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Calculating the Value of Information

Quantify the economic value of information. Learn when and how much to invest in data to boost your decision's expected outcome.

Created byRob Stephensworkspace_premiumBest Instructor
BeginnerUpdated May 19, 2025

What You'll Learn

  • check_circleRecognize forms of Bayes’ theorem and how it helps determine the value of information
  • check_circleRecall how to calculate the value of information
  • check_circleIdentify practical applications of the value of information
  • check_circleRecall the meaning of the value of control

About This Course

Navigating business decisions in an uncertain world requires knowing when and how much to invest in gathering information. This course, "Calculating the Value of Information," provides you with the essential tools to quantify the economic worth of data, ensuring you invest wisely and avoid costly analysis paralysis.

You will learn foundational concepts like Expected Value (EV) analysis, a powerful method for distilling complex outcomes into a single comparable number. Explore how Bayesian logic allows you to update your probabilities based on new information, moving from prior beliefs to more informed posterior probabilities. Master the use of decision-making tools such as Decision Trees and Influence Diagrams to structure problems, visualize potential scenarios, and calculate the expected value of different strategic paths.

Beyond the theoretical, this course delves into calculating the value of both perfect and imperfect information, helping you determine the maximum you should pay for data sources like market tests or expert opinions. Understand the difference between the value of information (reducing uncertainty) and the value of control (increasing probabilities of favorable outcomes). By the end, you will be equipped to identify which uncertainties are most valuable to reduce and make more profitable, data-driven decisions.

Learn to make informed choices by understanding what information is truly worth.

Course Content

2 activities • 8 videos • duration: 59m

remove
The Value of Information8 videos • 1 quiz • 59 min
  • videocamThe Value of the Value of Information
    Duration 5:23
  • videocamBayesian Logic
    Duration 10:30
  • videocamExpected Value Basics
    Duration 6:06
  • videocamInfluence Diagrams
    Duration 5:45
  • videocamPerfect Information
    Duration 10:19
  • videocamImperfect Information
    Duration 8:35
  • videocamFurther Insights
    Duration 4:13
  • videocamKey Takeaways
    Duration 8:12
  • quizReview Questions
add
Final Assessment1 quiz

Your Instructor

Rob Stephens

Founder of CFO Perspective

menu_book34 courses
star5,078 reviews

Rob Stephens is the Founder of CFO Perspective, which provides continuing education courses for CPAs and financial management courses for business advisors and staff. He has been quoted in Forbes, U.S. News and World Report, Bloomberg Businessweek, and many other news sources. He is also the author of Key Performance Indicators and KPI Dashboards. Rob has a 30-year career that includes serving as a CFO, Director of Operations, and SVP of Finance. Rob is an adjunct instructor for the MBA program at Gonzaga University. Rob holds a Masters of Science in Personal Financial Planning and a Graduate Certificate in Financial Therapy from Kansas State University. He received a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Washington.

Credit Information

Is this course eligible for my CPD requirements as a Canadian CPA?

Provincial regulators of CPAs in Canada do not require that independent providers of CPD be approved to offer courses. Instead, individual CPAs are responsible for assessing whether a CPD activity meets their requirements, and may take activities from any source provided those requirements are met.

Every course offered on LearnFormula is delivered by a qualified subject matter expert or learning organization, and advances learning objectives that are relevant to the responsibilities or professional competencies of Canadian CPAs. All activities on LearnFormula are quantifiable in terms of hours, and are also verifiable, in that users receive documented evidence of their attendance via a certificate of completion after finishing a course (and this certificate is stored by LearnFormula indefinitely). Nearly 100,000 Canadian CPAs successfully satisfy their CPD requirements via LearnFormula on an annual basis.

What Students Are Saying

4.9 out of 5
Student's Choice
127 reviews
  • RS
    Ramesh Lal S.
    starstarstarstarstar

    Very interesting

  • EB
    Emily B.
    starstarstarstarstar

    Loving the humorous asides this presenter sprinkles in here and there. Had to listen at x0.75 speed to ensure I got everything. Otherwise a good course!

  • MN
    Mpilwenhle Jaspar N.
    starstarstarstarstar

    Great information for a CPD

Frequently Asked Questions

We are a registered provider with 300+ associations and regulatory bodies worldwide. We operate across 27 global markets including Canada, the US, Australia, and the UK. Every course page clearly displays its specific accreditations. Upon completion, you receive a professional certificate that can be validated online. Our certificates include all necessary accreditation details, credit hours, and completion dates, and are formatted specifically to meet the submission requirements of most global regulatory bodies.

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