Semester 1 : 2008/2009

BEA2005 Information Systems
“Information Technology is no longer a business resource; it has become the business environment”
Information Systems is a 15 credit course in the second year.
By this stage in your studies it is assumed that you will have acquired all the computer-user skills needed to participate in this module. The course is not software application-specific apart from the need to produce accurate and appropriate essays and reports and to obtain, read or print material from your own files or from files displayed or stored at alternative locations. If - during your work - you come across files of a type that you do not recognise, you are encouraged to discover solutions by yourself. You will not be expected to adopt the role of computer scientist to complete the work, but you will be advised of any additional requirements as-and-when they are introduced to the course.
General Aims
This course aims to provide students with a comprehensive guide to the systems, tools and issues that should concern management within a modern organisation and will prepare you for participation in today’s technology intensive workplace.
Key skills forming the main theme are: -
1. An understanding of relevant terminology.
2. Role of the accountant during planning and implementation.
3. Technologies at the heart of information processing and management
4. Alignment of technology and systems with strategic business objectives.
5. Use of Third-party information resources
6. Appreciation of security and risk to operations
Specific Objectives
On completion of this course of study that includes lectures, tutorials, individual, group work and desk research, a student should be able to:

Explain the roles of structured and unstructured data in decision making.

Identify and apply methods of organising data, storage and retrieval for effective and efficient information systems deployment.
 Explain the opportunities and constraints of new communication channels and trading arrangements.

Explain the principles of initiating, planning and controlling information systems projects.

