Jack Baskin School of Engineering
CMPS 50
Business Information
Systems
Jack D. Callon
To avoid as many future problems as possible!
It is logical to devote most of this first class to provide
as clear an understanding as possible regarding:
• Course objectives and content.
• Assignments and grading.
• Your opportunities.
•
My expectations.
Course Objective
The objective of the Business Information Systems
course is to enable students to gain an appreciation
for, and understanding of, how computer-based
systems are used to help a business to be more
successful.
Business Information Systems
1. Computer Concepts, Methodologies
and Use within a Business.
2. Business Goals, Strategies, Structures,
Functions and Management
Specific Course Objectives
Gain an understanding of:
• The role of information systems within a business.
• Basic Information Technology concepts.
• Business and management issues associated with
Information Technology.
• Desktop software tools like MS Office.
• The Internet as an information source.
Some Necessary Terminology
Information Technology (IT) - “The pieces and things.”
Hardware
Software
Telecom Network Services
Information Systems (IS) - Built with IT
Hardware, Systems Software, Application Software,
Telecommunication Networks (LANs, WANs)
Information Systems Organization - People with a
responsibility for IT and IS support.
Logical Audience
1. ISM Majors (better understand the major).
2. Those thinking about ISM as a major.
3. Business Management Economics Majors
(Don’t all business jobs involve computers?)
4. CS and CE Majors wanting a business/IT
perspective.
Students Enrolled - Majors
Business Management Economics
Information Systems Management
Undecided
Computer Science
Economics
Literature
Biology
Computer Engineering
History, Philosophy, Psychology
MAB1
Glec
27
4
4
3
2
2
1
1
3
1
1
Students Enrolled - Class Level
Seniors
24
Juniors
18
Sophomores
7
Frosh
1
Limi
1
Can Be a Very Challenging Class
• Business Background
• Computer Knowledge and Experience
• Other Commitments and Priorities
New Business Environment
• Global Economy.
• Knowledge and information-based service economies.
• Transformation of business enterprises.
• Dramatic increase in the use of IT and a significant
shortening of IT product cycles.
Business Analysis Paper
An important assignment.
You cannot pass this course if you do not
complete this assignment.
A combination of business and IS analysis.
From a Former Student
Having just completed an MS in taxation
immediately after earning a BS in accounting:
“Your course was the most difficult of any that I
have taken in the past four years. I have never
worked so hard for a “B” in my life.”
Course Challenges
Student background and experience:
1. Some of you consider yourself computer gurus while
others are minimally computer literate.
2. Some of you have significant business experience and
business savvy and some of you have only the vaguest
idea as to what it takes to run a successful business.
3. For one of the above reasons, there are those that overestimate how well prepared you are to deal with the
demands of this course.
Or the amount of time that will be required to earn a
passing grade.
Which knowledge should come first?
1. Understanding the specifics of IT.
2. A basic understanding of how information
systems are designed, built, implemented and
supported.
3. An understanding of the increasing business
need for accurate, consistent, timely and
accessible information.
Previous Student Suggestions
“Slowing down the course would be helpful.”
We meet 20 times and will spend time on:
• Understanding the course to decide if it is what you
expect.
• Will cover 15 Chapters (one per class).
• Midterm exam.
• Database project (one class in PC lab).
• ISM career panel (mini-presentations).
• One class for a guest speaker on an IS project from
start to finish.
National High Tech Employment is
Expected to Grow Significantly.
Example:
Example: Projected
Projected Need
Need for
for Computer
Computer Technology
Technology Professionals
Professionals (1994-2005)
(1994-2005)
1,000,000
1994
2005
Net Replacements
900,000
800,000
# of workers
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
Computer Engineers &
Scientists
Systems Analysts
Source: America's New Deficit: The Sh ortage of Information Techn ology Workers , US Dept. of Co mmerce, 1997.
Computer
Programmers
11
My job is to steer you through the course
– Can’t do this if you don’t come to class!
– Don’t intend to read the textbook to you.
– Class time should be spent on clarifying, expanding
on and discussing the material in the textbook.
– Need to familiarize yourself with assigned material
before you come to class.
– Course syllabus and lectures on the School of
Engineering web page. (JDC or course web pages)
Jack Callon
• A careerist and not an academic.
• A business person that understands IT and IS.
• Sponsor of the ISM major.
• 28 years with IBM in sales and marketing.
• International experience (fairly early in the game).
• 11 1/2 years at San Jose State (MIS program).
• Third year at UCSC.
Desktop Tools
• Assume that you know word processing and all
written assignments must be prepared using it.
• Will need to use Powerpoint to support your oral
presentation and to prepare models in your business
analysis paper.
• Helps to know how to create charts and graphs using
Excel
• Will provide instruction and you will use Access as a
database tool
CBT Courseware
• End User Tools and Essentials
• Programming Essentials and Advanced Web
Authoring
• Networking Fundamentals and Protocols
• Operating Systems and Tech Support
• Database Design and Oracle
Business Evaluation Criteria
1. How would you define the business?
2. What is the value to customer through the
company’s products and services?
