Double Degree in Electronic Systems Engineering in Communications and Management of ICTS La Salle Campus Barcelona

Double Degree in Electronic Systems Engineering in Communications + in Engineering in the Management of ICTs

La Salle Campus Barcelona offers 5 double degrees in the ICT Engineering field. With the double degrees, you can finish the university studies in 5 academic years with two official degree qualifications.

Value Chain and Financial Economics

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Description
In today's competitive business world, it becomes very difficult to grow in a steady and consistent way. We can even see some companies struggling to survive. In order to be able to develop its activity, companies need to be in a good financial shape. Without a proper economic administration of the business, companies will probably disappear. Therefore, all companies need to perform a proper financial management. Besides, a consistent marketing orientation is relevant when we analyze the global strategy of the company. The first part of this course aims to provide students with an insight into these financial principles and it is structured following established financial and management tools used by companies, while during the second part of the year, the course in focused on analyzing the value creation process, from an strategical management approach.
Type Subject
Tercer - Obligatoria
Semester
Annual
Course
2
Credits
4.00

Titular Professors

Josep Petchamé Sabartés
Membre

Professors

Josep Petchamé Sabartés
Previous Knowledge
Objectives

Management plays a key role in the future of any company. The managing team must take actions in many teams.

During this course the student will learn the main topics related with two main area: finance (first semester) and Value Chain (second semester).

The main goal of the first part of the course is to know how a business is economically managed.
Other objectives of the first part of this course are:
- Describe the areas of Accounting & Finance.
- Understand the financial statements of a company.
- Analyze how well a company is doing by reading its financial statement.
- Be able to relate with the Administration & Finance Department because one understands its language.
- Improve planning, organizational and leading financial competencies in the management of a project, a division or a business.
- Know what debt means and how leverage affects the earnings of a company.
- Understand how investments are analyzed and approved.
- Facilitate in making an economical business plan.

The main goal of the second part of this course is to understand the basic elements attached to the concept of marketing.
During this second part, we will focus on some topics:
- Value creation for customers & capture of value from costumers in return.
- Products & Services.
- Company Strategy (from the marketing point of view).
- Analyzing the environment: customers; providers; competitors.
- Legal framework: overview; restrictions & opportunities.
- Consumer Buyer Behavior.
- Marketing strategy: Segmentation & Positioning.
- Marketing Mix: Concept.
- Product attributes; new product development; life-cycle of a product.
- Pricing strategies.
- Place: Channels & supply chain management.
- Promotion: advertising, public relations.
- Tendencies based on technologies: e-marketing, mobile marketing...

Contents

First part: FINANCIAL ECONOMICS

Block 1 // INTRODUCTORY CONCEPTS: Business world, from an economic and financial perspective. Company (as a legal person). Financial Accounting. Cost Accounting / Managerial Accounting. Cash Management. Corporate Finance. Investments. Taxes. Corporate Taxes.

Block 2 // FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING (I): The Financial Statements Reports. The Balance Sheet Statement. The Income Statement. Cash Flow Statement. Accounting Principles. 'Rules' of accounting. Bookkeeping. How to do the accounting.

Block 3 // FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING (II): The Balance Sheet Statement. Assets (types of assets). Liabilities (types of liabilities). Equity. The Income Statement (P&L). Revenues. Cost of sales. Expenses. Gross Profit, EBITDA & Net Margin. Cash Flow Statement. Auditing. The purpose of Audits. Ratios. The importance of Net Margin. Profitability, ROE. Growth.

Block 4 // COST ACCOUNTING/ MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING: Cost Accounting. The goal of Cost Accounting. Fixed and Variable Expenses. Strategic decisions. Business Planning. The Annual Budget. The budgeting process / Reporting.

Block 5 // CASH MANAGEMENT: Cash Management. Current Assets. Current Liabilities. Working Capital & Liquidity. Financing the Working Capital. Payment terms. Financing with short-term debt: credit lines.

Block 6 // CORPORATE FINANCE: Long-term financing: Financing fixed assets. Equity. Loans & mortgages. Managing debt: debt ratio & leverage.

Block 7 // INVESTMENT ANALYSIS: Introduction to investments. Investments. NPV (Net Present Value). IIR (Internal Rate of Return).

Second part: VALUE CHAIN

Block 1 // INTRODUCTORY CONCEPTS: Definitions. Customer needs, customer wants & customer demands. Customer value & customer satisfaction. CRM (Customer Relationship Management).

Block 2 // BUSINESS MARKETING STRATEGY: Strategical Planning. Mission, Vision, Values & Objectives. Business Portfolio. Portfolio: Growing Strategies & downsizing strategies.

Block 3 // MARKETING MANAGEMENT & SWOT ANALYSIS: Market. Segmentation. Targeting. Positioning. Differentiation. Value Proposition. Marketing Mix. DAFO Analysis.

Block 4 // CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR: B2C (Business to Consumer). Factors. Decision types. New products adoption.

Block 5 // B2B (Business to Business): B2B definition. B2B versus el B2C.

Block 6 // PRODUCTS & SERVICES: Key elements. Implications when thinking in marketing strategies.

Block 7 // SOME LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: Law. Legal hierarchy. Consumerism. Legal considerations (competence, consumer defense…). Resolution of disputes in consumer affairs.

Block 8 // RESEARCH & INVESTIGATION: MIS (Marketing Information Systems). Sources. Data Analytics & Business Intelligence. CSR (Customer Relationship Management).

Block 9 // COMPETITORS & COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: Competitive Advantage (definition). Competitors & competence (roles, possible conditioning elements…).

Block 10 // PRODUCT DECISIONS & SERVICES. BRANDING: Product & service decisions (individual product; product line; product mix). Brand (definition & relevant elements). Brand Equity. Building Brands.

Block 11 // PRICING: Definition. Factors to consider.

Block 12 // PROMOTION & COMUNICATION: Definition. Typologies & specificities.

Block 13 // DISTRIBUTION & COMMERCIALIZATION: Place. Marketing channels. Retailing & Wholesaling. Some trends.

Block 14 // MARKETING PLAN: Structure.

Methodology

The class sessions will involve a dynamic combination of theory and practice.

Class sessions will be held in order to explain the theoretical foundations related to Accounting, Finance and Value Chain.

Students will have to submit the exercises within the deadline set in each case. The exercises will always be done individually, with the exception of certain exercises that will be designed to be done in groups in class sessions.

Evaluation

2 written tests per part.

2 or 3 practical assignments per part.

Evaluation Criteria
Basic Bibliography

First part: FINANCIAL ECONOMICS

Core reading: Finance for Non-Financial Managers
by Gene SICILIANO

Second part: VALUE CHAIN

Core reading: Principles of Marketing
by Philip KOTLER & Gary ARMSTRONG

Additional Material

During the course, additional parts of other readings could be suggested to fulfill the program.