MIS 4379
Business Systems Consulting
Fall 2014
Carl Scott, Ph.D.
Office: 275F Melcher Hall
Office Hours: Wednesday 5:00 P.M. or by appointment
E-mail: cscott@uh.edu
Phone: 713-743-4753
Purpose:
Students in this course will work on “Real World Projects with clients of the
University of Houston Small Business Development Center. The course is open
to all majors in the Bauer College of Business. The Honors College offers the
course as well.
Typical projects are:
Information Systems: Web Development; Hardware selection and installation
Accounting: Office Automation using Quickbooks, informal auditing
Operations Management: Management of client projects to include all aspects of business
systems. Supply Chain Management
Marketing: Development of Marketing Plans for:
Increase Sales
Improved marketing of Products
Management: Business Leadership, Human Relations, Customer Relation Management
Grading:
Your grades is based upon the following:
Grade
Tollgate 1
Tollgate 2
Tollgate 3
Total Billable
Hours for the
Semester
End of first 6 weeks
of Semester
End of second 6
weeks of Semester
End of last 4 weeks
of Semester
A
50
50
40
140 and up
B
40
40
40
120 to 139
C
34
33
33
100 to 119
D
30
30
20
80 to 99
E
30
30
19
Less than 80
There is a Statement of Work for the project and is developed by the student outlining the
expectations for the client and student including the billable hours. At the end of each project
there is an Acceptance of Work detailing all work was accomplished by the student and signed
by the client and student. At the end of each “Tollgate” the SBDC provides a confirmation from
the SBDC Clients that the student has satisfactorily completed the hours specified in the student
generated SOW. The student’s grade will then be assigned for that “Tollgate”. At the end of
the semester the three “Tollgate” grades are averaged to give the students final grade.
Attendance: Because of the team nature of the course, attendance is mandatory on Tuesday. It
is by attending class the status of projects is determined and new projects become available.
Each unexcused absence will result on the loss of 10 billable hours from the student’s final
grade. This course uses BB Learn.
Projects: SBDC consultants initiate Client projects.
Activity Reports
Text: The course text is free and is written and maintained in a Wiki form by students in the
course. Text is located at:
http://wiki.bauer.uh.edu/wiki/index.php/MIS_4379_Business_Systems_Consulting
Students who contribute by creating or revising a chapter in the text will receive 10 to 15 billable
hours based on effort.
Academic Honesty:
The University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy is strictly enforced by the C. T. Bauer College
of Business. The instructor will not tolerate violations of this policy. A discussion of the policy is
included
in
the
University
of
Houston
Student
Handbook,
http://www.uh.edu/dos/hdbk/acad/achonpol.html. Students are expected to be familiar with this
policy.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:
The C. T. Bauer College of Business would like to help students who have disabilities achieve
their highest potential. To this end, in order to receive academic accommodations, students must
register with the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) (telephone 713-743-5400), and
present approved accommodation documentation to their instructors in a timely manner.
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER INTERNSHIP
PROJECT GUIDELINES
The University of Houston Small Business Development Internship Program is a
partnership with the University of Houston’s C.T. Bauer College of Business and the
Small Business Development Center (SBDC). The program is designed to provide
SBDC clients with business solutions via access to the knowledge and technical skills
of the faculty and students of Bauer’s Decision and Information Sciences (DISC)
Department.
The program helps SBDC clients with their business needs, and at the same time
provides a valuable, practical business experience for the students. Student teams,
under the supervision of a DISC faculty member, work on business projects. Projects
could include:







Office automation & integration
Web, database or network development
Hardware & software selection and installation
ISP selection
Accounting
Finance
Marketing
Format




Student teams consisting of 2-3 persons, with a Student Lead (primary contact)
having the overall responsibility for the project.
Typically, each student works on three to five projects per semester.
Time frame for each project depends on the magnitude of the project.
SBDC Lead Consultant selects clients for participation in program.
Process


SBDC Consultants input the project information on-line via the DISC web site.
The Student Lead contacts the client to discuss the project and perform an
assessment. The SBDC Consultant is also contacted via e-mail to acknowledge
that the client has been contacted and that the preliminary evaluation has begun.




The Student Lead prepares the Statement of Work (SOW) and submits it to the
supervising faculty member for review and approval. The SOW is then forwarded
to the client (with a copy to the SBDC Consultant) for approval.
Status of each project is tracked on-line. Summary of the SOW is on-line.
Update the work progress on a timely basis.
Upon completion of the project, an Acceptance of Work is submitted to the
client for their final review and approval.
All hours and final disposition of the project is posted on-line.
Project Communication Issues



SBDC Consultant remains involved throughout the entire process. They will
monitor each client’s project progress on-line. Consultants will check coding:
Yellow (started but not worked on), awaiting staffing, in progress and completed.
First three indicate that there are problems with the project that need to be
resolved before the students can resume their work.
Initially, the Student Lead will attempt to resolve project concerns/issues. The
supervisor will intervene and assist as needed.
If issues are still not resolved, Student Lead will contact the Consultant to
discuss.
Client Responsibilities



Be available to meet initially to discuss the scope of the project with the student
team, and to respond in a timely manner during the work phase.
Provide all content material for the project. This includes:
1. any and all purchases, such as hardware or software, needed to complete
the project
2. visuals such as digitized pictures for a web site (students will digitize up to
10 pictures)
3. web host information (student teams can recommend but client must
enroll)
4. e-commerce services such as PayPal or Verisign enrollment (done by
client the assistance of the student team)
Change of content material is discouraged.
Student Responsibilities



Recognize that in many instances the business owner is wearing all the hats and
is juggling many different tasks. Their priority is to operate the business.
Clearly communicate needs to the client and allow time for a response.
Keep web site updated so that the SBDC Consultant can track the status.


Call the SBDC consultant if concerns are not being resolved, e.g. nonresponsive client; information not being provided, etc. Again, client may be
putting out fires or responding to there own customer demands.
Client’s needs may change. They may not have fully articulated, or do not have
a clear understanding of their desires and as the project progresses, their
request may evolve.

SBDC Consultant Responsibilities





Provide client project detail on-line.
Clearly communicate to client program outline and the client’s responsibilities.
Monitor the status of client projects.
Assist the Student Lead if concerns are not being resolved, e.g. non-responsive
client; information not being provided, etc.
Document client files with supporting project data.
Post Semester



Student Lead will submit the Acceptance of Work to the client for their final
approval and signature. Web site updated with hours and summary of work
completed.
SBDC Consultant follows up with client to determine level of satisfaction and to
see if any further work is required. Obtain testimonials!
For any incomplete projects, or if additional project work is requested, SBDC
consultant will re-enroll client during the semester or in the following semester.
Student Profile
Put your
Picture here
Student Name ____________________________
SL Avatar name___________________________
Your Interests ____________________________
_________________________________
________________________________
This class will &@#$%&*@### if I don’t learn:
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________