3. Is there something significant about the
company’s relationship with its customers?
4. How significant is the role of information
systems within this company?
5. What are the significant strengths of the
company?
6. How good is the company leadership?
Business Dynamics
1. Changing Customers and Market Demands
2. Fierce Competition
3. Changing Operational Strategies
4. Increasing Demand for Information.
The Many Dimensions of Business Risk
Customer
Value
Market Risk
Competitive
Sustainable
Financial Risk
Operational
Risk
Operational
Costs
Operational
Responsiveness
Differentiation
Cost
Labor
Material
Facilities &
Equipment
People Skills
Facilities &
Equipment
Bank Rates
Credit Risk
Equity Return
Venture
Capital
Stockholders
Very Important Business Topics
• Direct Business Model
• Supply Chain Management
• Outsourcing
• Reengineering Core Business Processes
• Managing Change
Business Reality
• Systems are not the issue, business processes are.
• Very few important processes are contained within one
functional area.
• Cross-functional process ownership is difficult to
establish.
• Continual refinement of the portion of processes which
lie within a function has very limited payback.
• Once a new process has been designed, existing
application package solutions and tools allow very
aggressive implementation.
What is the problem?
Core processes and supporting systems should be able to
change quickly to cope with changes in the business.
Core processes have not been clearly identified within
companies.
Clear ownership of each core process has not been logically
established.
Organizations are much flatter so jobs are broader, the
complexity of the problems being addressed is much higher
and individuals are able to contribute at a much higher level
to a company’s success.
Substantial resources need to be available to continually
improve internal processes including the supporting systems.
IT is a technical field
Technical people can learn the business. (if
they are inclined to do so).
It is tougher to teach business people the
technology.
Let’s see what is planned for this course.
Business Information Systems
Business
Systems
Functional Areas
Management
Hierarchy
Input/Process/
Output (IPO)
with Control
Systems
Decomposition
Information
Technology
1a. What outputs
are desired?
1b. Who gets them?
How to
disseminate
information?
1a. What inputs are
required?
2a. Where/how do we
get them?
How to collect
data?
3. What processing
is needed to
transform inputs
to outputs?
How the
information is
produced?
System Decomposition
Breaking down a system into its component subsystems,
analyzing each separately, and then aggregating them
back into the complete system:
• Focuses on system components, their relationships with
each other and their relationships with external entities.
• Identifies system boundaries.
• Reduces the potential for a lack of systems compatibility.
• Reduces systems complexity.
Why the O'Brien Textbook?
All books that are used for this type of class (there
are many) include:
1. Real world cases.
2. A professed simple and logical framework.
3. Integrates IT throughout the book.
4. Places an emphasis on the strategic role of IT,
how it solves business problems, how it
supports business operations and decision
making.
Such a book would have chapters that:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Introduce the content, concepts and intent of the book.
Addresses solving business problems with IT.
Addresses the support of business operations with IT.
Addresses supporting decision making with IT.
Explains computer hardware.
Explains computer software.
Explains the importance of data and data management with
database systems.
• Explains telecommunication networks as necessary links for
communication and access to data.
• Explains how systems are planned.
• Explains how systems are built (developed or bought)
and implemented.
• Talks about social implications of IT.
An Up-to-date book would also have chapters on:
• The global implications of IT.
• The Internet, intranets and extranets as vehicles for
electronic commerce.
• The strategic (competitive) significance of IT.
O’Brien Textbook
Management Information Systems:
Managing Information Technology in
the Internetworked Enterprise.
Textbook
Module I Foundations of Information Systems
Chapter 1 - Introduction to Information Systems in Business
Chapter 2 - Fundamentals of Information Systems
Chapter 3 - Solving Problems with Information Systems
Textbook
Module II Information Technology: A Managerial
Overview
Chapter 4 - Managerial Overview: Computer Hardware
Chapter 5 - Managerial Overview: Computer Software
Chapter 6 - Managerial Overview: Telecommunications
Chapter 7 - Managerial Overview: Database Management
Textbook
Module III Business Applications of Information
Technology
Chapter 8 - The Internet and Electronic Commerce
Chapter 9 - Intranets, Extranets and Enterprise Collaboration
Chapter 10 - Information Systems for Business Operations
Chapter 11 - Information Systems for Managerial Decision
Making
Chapter 12 - Information Systems for Strategic Advantage
Chapters 10 and 12 are covered early in the quarter as
necessary background to do the Business Analysis Paper.
Textbook
Module IV Managing Information Technology
Chapter 13 - Managing IT: Enterprise and Global Management
Chapter 14 - Planning and Implementing Change
Chapter 15 - Managing IT: Security and Ethical Challenges
A Necessary Perspective
The Internet is a network of networks.
All networks are not the Internet.
Internet Transactions ($Billions)
300
250
$Billions
Projected growth of
goods and services
traded between
companies from $8
billion in 1998 to
350
200
150
100
$327 billion in 2002
50
Source: Forrester Research
0
9 9 9 0 0 0
7 8 9 0 1 2
Course Grading
Introduction Letter & Resume
3% (admission price)
Oral Presentation
5%
Two Analysis Papers
25% (5, 9, 8, 3)
Database Project
15%
Quizzes (3)
12%
Midterm Exam
15%
Final Exam
25%
Student Weaknesses
1. Lack ability to put “pieces and things”
into a logical bigger perspective.
