

Anyone in the world

On a faithful afternoon, I got a notification that my Analysis of Business Problems exam will be a "take-home" exam. As a Software Engineer, I love take-home tests, because you will have the time to think without any anxiety. However, having ABP as a "take-home" exam, I was a bit frightened because of my deficiencies in Cost Management, which could be a lead into solving a business case. In most cases, you must be up and running in a particular discipline before you can feel very safe with take-home exams.

Some years back, while studying Pure & Applied Mathematics at the university, I had a course in my second year called Real Analysis (MTH 207). From the title of that course, you will understand it is more of mathematical terrorism. The exam was an "open-book" exam. You are allowed to bring in textbooks, lecture notes, and all kinds of materials you may need to solve the questions into the exam hall. Unfortunately, people cried in the exam hall. I was panting like I have 5 seconds left on earth. The thing with such exams is that they test your low-order and high-order thinking skills. So you necessarily will not find answers anywhere in the materials you brought in for the open-exam. You must know the course as you know your name before you can come up with anything worthy of marks.

ABP exam came, and it took me like 18 hours to get the trail of my solution. I supposed I would have answers under an hour and develop the case. But it didn't play out that way. My duty in the exam was to help the CEO take a $1.6 billion decision. If there was anything I have learned in the Analysis of Business Problems, I think I will give it to the Criteria used in analysing the Alternatives/Options you have. Profitability was a criterion for me; and Capacity Utilisation. Inside "Profitability" is embedded criterions such as Power Sufficiency, Social Factors such as Unrest, and so on. So I used Cost Structure provided in the case exhibits to determine the profitability if I ask the CEO to take the step of building a new facility, and also analysed what happens if CEO maintains status quo, Then I profer a decision. If my calculations are correct or wrong, that stays under the exam anxiety. One thing I am sure of is that you doubtless will look into ROI in investing $1.6 billion.

Do have a nice day.