Course syllabus

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1. Lecturers

2. Introduction

To operate in the modern business ecosystem, organizations require a range of information systems, such as enterprise resource planning systems for organizing production, executive systems for supporting decision making, customer relationship management systems, etc. This course starts with discussing the strategic importance of the effective use of these systems in organizations and in the business ecosystem. We then focus our attention on the main types of these systems including their key properties and components, basic issues related to the selection, implementation, architecture, and use of such systems. We also give a hands-on experience on an enterprise system, which is commonly used in industry (SAP ERP System).

3. Learning Objectives

Upon completing the course successfully, students will be able to:

  1. explain the strategic impact of the use of business information systems (BIS) (or enterprise information systems -EIS)
  2. identify different aspects of the management of the IT business function and reason about it
  3. distinguish different types of EIS that are commonly used in large organizations and explain their key characteristics
  4. identify different architecture styles for EIS,
  5. discuss management-related aspects of EIS implementation and operation,
  6. use basic functionalities of a business information system (SAP ERP),
  7. collaborate in a group

4. Course Content

The course addresses the following topics:

  • Strategic importance of IT as a resource: Theory about the strategic impact of the effective use of IT in achieving business objectives and its impact on work.
  • Acquisition of EIS: Main decisions in acquiring EIS, roles and responsibilities, the business case, risks and risk management and ethical aspects.
  • EIS Fundamental concepts: Basic EIS types, background, key components and properties of specific systems (e.g., Enterprise Resource Planning, Customer Relationship Management, etc.).
  • Management aspects of EIS: i.e., methods and approaches to EIS implementations, managing risks and critical success factors in EIS projects.
  • Architectural aspects of IT systems: Overall structure of EIS software and its relation to organizational structure and business processes, new trends in EIS provisioning.
  • Business intelligence and EIS
  • Working in groups for practical assignments

In addition, the course has a practical part on the SAP ERP system using the GBI scenario. The course also incorporates an assignment to allow students to gain insight into a company’s experience on EIS implementation and operation. Finally, there two guest lectures by industry companies on the practical side of the topics we discuss during the lectures.

Accordingly, the course is structured into two main components:

Part of the Course

Addressed by  …

Assessed through …

1- Theoretical

Lectures – 8 x 2 hours

Written examination

2- Practical

Practice sessions – 3 x 2 hours

Assignment 1 (A, B, and C):
SAP ERP practice assignments

Company visits and interviews
(by student groups)

Assignment 2:

Experience Report on EIS Implementation & Operation in a Company

Guest Lectures: Experiences from Industry

(Possibly) A part in the Written exam

 

5. Course Material

  • Lecture notes (handouts)
  • Course book
    • Enterprise Systems for Management, 2nd Ed. (2014) L. Motiwalla; J. Thompson; Pearson.
  • Additional readings (book chapters, scientific papers, etc.)
  • Material regarding instructions and assignments

Course material (except the Course Book) will be available in CANVAS (Check "Modules").

6. Schedule

The course takes place in a period of 8 weeks in the second quarter of semester A. There are 8 lecture sessions, 3 practice sessions, and 2 guest lectures.  Table 1 presents the schedule and topic for each session.

Week

Lecture

Topic

Book Chapter*

Lecturer

Day

Location

1

Lecture 1

Introduction to EIS

Chp.1, Chp.2 (excl. sub-section “Systems Integ.”), & Chp.10 & 11

OT

05.Sep.2017 Tue
08:45-10:30

AUD 1

1

Practice 1

SAP SD & Assg1A

 

OT, JE, Stud.Assistants

08.Sep.2017  Fri
13:45 - 15:30

AUD 1

2

Lecture 2

Strategic importance of IT

[Reader]

RK

12.Sep.2017 Tue
08:45 - 10:30

AUD 1

2

Practice 2

SAP MM & Assg1B

-

OT, JE, Stud.Assistants

15.Sep.2017  Fri
13:45 - 15:30

AUD 1

2

         Deadline to form your team for Assignment 2

15.Sep.2017  Fri 12:30

 

3

No lecture / practice 

 

 

 19.Sep.2017 Tue

 

3

Practice 3

SAP PP & Assg1C

-

OT, JE, Stud.Assistants

22.Sep.2017  Fri
13:45 - 15:30

AUD 1

4

Lecture 3

- EIS Acquisition
- Ethics

[Reader]

RK

26.Sep.2017 Tue
08:45 - 10:30

AUD 1

5**

          Deadline for submitting ‘Assignment 2A company selection’ report 02.Oct.2017  Mon
(until 17:30)

5 

          Deadline for submitting Assignment 1 (1A, 1B, and 1C) 03.Oct.2017  Tue
(until 17:30)

5**

Lecture 4

EIS Types and Architecture

Chp.3

OT

03.Oct.2017 Tue
08:45 - 10:30

 AUD 1

5** 

Lecture 5

EIS Implementation

Chp.4 (excluding subsection “Project Mng.”) 

