BUSINESS, SYSTEMS AND STRATEGY

By a Single 3 hour examinations plus 2 piece of Coursework

1. To examine the strategic role if information systems within modern business organisations.
2. To critically review those aspects of organising, managing and controlling information systems activities that form the basis for a strategic management framework.
3. To examine the relationship between information systems and technology and redesigning work and business organisation.

The competitive business environment

Traditional categorisation of information systems in business

The new role of information systems in organisations

Competitive advantage

Leveraging technology

Strategic information systems planning

The IS/IT function

The IS/IT department

The IS/IT manager/director

IS/IT steering committees

Funding IS/IT

Appraising investment in IS/IT

Responsibility accounting for IS/IT

Evaluating IS/IT

Outsourcing

Cost Benefit Analysis

Advantages of Outsourcing

Drawbacks of Outsourcing

Future Trends

Facilities Management

PC Revolution & Problems with Mainframes

Systems Unsuitable for Current Downsizing Efforts

Paths to Downsizing

Downsizing or Rightsizing

Problems in Downsizing

Advantages of Downsizing

Perspectives on Rightsizing

Indicative Content

Emerging Process View of Organisations

Reengineering Computer Systems

Business Process Reengineering

Roles and Responsibilities

System Development Approaches

Acquiring Information Technology Resources

Acquiring Data from External Sources

Using Consultants

Managing the Multi-Vendor Environment

Information Resource Management

Data Management Issues

Emergence of Object Technology

Data Warehousing