ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT 324-I
Northwestern University
Session
Date
1
Jan 6
2
Jan 11
3
Jan 13
4
Jan 18
5
Professors Sanjay Mehrotra and William J. White
Module and Description
Introduction, Course Overview.
Customer Value and Strategic
Planning
Planning and the Marketing
Environment
Required Readings: See
Homework Assignment Sheet
Kotler: Chapters 1 & 2
Case: TrapEase
Kotler: Chapter 3
Case: Motorola Pagers
Consumer and Business Markets and
Behavior
Market Research and Information
Systems
Kotler: Chapters 5 & 6
Case: Biofoam
Kotler: Chapter 4
Case: Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Jan 20
The Business Plan
6
Jan 25
Fundamentals of Accounting
7
Jan 27
Revenue recognition and Cost
Matching Principles
8
Feb 1
Completing the Accounting Cycle
Read
Resume
Service
and
PhoneRate.com business plans on
reserve
Weygandt:Chapter 1,2
Pages 13-27, 46-58
Class discussion problems: E12,P1-1A, E2-3,E2-5
Weygandt:Chapter 2,3
Pages 59-71, 95-106
Class discussion problems: E3-2,
P3-1A
Weygandt:Chapter 3,4
Pages 110-112, 140-164
Class discussion problems: E4-6,
P4-2A
Required Readings
Session
Date
Module and Description
Winter 2000
Objective
Instructor
Understanding customer
value and the planning
process
Using the macro and
micro environment in the
plan
Look at the consumer and
business buying process
How to find and use
market information
Mehrotra/
White
Components of a business
plan, role of a business
plan
Accounting equation and
financial statements,
Double entry system
Mehrotra
Trial balance, and
preparing adjustment
entries
Mehrotra
Close the books and
prepare financial
statements
Mehrotra
White
White
Mehrotra
Mehrotra
Objective
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ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT 324-I
Northwestern University
Professors Sanjay Mehrotra and William J. White
9
Feb 3
Managerial Accounting and Job
Costing
10
Feb 8
Process Costing, Activity Based
Costing and Cost Analysis
11
Feb 10
Master and Flexible Budgets
12
Feb 15
Managerial Decisions
13
Feb 17
Midterm Exam
Capital Budgeting
14
Feb 22
Presentations Groups 1-6
15
Feb 24
Presentations Groups 7-11
16
Feb 29
Market Segmentation, Targeting and
Positioning
Module and Description
Session
Date
Weygandt:Chapters 20,21
Pages 873-880, 910-927
Class discussion problems: E20-6,
P20-1A, P21-1A
Weygandt:Chapters 22,23
Pages 950-973, 1003-1014
Class discussion problems: P225A, P23-5A
Weygandt:Chapters 24,25
Pages: 1034-1051, 1072-1080,
1091-94
Class discussion problems: P24-6A
Winter 2000
Understand different types
of costs and difficulties in
accounting for overhead
Mehrotra
Understand inventory
costing in manufacturing
and concepts of ABC,
CVP analysis
Understand the budgeting
process and prepare
simple budgets, Using
budgets as a control
mechanism
Special orders, Make-buy
and product line decisions
Mehrotra
Weygandt:Chapter 27
Pages 1157-1164
Class discussion problems: P27-1A
Weygandt:Chapter 27
Large capital investment
Pages 1166-1175
decisions
Class discussion problems: E27-8,
P27-5A
Present a pre-final group
business plan to receive
group feedback
Present a pre-final group
business plan to receive
group feedback
Kotler: Chapter 7
Learn to group customers
Case: PowerAde
to gain leverage
Required Readings
Objective
Mehrotra
Mehrotra
Mehrotra
Mehrotra
Mehrotra
White
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ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT 324-I
Northwestern University
17
Mar 2
18
Mar 7
19
Mar 9
Professors Sanjay Mehrotra and William J. White
Products, Brands, Packaging and
Services
New Product Development and the
Product Life Cycle
Kotler: Chapter 8
Case: Swatchmobile
Kotler: Chapter 9
Case: Elph Camera
Place: Distribution and Logistics
Kotler: Chapter 12 & 13
Case: Icon Acoustics
Winter 2000
Linking product offerings
to customer needs
Understanding the
opportunity for
improvement
Understand decisions in
distribution and the
Internet impact
White
White
White
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ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT 324-I
Northwestern University
Professors Sanjay Mehrotra and William J. White
Winter 2000
Course Information
Instructor:
Office:
Email:
Office Hours:
Sanjay Mehrotra
Phone: (847) 491-3155
Tech. C140
Fax: (847) 491-8005
mehrotra@iems.nwu.edu
Monday and Wednesday 11:15-1:00
Instructor:
William J. White
Phone: (847) 491-3680
Office:
Tech. D231
Fax: (847) 491-7928
Email:
white@iems.nwu.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday after class till 12:30. Many more times but call for
an appointment.