Explain
– using project management principles – how organisations initiate, plan, and control the development and introduction of new information systems.
 Explain the choice, application and acquisition process for specialist software for accounting and other tasks
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
Explain issues of privacy, security and recovery from disaster in a data-dependent environment
Teaching and Independent Learning
Course website : http://www.people.ex.ac.uk/gaharris/bea2005
There is NO WebCT for this module .
(i) Lectures:
One lecture will be delivered each Thursday (commencing October 9 th ) during Semester 1 from 3.00pm
until 5.00pm
(a short break will be provided). Please arrive on time and disable the audible ring tone on your mobile telephone for the duration of the lecture.
(ii) Tutorials:
You are to attend one of the scheduled tutorials that take place on Monday’s. Your first tutorial will take place on Monday October 13 th . You will be notified which tutorial group and location to attend. Tutorials will relate to taught sessions delivered in the previous week..
If you need to miss a tutorial but can attend one of the alternatives you should definitely do so!
Attendance and participation is monitored.
Please prepare adequately for all tutorial sessions. Some preparation instructions are provided in the enclosed schedule of lectures. Other instructions will appear weekly on the course website. http://www.people.ex.ac.uk/gaharris/bea2005 where you will also find additional material to be read.
The total study time for this course is 150 hours of which 117 hours are private study. A considerable amount of reading is necessary each week in order to complete both reading and preparation for tutorials. I recommend that you allocate two private study periods each week.
The first, is to read the chapter before or after attending the lecture, and the second to prepare for the tutorial using your textbook and your notes from the lecture. Before attending tutorials, you must prepare answers in the form of notes as requested. All students will be expected to take part in discussions during tutorials. By following this advice you will build useful exam revision material on a weekly basis. It is advisable to read as widely as possible. Do not restrict your reading to the textbook. Look for additional material online.
Weekly information relating to tutorials will be posted on the course website. Please check the website regularly to avoid any misunderstandings.
The website address is: http://www.people.ex.ac.uk/gaharris/bea2005
Check the website twice weekly for instructions and possible changes to the lecture and tutorials schedule.
A programme outline is provided below. Minor changes may be required.
.
Tutorials are on Mondays. You will be allocated a regular tutorial group during week 1. If you cannot attend your standard tutorial, make sure you attend one of the others. Tutorial attendance is compulsory and will be monitored.
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Assessment
The course will be assessed as follows:
Examination (January date to be advised)
Assignment (group)
Final examination
Contribution to overall grade
80%
20%
The final examination will be a paper requiring essay type answers sometimes incorporating diagrams and flow charts. The exam will be based on lectures, tutorials, textbook reading and other recommended study. In preparation, students are encouraged to explore topics further than the reach of the recommended text and lecture in order to attract additional marks from answers to exam questions. Note that additional reading material on the course website is an important resource. Please don’t ignore these resources.
Group activities:
A requirement of this course is the development of group-working skills and opportunities for this will present themselves during the term.
Examination Papers
Copies of past examination papers are available on the school web pages. However, this subject contains many elements of a changing technical nature and you should mainly focus on material delivered during 2008-2009 and accept guidance given by the lecturer. During the lecture on December 11 th , an exam revision plan will discussed. Don’t miss this lecture .
Staffing
The course will be taught by Gordon Harris (Streatham Court Old Building Room 8) email g.a.harris@exeter.ac.uk
.
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University of Exeter Business School
BEA 2005 Information Systems
Instructions to Students a) This course comprises one lecture and one tutorial each week. Attendance at both is essential. A register is taken at each tutorial and will be monitored throughout the course.
Warning letters will be sent out to students who miss tutorial classes without any excuse. These letters will be placed in students’ personal files. b) Notices may be placed from time to time on the notice board in Streatham Court adjacent to the lecture theatres. Please ensure that you acquaint yourself with both the position and the contents of the notice board. c) At the beginning of the year you will be allocated a tutorial group. If for any reason you are unable to attend the group to which you are assigned, please advise the Undergraduate
Office, and try to attend one of the alternatives.
d) During tutorial sessions the tutor may require small groups to make presentations of the solutions to the tutorial problems for the day. You will be told in advance.
Please come well prepared. Your contribution will greatly improve tutorials and everyone will benefit .
e) You may be asked to submit material developed during personal study or tutorials in order to monitor progress. Please ensure that you are in a position to comply at short notice.
f) Part of the assessment for the year is a group assignment with technical content.
The group should place their single submission to the (labelled) Streatham Court
Assignment Box by Thursday December 11 th 2008 at 3pm . Assignments handed in after this time will receive a zero mark. g) The textbook for the course is “Management Information Systems 8 th edition ” James
A. O’Brien, published by McGraw Hill , which is available from the campus bookshop and an Amazon link on the course website. Additional reading may be from material supplied free to the course co-ordinator by commercial companies and distributed either printed or online at the appropriate time. Other books may be recommended from time to time but you are encouraged to explore any modern textbook, academic paper or industry review that offers an alternative insight to a given topic or the industry as a whole.
h) Examination date will be advised via the notice board ONLY .
i) If you are unable to attend lectures or tutorials for ANY reason please advise
Undergraduate Office in Streatham Court.
j) From time to time you will receive communications through the e-mail system. Read your e-mail regularly!
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BEA 2005 Information Systems: Lectures and Tutorial Schedule. (Subject to change)
Print this and place inside your textbook or folder for weekly reference.
Lecture Lecture Topic Lecture based TUTORIAL DATE
Date on: (bring textbook)
9 th Oct
16 th Oct
23 rd Oct
30 th Oct
6 th Nov
13 th Nov
Course introduction:
Business Imperatives
IT for Strategic Advantage
Software.
Acquisition through Build or Buy.
Data Resource Management
Topic to be announced on website
Electronic Business Systems
CRM
Supply Chain Management
20 th Nov Enterprise Business Systems
E-commerce
O’Brien 1
O’Brien 2
O’Brien 4
Pages 117 to
140
O’Brien 5
Page 159 to 196
O’Brien 6
197 to 226
O’Brien 7
Dell case study handout
O’Brien 8, 9
Oct 13th
Based on 9 th Oct lecture
O’Brien Ch1 : Page37
Prepare to discuss Q1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9
Oct 20th
Based on 16 th Oct lecture
O’Brien Ch2
On Page 65, Prepare to discuss , Q2,
Q3, Q6, Q7, Q9
Oct 27th
Based on 23 rd Oct lecture
Read Real World Cases “Amazon &
Ebay” on Page 154 and Linux on Page
156
Prepare to discuss your answers to
Case Study Questions
Nov 3rd
Based on 30 th Oct lecture
Review Chapter 5 Prepare to discuss your answers to Q 4, 5, 6, 10 on page
191 and Read RWCase2 on page 175-
6
Nov 10th
Based on Self-study
Review Chapter 6. Prepare to discuss your answers to Q 2, 4, 5, 7, 9 on page
240-1
Nov 17th
Based on 13 th Nov lecture
Prepare for discussion question page
278- questions 2, 3, 7, 8, 9.
Read Dell Case Study to sheet 6.
27 th Nov
4 th Dec
11 th Dec
Jan 15 th
Decision Support systems
IT Planning and Alignment
.
Developing Business/IT Solutions
Project Management and the
Systems Development Life Cycle
Deadline for submission of group assignment is 3:00pm
Exam Revision Plan
Have a great holiday, but revise according to the plan.
To be announced
O’Brien 10, 11
O
’Brien 12
Dell Case
Study Handout.
Read again.
This is a key revision document
Nov 24th
Based on 20 th Nov lecture
Prepare for discussion questions. page 317 Q3 and page 352 : Q3, 5, 7,
8, 10
Dec 1st
Based on 27 th Nov lecture .
Prepare for discussion questions
3, 4, 5, 7.on page 405
Dec 8th
Based on 27 th Nov and 4 th Dec lecture and reading.
Prepare for discussion questions Page
481. Q5, 7, 10
Jan 12th
Based on Self-study
Chapter 13
Prepare for discussion Q2, 4, 5, 7
Jan 19 th
No tutorial
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