Aims

This module aims to provide students with an advanced understanding of business information systems (IS) and its relevance for modern-day firms and societies. More specifically, it explains how to enable changes in the business context, organisational designs, business strategies, business models and innovation management.

This module will, therefore, begin by providing students with a solid understanding of core IS concepts and how developments in such systems have enabled the so-called e-business phenomenon. The module will focus on what IS are used by organisations for internal and external operations, such as the automation of business processes in the marketing or supply chain areas. These topics will be complemented by other relevant areas including IS development, managing IS projects, technical aspects, and career paths related to digital business.

Outline Of Syllabus

i) Module overview/what is an IS?
ii) Business processes and IS used in organisations,
iii) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems,
iv) Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems,
v) Supply Chain Management (SCM) systems,
vi) e-Commerce part A
vii) e-Commerce part B
viii) IS and competitive strategy,
ix) IS and Organisations
x) Business Intelligence
xi) Globalisation
xii) Technology: HW and SW platforms
xiii) Technology: Data Infrastructure
xiv) Technology: Computing Networks
xv) IS life cycle
xvi) Critical success factors

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

1. The lectures will underpin the theoretical and practical aspects of the module and students will be expected to undertake directed reading and independent studies before each session.
2. IS related knowledge will be developed and enhanced by demonstrations, videos, mini case studies and participative discussions in the lectures as well as with the employability aspects delivered in the workshops.
3. The IS related knowledge and skills will be substantially improved with the empirically-based assignment.
4. There will be 4 assessment clinics as part of the lectures and a small-group drop-in session on the assignment.
5. The learning and performance of the students will substantially depend on the attendance to the sessions.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Formative assessment

Through the whole year, the students undertake problem-solving exercises based on a set of questions and mini case studies, videos or software demonstrations. There are discussions between peers in groups and then the whole class, all facilitated by the teacher. The discussions are related to the topic of the lectures but with a deliberate formative focus on driving and facilitating the study for the summative assessments.
There are 5 1-hour formative sessions specifically about the assessment. The first is about the challenging task of searching for information for their own cases and ultimately deciding what case to undertake in the assignment (company and systems). This is very formative since it is the first time the students have a similar assignment. Another one at the middle of the course about the structural content of the assignment, which is based on exemplar past assignments and the planning the students have made regarding their own work. There are two more sessions in the last part of the module. These sessions are largely structured on the most important feedback that the module leader has compiled from years delivering the course and marking, as well as personal questions of the students who have already progressed the study, data collection and development of their assignments. Finally, students should bring the progress of their work and questions for a last assessment-focused session at the very end of the module.

Summative feedback

The assignment will enable an in-depth investigation of an IS initiative of a company, which each student must decide, for example the automation of the marketing or supply chain of an existing corporation. It is expected that the case studies will use practically all the theoretical content learnt during the year, so the assessment is integrative. All this would require substantial secondary research by the student as well as vast reading of academic literature.