1. Bern University of Applied Sciences
  2. Business School
  3. Continuing education
  4. CAS
  5. Data-Driven Organisation
See table of contents See table of contents

Data-Driven Organisation

Are you interested in gaining a competitive edge by using data as a basis for your strategic and operative decisions? Learn how to build a data-driven organisation in this CAS.

Data is the raw material of the digital transformation in the 21st century. It forms a key basis on which to build customer-oriented strategies, business models, products and services. A data-driven organisation makes targeted use of data, enabling it to take informed decisions regarding marketing activities, production, logistics, finance, etc. This allows businesses to gain a competitive edge in both strategic and operative terms. Enjoy the potential that a data-driven organisation has to offer and realign your mindset and procedures.

If you are interested in using data to drive the future of your organisation, this CAS is perfect for you:

  • You understand digital transformation and its impact on your business.
  • You are ready for data-driven transformation in the digital environment.
  • You recognise the potential data holds for your organisation.
  • You are a capable contact for data-driven organisational development.
  • You make informed (organisational) decisions based on data (big & small data).

Factsheet

  • Degree/Certificate Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS)
  • Duration 18 study days
  • Schedule Monday and Tuesday, approx. once a month
  • Application deadline 6 weeks before start, later registration also possible if places are available
  • ECTS credits 12 ECTS-credits
  • Costs CHF 8,500
  • Teaching language German
  • Location Bern, Schwarztorstrasse 48
  • School Business School
  • Next session Please visit the German website for more information

Contact

Downloads

Please register on the German website. 

Content + structure

Portrait

Data-oriented, networked, integrated. In this part-time continuing education programme, we will familiarise you with the key concepts behind a data-driven organisation. We will identify different options for the digital and cultural transformation of an organisation, all the way up to the data-driven organisation. From data strategy and data culture to the concrete analysis and visualisation of data using case studies in diverse areas such as production, logistics, finance or marketing.
This CAS will take you on a journey from strategic to operational data usage. You will recognise the opportunities data offers and exploit its potential to gain a competitive edge. Because the future belongs to data.

Learning outcomes

The CAS Data-Driven Organisation is designed to support you with the digital transformation to a data-driven organisation. You will become acquainted with key concepts, models and tools of applied data science for your day-to-day operations. You will become proficient in the language of data scientists and be able to represent and advance your interests in interdisciplinary projects. The CAS will focus on strengthening the following abilities at strategic and operative level:

  • You will be aware of essential (IT) innovations & trends in digitalisation and data science and able to identify application scenarios and configuration options.
  • You will combine IT, data science and business and use data storytelling for visual communication.
  • You will use an informed data strategy as a basis for implementing and aligning your organisation as a data-driven organisation.
  • You will improve your decision-making and your operative and strategic data-driven value creation and recognise areas of activity that could improve your organisation.
  • You will be aware of application-oriented business concepts, models and tools in the field of data science and be able to apply these to specific areas (for example production, logistics, finance, marketing).

In this part-time continuing education programme, you will expand your skills in the field of data-driven organisational development. You will understand the potential of data and use that potential to benefit your decision-making.

Digitisation, Digitalisation & Digital Transformation: The Need for Data-Driven Organisations

  • Day 1: Trends & Drivers of a Data-Driven Economy; Data-Driven Transformation

  • Day 2: Data-Driven Strategy Development and Execution & Data-Driven Culture

Leading a Data-Driven Organisation

  • Day 3: Agile Leadership, HR; Critical Thinking, Risk & Quality of Data; Ethics, Dark Side & Limitations of Data; Governance and Cybersecurity

Operating a Data-Driven Organisation

  • Day 4: Data Management & Data Generation; Data Brokerage, Purchase of Data

  • Day 5: Data and IT Infrastructure; Data Structure & Data Lakes; Data Hubs & Strategic Processes; Scraping; APIs

Setting the Stage: Foundations of Statistics

  • Day 6: Applied Basic Statistics for Beginners
  • Day 7: Basics of Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence

Case Study: Data Usage in Manufacturing and Logistics

  • Day 8: Data Analysis, Modelling & Predictive Analysis: Usage of Machine Learning & Data Science in Logistics and Production
  • Day 9: Data Analysis, Modelling & Predictive Analysis: Manual Steering of Production Machines vs Planning and Coordination Rules vs Machine Learning

The Role of Data in Supporting and Communicating Managerial Decisions

  • Day 10: KPI & Dashboards & Data Visualisation

Case Study: Data Science in Finance and Accounting

  • Day 11: Data Science for Accounting and Auditing & Data Analytics for Financial Statement Audits

  • Day 12: Process Mining, Six Sigma & Accounting Information and Enterprise Resource Planning Systems

The Role of Data in Supporting and Communicating Managerial Decisions

  • Day 13: KPI, Dashboards & Interpretation

Case Study: Data and Data Technologies for Marketing Applications and Consumer Insights 

  • Day 14: Marketing Automation, Marketing Analytics & CRM

Building and Growing a Data-Driven Organisation

  • Day 15: Data-Driven Business Models, Service & Product Development, Data as Innovation & Innovation as Data
  • Day 16: Digital and Data-Driven Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship

Case Study: Data Strategy and Execution

  • Day 17: Strategy Development; Data-Driven Strategy, Structure & Culture
  • Day 18: Data Culture, Data Maturity & Data Literacy

The timetable will follow shortly.

Adults learn differently. That is why the continuing education at the BFH Business school is committed to modern adult education. Our mission with «brain, heart and hand» is an important principle in the design of our offers. Questions in the lessons are based on the participants' professional and practical life experiences. Contact study and self-study phases are combined in a meaningful way, analogue learning environments are combined with digital tools. Microsoft Teams is available as a supplementary tool: you have access to documents, messages and information as well as a chat function within the class.