Teaching Assistant: Bo-Ray Huang
Phone: (847) 491-2104
Office:
C236
Email:
b-huang@nwu.edu
Office Hours: Monday 3:30PM to 5:00PM, Thursday 1:30PM to 3:00PM
Classroom: Tech. L251
Classes: T, Th 9:00-10:20
1. Course Description and Objectives
The goal of the course sequence is to provide the student with an improved idea of how
fundamental business concepts and engineering fit into the overall business. This is
augmented by the development of basic management techniques. This course helps the
student develop the management and personal skills to become a better performer on the
job. These skills should allow the individual to serve as a valued team or task force
member.
This course should be of primary interest to people aspiring to a career in general
management or leading the engineering function in an enterprise. It should be of interest to
people who may manage interfaces between operations and other business functions such as
marketing, finance, accounting and human resources. A working knowledge of marketing
and accounting is indispensable for general managers and entrepreneurs.
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ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT 324-I
Northwestern University
Professors Sanjay Mehrotra and William J. White
Winter 2000
We will see how different businesses use unique marketing strategies to gain competitive
advantage. We will decompose the marketing plan into four dimensions: product,
promotion, price and place. We will understand the steps in the accounting cycle, and learn
to use the accounting information for managerial decision making and control. We will
connect accounting and marketing through the development of a complete business plan for
a product or service selected by the students.
The goal in accounting is for you to:
-Be able to learn the fundamental accounting equation.
-Understand how accounting transactions are recorded.
-Understand how entries are adjusted and books are closed.
-Learn how basic financial statements (Balance sheets, Income statements etc.) are prepared
from recorded accounting transaction.
-Learn the concept of Activity Based Costing.
-Understand the budgeting process and using budgets for control.
-Learn to use accounting information for managerial decisions.
Likewise, in marketing we expect you to:
-Learn the principles of strategic planning.
-Be able to use marketing information systems.
-Learn the marketing research and consumer decision process.
-Understand consumer and business buyer behavior.
-Practice market segmentation and selecting target markets.
-Learn the principles of product development and demand forecasting.
-Observe the principles of product packaging.
-Experience product pricing in different environments.
2. Required Texts
Required materials available at the bookstore


Accounting Principles (5th edition), by Weygandt, Kieso and Kimmel, published
by John Wiley (ISBN # 0-471-349-283).
Principles of Marketing (8th edition), by Kotler and Armstrong, published by
Prentice Hall. (ISBN # 0-13-957002-0)
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ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT 324-I
Northwestern University
Professors Sanjay Mehrotra and William J. White
Winter 2000
3. Assignments
The course assignments are designed to engage you in the situation, to teach you ways to
think about and analyze issues and to prepare you to be effective managers.
We expect that you will be taking four courses and that you will spend approximately ten
hours per week in total for this course. Your weekly schedule should plan for:




three hours in class,
three hours doing individual reading,
two and a half hours on homework preparation,
and one and a half-hours on group project.
We expect you to read all assigned readings before coming to a class. If you find yourself
averaging more than ten hours per week, please let us know.
In the accounting segment you are assigned practice problems for each session which will
allow you to become familiar with the techniques covered. You should be familiar with the
discussion problems prior to coming to class, however, you are not required to turn in a
written solution to the discussion problems. Your class participation will depend on your
familiarity with the discussion problems. In each session you are required to turn in written
solution to one or two problems covering the material studied in the previous lecture.
In the marketing segment of the class you will typically need to prepare a case for each
session. Typically, there will be written assignments for each case. Although you will be
required to hand in a response to only one question regarding the case you are responsible
for preparing answers to all the questions. You should be knowledgeable enough to talk
about the issues in the case and your ideas for addressing them if called on in class.
4. Class Contribution
CLASS CONTRIBUTION: Your comments and contributions add to each class’ discussion.
