Start with the fundamentals that most analysts overlook. We examine spending data across three economic environments—stable growth periods, inflationary pressure, and recovery phases. Each creates distinct patterns.

You'll analyze transaction-level data to spot behavioral shifts. When do consumers start cutting discretionary spending? Which categories show resilience? The answers aren't what most textbooks suggest.

• Identifying leading indicators in purchase frequency changes
• Sector-specific spending patterns during economic transitions
• Regional variations within Taiwan's diverse markets
• Cross-category substitution patterns and budget reallocation

By week four, you'll be working with live datasets updated monthly. The goal is developing intuition alongside technical skill.

Business spending follows different rules than consumer behavior. This module explores how companies adjust budgets across quarterly cycles, what triggers mid-year revisions, and where optimization opportunities typically hide.

We use case studies from manufacturing, retail, and service sectors—all operating in Taiwan's market environment. You'll see how identical economic conditions produce different responses depending on business model and cash flow structure.

• Quarterly budget rhythm patterns and deviation analysis
• Department-level spending trends and interdependencies
• Forecasting budget adjustments based on early indicators
• Identifying cost structure vulnerabilities before crisis hits

The practical work involves building forecast models that account for both cyclical and structural factors. Some students find this module challenging because it requires thinking three steps ahead.

Data analysis means nothing if you can't communicate findings effectively. This section covers visualization techniques that reveal trends without oversimplifying complexity.

You'll learn to build dashboard systems that update automatically and highlight anomalies worth investigating. The emphasis is on clarity—making complex patterns accessible to decision-makers who don't have time for detailed analysis.

• Designing multi-dimensional trend visualizations
• Creating alert systems for significant pattern deviations
• Building executive-level summary reports with drill-down capability
• Presenting findings that drive actual budget decisions

We critique each other's work extensively here. Sometimes a chart that seems clear to its creator confuses everyone else. Learning what works takes iteration.