The stimulating learning atmosphere and range of methodologies and teaching approaches are designed to have a motivating effect. Presentations on the theoretical principles, concepts and methods used by our lecturers. You will assimilate what you have learned through practical examples and exercises. This creates a balance between theoretical and practical learning. Discussions in small groups, e-learning tools, virtual pinboards and online questionnaires support your development process. 

  • Seminars, tutorials and technical discussions
  • Group work and short presentations, self-reflection
  • Working through case studies
  • E-learning
  • Keeping a reflective journal

The CAS is conducted in English.

To earn the CAS qualification, you must attend the teaching sessions regularly (max. two absences permitted) and pass the assessments.

You will undertake the following competency assessment as part of a group:

  • writing a blog as a reflective learning report, with one blog post per learning unit completed. 
  • The results of the learning blog will be presented in a 10-minute group presentation.

You must also choose between two further competency assessments:

  • Conceptual: You will produce a 3'000-word transfer report on a qualitative aspect of a data-driven organisation, for example ‘Data Strategy’, ‘Data Culture’, ‘Data Mindset’ etc. In the transfer report, you will demonstrate in your responses to specific questions that you have implemented or transferred what you have learned in practice. You will have the opportunity to present the transfer report as a group exercise too.

or

  • Practical: You will produce a practical, quantitative, data-based project in the area of the data-driven organisation and document it along with the specific outcome. You will submit the developed project along with an accompanying report.

We offer short, free learning events for all students of our CAS programmes. With these offers we would like to support you in completing your CAS successfully.

Effective learning in continuing education at universities of applied sciences

You will learn about transfer-oriented learning models and techniques. You reflect on your own learning biography and are encouraged to try out new learning behaviour.

Workshop Transfer Report 

You will be supported in writing your report and benefit from active peer counselling. You will present your unfinished report and receive feedback from the audience as well as from an expert.

Methodology Transfer Report 

You will get to know and understand the exact tasks of a transfer report. We teach you the quality criteria to write a good report.

We highly recommend participation for your first CAS. You will receive further information and schedule before the start of the study.

Our lecturers are recognised experts with in-depth practical and theoretical knowledge. They have at least a university degree plus many years of experience in higher education.

Admission and further study

Do you like numbers, data and facts? Are you technology-minded? And are you looking to use these strengths to further your career? Then this CAS is the perfect choice for you. We do not require you to have any prior knowledge of statistics or IT. Join us and immerse yourself in the world of data. We will make sure you stay afloat.

Typical participants:

  • (Junior) executives in middle or senior management
  • Business and organisation developers
  • Specialists from the fields of finance & controlling who are interested in advising on the design of data-based processes
  • Employees in process management (process owners, process managers, process analysts)
  • (IT) project managers
  • Business information professionals, data scientists and specialists from IT and technical departments who are interested in engaging more in organisational and business development.

University degree

You will be admitted to the programme with a degree from a university, university of applied sciences, university of teacher education, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, or an equivalent foreign university and at least two years of professional experience.

Higher vocational training

If you have a qualification from a higher vocational education institution (Diploma Höhere Fachschule HF, Federal Diploma, Federal Certificate of Proficiency) and several years of professional experience, you will also be admitted to the programme. However, you will be required to attend our Introduction to Academic Study before starting the CAS. Completion of this module is a prerequisite for admission to the CAS.

Exceptions

In exceptional circumstances applicants may still  be admitted. The head of the degree programme will make a decision based upon your application and extenuating circumstances. Please contact us. If you are admitted, you will in any case attend the course «Introduction to Academic Writing» (in German) before the first CAS.

Proficiency in English

Because of the content and specialist terminology, this CAS is conducted in English. Teaching on this CAS will be 50% classroom-based and 50% virtual.

Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) of Bern University of Applied Sciences in ‘Data-Driven Organisation’ (12 ECTS credits)

This CAS can be counted towards:

Organisation + registration

The programme includes 18 days of classroom teaching. Teaching will take place on Monday and Tuesday, approximately once a month. Max. 24 participants.

Documents required for registration

You can register online via registration form. For registration we require following documents (in PDF format, max. 1 MB per document): 

  • Diplomas 

  • Curriculum Vitae 

  • Passport-sized photo (in JPG format) 

Please upload these documents even if you have already submitted them for another application. 

Organisational aspects of the CAS

Registration closes six weeks before the programme begins. If places are available, later registration will be permitted. An up-to-date timetable will appear approx. six months before the programme begins.

The timetable will follow shortly.

CHF 8,500

All required reading, course materials and assessments are included in the price. 

The continuing education regulations of the Bern University of Applied Sciences and the implementation regulations for the continuing education regulations apply. The right to make changes is reserved. In case of doubt, the wording of the legal provisions and regulations shall prevail.

Continuing Education Regulations of Bern University of Applied Sciences (WBR) (PDF, 81 KB)
Implementation Provisions for the Continuing Education Regulations WBR in the Business School (PDF, 81 KB)
Implementation Provisions for the Continuing Education Regulations (PDF, 77 KB)
Framework Study Regulations at Bern University of Applied Sciences (PDF, 127 KB)
Regulations on Scientific Integrity at Bern University of Applied Sciences (WissIR) (PDF, 140 KB)
Legal foundations

Advice + information events

Study Counselling

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Head of CAS Programme

Administration

Information events

In addition to the information events we offer you our personal advice. By telephone or directly online via MS Teams.

Please contact us!

E-mail: weiterbildung.wirtschaft@bfh.ch 
Phone: 031 848 34 02

Location + facilities

Lessons take place at Schwarztorstrasse 48 in Bern.

Bern Schwarztorstrasse 48