Techno-economic Management of Telecommunication Systems

2nd Course of Study (Start: Academic Year 2017-18)

1st Semester

ΨΣ-ΤΔΤΣ-301 Telecommunications Infrastructures and Services [M] P. Baziana, K. Eleftherianos

  • Course Code ΨΣ-ΤΔΤΣ-301 Type of Course Mandatory [M]
  • Semester 1st Semester FacultyP. Baziana, K. Eleftherianos
  • ECTS Credits 7,5

ΨΣ-ΤΔΤΣ-305 Modern Wireless Networks [M] G. Efthymoglou , E. Chaleplidis

ΨΣ-ΤΔΤΣ-901 Accounting and Cost Estimation [M] P. Efthymoglou, C. Michalakelis

  • Course Code ΨΣ-ΤΔΤΣ-901 Type of Course Mandatory [M]
  • Semester 1st Semester FacultyP. Efthymoglou, C. Michalakelis
  • ECTS Credits 7,5

ΨΣ-ΤΔΤΣ-905 Market Analysis and Business Plan Development [M] L. Kanellos, Ο. Papadopoulos

  • Course Code ΨΣ-ΤΔΤΣ-905 Type of Course Mandatory [M]
  • Semester 1st Semester FacultyL. Kanellos, Ο. Papadopoulos
  • ECTS Credits 7,5

Objective

Through the understanding and practical knowledge they will get through this course, students will be able to:

  • Understand what is a Business Plan and why we need it and the importance of a well written business plan for the success of the organization
  • Identify risks and potential hazards of a proposed business plan and are able to determine the worthiness of a potential new business idea in the market of information communication technologies
  • Describe the basic structure of a business plan and it main components (including an executive summary, industry and market analysis, a marketing strategy and plan, operations plan, product/service development plan and company structure) and how it caters to market and organizational needs
  • Apply the business plan development process to create a well-structured, convincing business plan covering all vital elements
  • Evaluate the progress of the implementation of the business plan and take necessary corrective steps

Furthermore the course will provide the students with key competencies:

  • Creative thinking and teamwork
  • Market and strategy analysis
  • Resource scheduling, financial analysis and budgeting
  • Basic skills to create start-up companies in the information and communication technology market

Course Contents

  • Introduction to Business Planning and to the methodology to develop a business plan.
    The lesson will provide an overview of the business plan concept (describing all vital chapters of a successful business plan like executive summary, industry and market analysis (information and communication technology industry), a marketing strategy and plan, operations plan, product/service development plan and company structure) and a business plan development process (from industry analysis and opportunity identification to business model canvas and to business plan).
  • Decision of the focus and direction of the Business venture.
    This lesson will help students visualize and form the business directions of their business plan describing their vision and mission statements. The students will understand how their self-motivation and mindset can influence their business direction and will learn how a successful industry analysis (industry status, competition, macroeconomic analysis) can help in the opportunity identification. At the end of the lesson the students will identify the business case and the products and services they will work with in the business plan development.
  • Use the Business Model Canvas to analyse the Business venture.
    This lesson will introduce the Business Model Canvas which is a visual template with elements describing a company’s or product’s value proposition, partners, infrastructure and channels, customers, and finances (Cost Structure, Revenue Streams). The Business model canvas will help students to get an overview of their business models and thus develop their business plans. A web based Business Model Canvas template will be used so students jointly start thinking, contributing and discussing business model elements using their PCs. This process will help students set goals, objectives and strategies for achieving objectives, learn how to plan for growth (eg, subcontracting, franchising, licensing etc) and will boost their understanding, discussion, creativity, and analytic competencies.
  • Business Plan Development process (Part I).
    This lesson will help students to acquire practical experience on the business plan development process. Initially a suite of business plan analysis and development tools and templates will be presented to choose those that will be used for the BP development process. Within this lesson we will start analyzing the executive summary and discuss approaches to risk management, identifying business risks through the SWOT and GAP analyses for the products and services of the business venture. The marketing plan concept (marketing requirements, marketing process, market research etc.) will be analysed as well.
  • Business Plan Development process (Part II).
    This lesson will help students set up business operations writing an operation plan and realise the value of team creation by managing and organizing the human resource plans (skills and competencies of different staff) of the business plan. In this lesson also the students will identify expenses relevant to setting up and running a business venture by learning the concept of the financial planning (establishment costs, cash flow forecasts, profit and loss statements). In this lesson a discussion in class of the draft business plan that the team will work with will be conducted and relevant suggestions and comments will be provided.
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2nd Semester

ΨΣ-ΤΔΤΣ-312 Management and Marketing [M] E. Siokas, Ο. Papadopoulos

  • Course Code ΨΣ-ΤΔΤΣ-312 Type of Course Mandatory [M]
  • Semester 2nd Semester FacultyE. Siokas, Ο. Papadopoulos
  • ECTS Credits 7,5

ΨΣ-ΤΔΤΣ-315 Technoeconomic Analysis of Telecommunication Networks [M] G. Efthymoglou , C. Michalakelis

ΨΣ-ΤΔΤΣ-911 Business Analytics and Decision Optimization Techniques [M] O. Telelis, M. Filippakis

Objective

The course aims at familiarizing the students with fundamental modeling techniques and analytic methods, for the support of decision making in operational business environments. The covered methodologies constitute invaluable tools in optimizing decision making, in all modern business environments. The expected learning outcome includes the ability of development and analysis of optimization models and the accumulation of experience in implementing and using solving methods. Moreover, it includes the knowledge of decision optimization and forecasting methods, that constitute fundamental analytical tools of decision theory. It is expected that the students will develop the critical ability of choosing the appropriate methodology for each operational decision making problem, and build awareness of each methodology’s advantages and constraints.