2. Communication skills particularly oral
presentations.
Systems Performance
The performance of a system is not the sum of
the performance of its parts taken separately,
but the product of their interactions.
The world, the universe that we will focus on is
how business systems drive the need for
information systems.
Information systems enable new business
systems (processes).
Presentation Guidelines
• Everyone will make a class presentation.
• PowerPoint Presentation.
• Five minutes in duration.
• E-mailed to me two days before the presentation.
• Reviewed and returned to the student the day
before the presentation.
• Integrated with my lecture.
Presentation Topics
• Chapter Introductions
• Company Introductions
• Key IT/IS and Business Topics
Generally four student presentations a class.
The source of questions for the quizzes along
with key terms identified on the course web
page.
Introduction Letter
A page, not a paragraph!
Personal introduction
Work experience
Computer related experience
Career objectives
Personal interests
In a business professional format! Which
does not start with “Hi, my name is.”
Personal Resume
Looks good. (fonts, format, margins)
Brutally clear what you have done and what you
want to do ( job objective).
Perfect! (no spelling or grammar mistakes)
Will deal with more of the specifics of this
assignment on Thursday.
Building Your Resume
1. Well Rounded (includes extra curricular activities)
2. Worked at Least Part-time During School.
3. Academically Qualified.
4. Professional Presence.
5. Interested and Understanding of Our Work.
Business Analysis Paper (25% of course grade)
1. A clear definition of the business.
2. The value that the business provides to its
customers.
3. A profile of the company including the business
leaders, major products and/or services and financial
performance over multiple years.
4. A description of the competitive environment
within the industry using a tailored Porter
Competitive model prepared using desktop software.
A Successful Business!?
• Understands the value of information.
• Reinvents itself when appropriate to do so.
• Develops a simple system that targets what it
wants to accomplish.
• Takes direct aim. (focus)
• Develops a system with incentives.
• Makes a customer and not a sale.
• Goes beyond empowerment.
• Runs a loose ship with a tight rein.
• Realizes the power of a strong culture.
• Changes. Always! Doesn’t sit still.
Survival in the Connected Electronic World
• Make sure that your company continually produces new
products that make existing products obsolete.
• Hire a wide range of employees from all backgrounds,
ethnicities, lifestyles and cultures.
• Listen to your young and low-level employees, who often
have new and interesting perspectives.
• Move quickly and at Internet time.
• Simplify the complexity of your IT infrastructure and
make the network simple to use for everyone.
Lew Platt, Hewlett-Packard
Database Project
• Surveying prospects to buy a new personal
computer.
• Two person project teams. One submission, one
grade.
Surveying Prospects
The most important step in the sales process!
Determining the motivation for buying:
A New Personal Computer!
A Satisfied Customer
Hi Mr. Callon,
I was in your Spring Quarter CS50 class. I applied
for a job with a temporary employment agency for a
summer job and did very well on the test on Access
thanks to your class. I have been sent on three
assignments with clients because of my Access
capabilities. Who would have thought that I would
be paid more because I knew a PC application like
Access? Thanks for the nice assist with my summer
job!
Quiz # 1 (Spring 1999)
In a two part question for each term, explain a) what it is
and b) why it is important and/or significant.
Each a) and b) part is worth 10 points.
1. Work system
2. Value chain
3. Structured task
4. Relational database
5. Efficiency, effectiveness and competitive advantage.
Get Started Now!
• Up-front analysis of the companies that you will
request for the business analysis paper.
• Select a company from my web page “analysis
companies” list.
• Research on the business leader.
• A commitment to stay out in front of the material to
be covered in class.
Academic Honesty
If I can’t trust you, there is no other
question!
CS50 Emphasis
You need to understand the business challenges,
issues and approaches to logically and effectively
position (evaluate, define, design, implement) the
IT-based solutions.
You need to understand as much as possible the
elements of the IT solutions to appreciate how and
why they make sense as solutions to the needs of the
business.
That is the plan for the quarter
It will require a definite time commitment
on your part to complete the multiple
assignments.
As noted in the syllabus, unless this course
has definite career implications it is unlikely
that you will conclude that the required effort
is justified.
At no extra cost!
Will throw in some career counseling.
Information Relevance
Not all companies or industries have the same degree of
dependency on information as a business success factor.
Industries with high information dependency.
Industries with a relatively low information
dependency.
Efficiency
One of the three major potential roles of information
systems.
Measured by productivity.
Things per . . . .
Producing more with less.
Managing for Productivity
To Develop Skills
Technical
Conceptual
Interpersonal
People at all
levels in the
organization
Use
management
experience
Improve Core
Business Processes
Enact Roles
Decisional
Interpersonal
Informational
To achieve
productivity
gains
IT Profile
Please complete the IT profile as an assist in
focusing this class to the best possible level.