Blog post

Leveraging Business Analytics and Technology Management for the Betterment of Business and Society

Faculty Frames series

December 15, 2021

By Chris Wise, Graduate Recruitment and Marketing Associate

Faculty Frames is a series of blogposts on the research and areas of interest of John Molson's faculty. This week, we meet Dr. Suchit Ahuja, recently appointed Program Director of John Molson's MSc in Business Analytics and Technology Management, on the interdisciplinary nature of the program and its launch in Fall 2022.

Suchit Ahuja is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Supply Chain and Business Technology Management at Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business. He has recently been named the Graduate Program Director for the Master of Science (MSc) in Business Analytics and Technology Management, a new program within John Molson’s arsenal of research-based graduate business programs, which is set to launch in Fall 2022.

Suchit holds a PhD in Management Information Systems from the Stephen J.R. Smith School of Business at Queen’s University and an MSc in Information Technology from Purdue University. His research focuses on digital strategy and innovation, digital platforms and ecosystems, frugal digital innovation, societal impacts of digital innovation, and community-based innovation. Suchit has worked with small and medium enterprises and startups in India, the United States, and Canada, and his research is funded by federal and provincial agencies such as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Fonds de Recherche du Québec - Société et Culture (FRQSC).

Suchit is published in journals including Kindai Management Review, Journal of Community Informatics, and a forthcoming article in the Information Systems Journal, as well as for a number of book chapters on innovation and digitalization. He has also presented at conferences such as the International Conference on Information Systems, the Americas Conference on Information Systems, Academy of Management, R&D Management, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the Association for Computing Machinery, and the International Conference on Information Resources Management. Suchit has served on prestigious committees such as the Standards Council of Canada and is a member of the board of advisors of BizSkills Academy, an education-focused startup in Ontario.

We asked the new Graduate Program Director for his thoughts on the importance and relevance of Business Analytics and Business Technology Management, their combined potential impact and opportunities for students in the program.

Many schools offer programs in either Business Analytics or Business Technology Management. Why do you feel the combination of the two is an important feature of John Molson’s new program?

The combination of Business Analytics (BA) and Business Technology Management (BTM) is important for several reasons as it provides a 360-degree view of issues across the strategic management of information systems, digital technologies, and business functions.

The John Molson MSc in Business Analytics and Technology Management uniquely exposes students to both BA and BTM, equipping them with the skills they need to succeed in challenging business environments. The program will give students an opportunity to immerse themselves in business contexts where analytics and other digital technologies are deployed. Strategically and effectively managing analytics and a whole range of other digital technologies is key to the success of organizations today.

From a socio-technical lens, the BTM curriculum provides a strong foundation for understanding and investigating both technical and managerial information system problems. At the same time, the BA curriculum allows students to experiment with cutting-edge technological advances in data-driven problem solving. Students will build on their knowledge of socio-technical problems and solutions for application in an analytics context.

Why do you feel it is important for graduate students to gain skills in both Business Analytics and Business Technology Management?

Dr Ahuja winning the 2021 Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching

As organizations reconfigure their business models to meet the demand of today’s digitally driven consumers, it is important for graduate students to be aware of issues surrounding both the managerial and technical aspects of data-driven decision-making. From both a research and practice point-of-view, graduate students must be comfortable addressing important human and technology issues in business environments where cutting-edge analytics, intelligence, and big data techniques are leveraged. At the same time, they must have a strong foundation in the theoretical and practical concepts driving the selection, adoption, and diffusion of digital technologies for organizational (and societal) innovation and transformation.

How do you foresee the impact of Business Analytics and /or Business Technology Management in the world of business? And in what sector(s) specifically?

We are seeing huge impacts of analytics and other digital technologies in both business and society. The pandemic has only accelerated the adoption of digital technologies, innovative business models and processes, digital entrepreneurship, and data-driven decision-making. As a resut, businesses face a shortage of talent that is well versed in the technical aspects of analytics and has a strong foundation in the management of digital technology and innovation.

John Molson’s Undergraduate BTM and Data Intelligence programs are highly reputed and already emphasize the importance of bridging the gap between the technical and managerial aspects of a business, all while focusing on both hard and soft skills. We aim to replicate this approach at the Graduate level to train students to address relevant business challenges in the BA and BTM domains through rigorous and real-world research that creates lasting impacts on business and society. Bringing together both domains generates a potent force that can transform businesses through the power of data capture, processing, and analysis. This will enable predictive capabilities while ensuring efficient, optimized, and scalable systems, processes, and services.

John Molson's MSc in Business Analytics and Technology Management will launch in Fall 2022. In anticipation of the launch, the John Molson School of Business, in collaboration with Concordia’s University Advancement, will host a virtual fireside chat on February 9th, 2022, entitled "Analyze This: Business Analytics and the Future of Digital Transformation."

Reserve your spot to hear four analytics experts discussing what can we expect from the field of business analytics and what it will mean for the future of digital transformation.

Register now!

For more information about the MSc in Business Analytics and Technology Management, visit our website. Then connect with a recruiter to arrange a one-to-one meeting or participate in one of our regular online information sessions.