Although activity is important, the quality and impact of your comments are much more
valuable. Our joint evaluation of your class participation will be based on the substance and
insight of your comments. In-class participation will consist mainly of voluntary
contributions in class, although we will sometimes call upon students to volunteer. You
may also post or email your comments. If you feel uncomfortable with being called on in
class please let us know in advance.
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ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT 324-I
Northwestern University
Professors Sanjay Mehrotra and William J. White
Winter 2000
CLASS PARTICIPATION: We would like to encourage you to make use of electronic
communication tools. Our preferred mode of communication outside of class is e-mail. To
encourage shared communication we have set-up a class account using CourseInfo. This
software is on the NU Internet: http://www.courses.nwu.edu We will either cover in class or
post any comments relevant to assignments or the class on the conferencing tool in CourseInfo.
Students should also post any items they feel will be of common interest using the
conferencing tool. We regularly check our email accounts that are different from CourseInfo;
therefore, you should send your question to us using email.
5. Homework
All homework assignments can be done with a study group. We encourage you to discuss
the cases and the accounting problems with your group. However, your homework is to be
prepared on your own.
You will be required to submit written answers to questions related to problems and cases
during the quarter. The written submissions of discussion problems should be no more than
one page and generally one half page. They should be done in Word with 12pt font. You
are encouraged to do the accounting problems using Excel spreadsheets.
6. Team Project
We will assign you to a team that prepares a business plan to start a new company. Your
team will have five members (some may have six or four) sharing responsibilities for the
following functions: accounting, operations, marketing, human resources and
administration.
The idea for the product or service for the company will be yours. If you find it difficult to
identify an idea for a new product or service, we will help you. The process of choosing
and obtaining approval of the business idea must be completed by the end of second
week of classes.
The final report should be in the form of a business plan you would submit to obtain
funding. The maximum length of the plan should be ten pages (exclusive of exhibits). The
report is due on Friday March 10, 1999.
Here are some guidelines:
1. Provide a short description of your idea and its competitive differentiation.
2. Describe the business strategy and goals.
3. Describe the strategic issues and challenges using marketing concepts studied in
class such as:
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ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT 324-I
Northwestern University
Professors Sanjay Mehrotra and William J. White
Winter 2000
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
- Customer needs
- Customer segmentation
- The four P’s of product, place, price and promotion.
A list of transactions your business anticipates to have during the first year.
Provide a budget for the first year.
Provide a proforma income statement and balance sheet for the first two years.
Identify the risks associated with the idea and how you plan to address them.
Discuss implementation steps.
In the library you will find copies of “Business Plans for Dummies” as well as copies of two
last years’ project reports on reserve.
You are encouraged to use our office hours during week 6 to week 9 of classes to get
informal feedback on your team project. In addition we have scheduled two lectures (on
Feb 22nd and Feb 24th) to give you formal feedback on your project progress. This will also
give you opportunity to know what other groups are doing and receive input from them.
7. Grading
The grade you receive for the course is intended to certify your demonstrated proficiency in
the course material. Proficiency will be estimated by measuring your performance on (1)
class contribution, (2) homework, (3) exams, (4) the team project. All exams will be openreadings, open class handouts and open class-notes. Your course grade will be based on the
following categories:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Class contribution
Homework
Midterm exam
10%
20%
20%
Comprehensive team project
Final exam
25%
25%
We will be using CourseInfo software to communicate (other than email). It will list
your grades and any useful information available about the course and classes. Each
of you will select your own PIN at the outset of the course and it will be used with
CourseInfo.
8. Class Contribution Evaluation
The following policy is set to evaluate class contributions. Points are assigned to
class comments and comments posted on CourseInfo using the following system:
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ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT 324-I
Northwestern University
Professors Sanjay Mehrotra and William J. White
Winter 2000
Insightful Comments/answers on course
topics
Questions on course topics generating
curiosity in class
Simple comments, questions, clarifications
on course topics
Points
5
3
1
Using total class contribution points the points towards class grade are computed from the
following table:
Total Contribution points
10 or above
P points in class contribution (P < 10)
Points toward class grade
10
P
We will do our best to track who has contributed in class. However, since it is hard to totally
keep track of who has participated in the class, we will follow an honor system. As an
option, send us an email when you want to confirm/remind us of your class contribution.
Remind us with a few key words from your remarks during that lecture, as well as a selfevaluation of your remark.
Please keep a nameplate so that we can call you by name in the class (an 8.5x11 sheet folded
in three will work fine).
Enjoy the class!
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