CCT 355: E-Business
Technologies
Class 1: Course Introduction
Welcome!
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A bit about me
A bit about you:
a) What is meant by e-business technologies?
b) What is not meant by the term?
c) In five years, what do you see yourself doing?
d) How will you get there?
A few notes to start…
• E-business technologies are NOT simple ecommerce solutions
• E-business technologies are NOT the design
of online advertising or marketing strategies
• Simple “shopping cart” solutions are old hat
and easily set up in ten minutes – not very
interesting
• Online marketing/advertising is related, but
we have a different course for that (CCT356)
E-Business Technologies
• Information systems that support business processes
• Information systems that support the people engaged in
business processes
• Examples?
People, process,
context and technology
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People, process, technology and context intersect
People issues?
Process issues?
Context issues?
Technology issues?
Appropriate solutions balance needs and constraints of all four
Example: Sheridan IDs for CCIT
students
• New students to Sheridan need student IDs/passwords –
presently not provided directly
• People?
• Process?
• Context?
• Technology?
• Solutions?
Course Outline
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Contact/availability
TA
Prerequisite requirements
Text
Online readings/guest lectures will be scheduled
Course Wiki
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http://cct355-f12.wikispaces.com
Sign up now
Quick tutorial
Ignore SLATE, please.
Assignments
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E-Business Case Interview
Change Management Simulation
Terminology Presentations
In-Class Exercises
Business Analysis Consulting Project
Final Exam
E-Business Case Interview
• Many active e-business companies and consultants in the GTA
area, and globally
• Getting to know them is imperative in finding employment –
in job hunting, it’s often who you know and who knows you
that counts
• Case study assignment – a critical in-depth case study of one
individual doing work in e-business technologies – creation,
implementation, evaluation, management, etc.
• Generally NOT end users – someone who knows how to use a
point-of-sale system isn’t particularly interesting or involved.
• Proposal (Sept 27) – ungraded but helpful to keep from
blowing well off course.
Tips
 No set questions – part of the challenge
 Questions to consider? Questions to avoid?
 You MUST have contact with them – it’s not a
textual analysis of someone’s web page – why?
 Friends/family not best for this
 Aim for companies/locations you’d consider as a
career – use this as a networking opportunity
 Good to start brainstorming about options now –
places to start?
Change Management Simulation
• An example of networking in action!
• Much of implementing technology in business context is
personal and political, not technical
• ExperiencePoint simulation guides you through the
complexity of managing change in a fictitious technology
company
• Group project to negotiate a change management
solution given the challenges of the company
Tips
• Oct. 25 class reserved for simulation – do try to be here –
game will go live then.
• Ideally, groups should be similar for final project – treat the
simulation exercise as a means of getting to know your group
members
• Read the change management documentation first – it’s a big
help.
• Expect to make mistakes – first pass through simulation is
usually a disaster
• You MUST successfully “win” the game – multiple passes will
be needed (and is valuable)
• Document group’s progress/problem solving process – paper
is largely a reflection on your learning
• Graphs/etc. from the simulation encouraged.
Terminology Presentations
• A lot of buzzwords and jargon in this space.
• You will be randomly assigned one word and a presentation
date
• Date/topic switching – please do early. We can’t overload last
classes.
• Ignite presentation format – 15 seconds a slide, maximum 20
slides
• “Enlighten us, but make it quick.”
• Good networking events!
• A great example: http://theoatmeal.com/blog/ignite_video
Tips
• A quick definition of term to start – research to follow – but
keep content simple for a 5-minute, 20 slide presentation (can
be less slides, can’t be more.)
• Ignite style privileges visual content – not much you can say in
text in 15 seconds!
• Use the template if you’d like : http://ignitebc.com/wpcontent/uploads/2010/02/Ignite-Template-Master.ppt
• Practice, practice, practice – part of grade is conforming to
standard and not running over/under
• Good advice at : http://userfirstweb.com/328/successfulignite-presentations/
Business Analysis Consulting
• What does a BA do?
• What doesn’t a BA do?
• Group final project (3-4 people) delivering document about 20
pages
• Pick an organization that could use some attention to its ebusiness technology strategy
• Analyze its current condition and propose feasible solutions
that might be helpful
• Present project in ignite presentation
Consulting Guidelines
• Like case study assignment, ability to talk to decision makers is
key
• Unlike case study, you can pick closer contacts
• Reminder: shopping carts, web page redesign, marketing
campaigns are not really the point – will lead to off topic work
– consider more sophisticated e-business tech challenges
• Final solution should balance people, process, technology and
context questions
• Integrate business model from BMG text and some reflection
on change management process (how depends on the context
of your case)
Final Exam
• Exam in formal exam period (December, date/time TBA)
• Will mostly evaluate conceptual application vs. simple
regurgitation of definitions
• All texts and notes included, including terminology
presentations
• More later on structure.
Policy Notes
• Academic dishonesty is a serious matter
• Assignments structured to make cheating rather hard (and
rather obvious when it happens…)
• So, don’t cheat – here, you’ll just fail the assignment and
perhaps the course – do the same the business world, you can
be fired or worse.
• Absent for assignment due date? Report through ROSI (why?)
• Final exam – formal exam period makeup in winter reading
week
• Accessibility concerns – talk privately
Next Class
• Sign on to wiki by next class
• Next week: starting with foundational e-business technologies
with ERP
• Assignment of presentation topics/dates to follow (next week
or the week after.)