Course Contents

  • Introduction to Linear Programming. Linear Programming Examples, Feasible and Optimum Solutions, Graphical Solving.
  • Optimization of Linear Programs. Standard Form, Algebraic Simplex Method, Simplex Tableau, Alternative Methods.
  • Duality Theory. Primal-Dual Linear Programs, Fundamental Theorems, Economic Interpretation, Sensitivity Analysis.
  • The ΑMPL/GMPL Languages for Linear Programming. Syntax, Development of Models for Linear Optimization, Applications.
  • Network Optimization Problems. The Transportation and Assignment Problems, Minimum Cost Flows, Properties, Optimization, Heuristic Methods.
  • Integer Linear Programming. Modeling Aspects, Examples, Global Optimization (Branch and Bound Method), Local Optimization Methods (Hill Climbing, Simulated Annealing).
  • Matlab/Octave Software. Basic Operations, Control Flow Statements, Visualization, Examples and Applications.
  • Forecasting Methods. Regression Methods, Least-Squares Method, Gradient Descent, Elements of Time Series.
  • Decision Analysis. Maximum Likelihood Rule, Bayes Rule, Decision Making with Experimentation, Decision Trees.
  • Matlab/Octave Applications. Programming Forecasting and Decision Analysis Methods, Experimentation.
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ΨΣ-ΤΔΤΣ-915 Corporate Finance and Investments [M] Ν. Georgopoulos, C. Agapitou

  • Course Code ΨΣ-ΤΔΤΣ-915 Type of Course Mandatory [M]
  • Semester 2nd Semester FacultyΝ. Georgopoulos, C. Agapitou
  • ECTS Credits 7,5

Objective

The course provides an understanding of the general financial framework within which business organisations operate both from a theoretical and a practical perspective, in particular how they examine issues relating to the raising and the uses of finance by making of investment decisions. It provides students with a more detailed analysis of certain aspects of financial management and explains why certain issues are fandamental to financial decisions and how these issues may be incorporated into the decision-making process.
The course presets an extended treatment of financial planning and investment appraisal together with an analytical approach to the theory of corporate valuation and financing models. Also, it concentrates on shorter term budgetary strategies in the context of business organisations overall long term development programmes and covers methods and techniques for decision making in spesial problem areas. Computer based methods and case studies will be used to extend discussion in realistic situations.
In view of the above the general learning objectives are:

  1. To provide the basic concepts and analytical tools for managing financial resources. These tools and concepts are necessary for understanding the financial decisions of business organisations and how to apply them in practice.
  2. To help students to bridge theory and practice of investment decisions and financing.
  3. To enable students to ask the right guestions and appreciate the developments of special topics in corporate finance.

Course Contents

  • Week 1. Foundations
    • Introduction
    • The Financial Environment
    • Cash Flows and Accounting
  • Week 2. A fundamental concept: The Time Value of Money
    • Future and Present Values
    • A Simple Financial Decision
  • Week 3. Financial management of the firm
    • Financial decisions
    • Investment in fixed assets
    • Capital structure
    • CFO
  • Week 4. Capital Budgeting
    • Investment Appraisal – Criteria
    • Comparisons between criteria
    • Capital Budgeting Cash Flows
  • Week 5. Capital Budgeting
    • Introduction to Risk Analysis
    • Fixed Asset Appraisal and Risk
  • Week 6. Tools of Financial Analysis I
    • Financial Statement Analysis
    • The Statement of Sources and Uses of Funds
    • The Cash Flow Statement
  • Week 7. Tools of Financial Analysis II
    • Financial Planning
    • Business Plan (Case study)
  • Week 8 Valuation of Bonds and Common Stock
    • Valuation of Bonds
    • Valuation of Stock
  • Week 9. Risk and Return
    • Risk and Return : Stocks
    • Asset Pricing Models
    • Portofolio Theory and CAPM
  • Week 10. The Cost of Capital and Capital Structure
    • WACC and the Reguired Rate of Return
    • EPS Analysis
    • Managing Capital Structure
    • Dividend Policy
  • Week 11 Special Topics
    • Acquisitions and Mergers
    • Other Forms of Corporate Restructuring
    • International Corporate Finance
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3rd Semester

ΨΣ-ΤΔΤΣ-999 MSc Dissertation [M] Member of faculty

  • Course Code ΨΣ-ΤΔΤΣ-999 Type of Course Mandatory [M]
  • Semester 3rd Semester FacultyMember of faculty
  • ECTS Credits 30

The master thesis project is carried out under the supervision of one of the faculty members and involves – at a first stage – the identification of the research topic/ technological problem to be addressed and the research of literature for existing state-of-the-art. The output of the project, namely the description of the research area, the problem formulation, the solution definition and implementation and the illustration of results and final conclusions and recommendations, is presented in the master thesis.

The master thesis project aims to

  • Extend the student’s academic skills, introduce them to a certain research area and potentially motivate them to continue their research work beyond the completion of their Master’s Degree. This may be achieved not only by exploiting particular skills and knowledge acquired from taught courses but also by enhancing their ability to tackle a novel research area and/or problem.
  • Expand the student’s professional skills by developing/improving their ability to research, manage/organise information, think creatively, pursue innovation and report adequately the findings of their research.
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