Management School News

Using analytical tools for better decision-making: Practical Spreadsheet Modeling Using @Risk

Dale Lehman, PhD, is Professor of Business Administration at Loras College (Iowa, USA) and a recurring lecturer at the CEC. His newly published book „Practical Spreadsheet Modeling Using @Risk” offers a cohesive guidance on building spreadsheet models in order to assess risk in business decision-making.

Deckblatt Practical Spreadsheet Modeling Using @Risk

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Dale Lehman

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By Viktoria Gruber, MA

“This is a personally satisfying book for me, as it embodies much of my teaching philosophy, it uses real data, interesting exercises and examples, eschews unnecessary mathematics while maintaining rigor where necessary, and always emphasizing practical application,” says Dale Lehman, PhD in an interview in January 2020 with the Loras College Daily, opens an external URL in a new window.

Dale Lehman, PhD, is Professor of Business Administration at Loras College (Iowa, USA) and a recurring teacher at the TU Wien Continuing Education Center. His newly published book „Practical Spreadsheet Modeling Using @Risk”2 (in collaboration with Huybert Groenendaal, PhD) offers a cohesive guidance on building spreadsheet models in order to assess risk in business decision-making using the Monte Carlo simulation provided by the @Risk add-in for Microsoft Excel.

While modern risks are probably less immediately serious than those our ancestors faced, risk analysis is thriving as humanity does not rely on its instincts alone anymore. Spreadsheets and risk analysis are most commonly used separately in businesses to approach complex decisions. In his book Lehman aims to merge those two methods and provides comprehensive instructions to create advanced risk analysis using spreadsheets even for individuals without a substantial mathematical background. The calculations are displayed using the Monte Carlo simulation provided in the @Risk add-in for Microsoft Excel. By using @Risk the book presents an easily implemented tool to identify factors causing risk and display all possible outcomes. Focusing on the applicability of the methods in a wide range of industries, Lehman contributes a variety of exercises and examples from health care, to finance and insurance, technology, and sports and entertainment.

"Practical Spreadsheet Modeling Using @Risk, opens an external URL in a new window" gives individuals and businesses the analytical tools to form a better judgement in decision-making processes – a practical guide to consult repeatedly. Dale Lehman, PhD will share his expertise on Risk Management in his course “Business Risk Management” within the new MBA | Corporate Finance & Risk Management starting in Spring 2021.

Take-aways:

  • Holistic approach to decision-making and risk analysis

  • Practical spreadsheet application

  • Usability of @Risk in Microsoft Excel

Practical Spreadsheet Modeling Using @Risk, opens an external URL in a new window

By Dale Lehman, Huybert Groenendaal
CRC Press
242 pp.