OT

06.Oct.2017  Fri
13:45 - 15:30

AUD 1

6

Lecture 6

EIS Project Management

Chp.8

OT

10.Oct.2017 Tue
08:45 - 10:30

AUD 1

6 

Guest Lec.2

Business Intelligence

 

 TIBCO

13.Oct.2017 Fri

 AUD1

7*

 

No Lecture

 -

 -

17.Oct.2017 Tue 08:45 - 10:30

 

 

         Deadline for submitting Assignment 2B

20 Oct.2017 
until 12:30

 

 7**

Guest Lec.2:  EIS Implementation

 

 KPMG

20 Oct.2017 Fri

 AUD 1

8

         Deadline for submitting PRV –Digital Peer Review

23.Oct.2017      until 17:30

 

8*

Lecture 7

Business Intelligence in EIS 

 

AW

24.Oct.2017 Tue
08:45 - 10:30

AUD 1

8

          PRV- Retake: Evaluation Meetings as PRV Retake

27.Oct.2017 Fri 15:00 - 17:30 

 

8*

 Lecture 8: Wrap-up, feedback, final exam preparation OT, RK

27.Oct.2017 Fri
13:45 - 15:30

 AUD 1

 

        

 

 

  Final examination

 

 

03.Nov.2017

09:00 -12:00

 

 

  Retake examination

 

 

31.Jan.2018

18:00 -21:00

 

* Red highlighted scheduled items in the table have changed in 16 Oct 2017. 
** Yellow highlighted scheduled items in the table have changed in 28 Sep 2017. 
*** Please note that, the lecture handouts and book chapters might not fully overlap content-wise.  Please put extra attention on the handouts. 

 

7. Course Assessment

The overall end-result of a student for this course will be based on a combination of scores for the:

  • Final examination - 60% of the final grade 1BV21- Final test 1BV20
  • Assignments - 40% of the final grade 1BV22 - Assignments 1BV30
  • Professional skill (collaboration) - 0% of the grade PRV Collaboration Assignment (pass/fail, pass is required to pass the course)

Assignment 1 and 2 account for 15% and 25% of the grade, respectively (totalling to 40% in the overall.)

  • Final examination will be a ‘multiple choice’ test.
  • The structure and type of questions/examples will be discussed throughout lectures. 
  • There is also a set of sample exam question posted at: 1BV20-Sample-Exam.pdf
  • More questions will be discussed in lecture 8.
  • It is very likely that the multiple choice examination will be delivered online through a digital testing system (which will be used at TU/e for the coming years). Therefore, please make sure you bring a wifi enabled personal computer (i.e., your laptop) with you to the examination.  

The written (final) examination is scheduled to take place in the following dates:

  • Final examination: 03 NOV 2017, 09:00 – 12:00
  • Second opportunity (retake): 31 JAN 2018, 18:00 – 21:00

Please make sure that you also checked the dates from other student inf. systems.

Please note that, as the assignments are only a part of the overall grade, their validity will be limited to one year. Partial results cannot be carried over to next years. Please also note that, the same rules apply also for the written examination.

8. Practice with “SAP” and Assignment 1

During the practice hours, the students will gain a hands-on experience on the general functionalities of a number of specific SAP ERP system modules (e.g. materials management, production planning and execution, sales and distribution). The students will go through several exercises (using the SAP GBI business scenario) that will take them through the basic functionalities of the system.  There will be 3 practice sessions and 3 corresponding sub-assignments.

More information about the SAP practice and assignments is available at: Practice with SAP & Assignment 1 

 

9. Assignment 2: Experience Report on EIS Implementation & Operation

The second assignment is a group work. It involves performing structured interviews with representatives of an industry company to gain insights into their EIS implementation/operation. (** See Section 10 for a non-standard option of this assignment as a theoretical work). The objective is to allow students to have a close look into the diverse aspects of a real-life EIS implementation and operation. It aims to complement and reinforce the theoretical matters discussed during the lectures.  

You have to work in teams of minimum 3, maximum 4 students for this assignment.  

  • So, please form your team and register it in CANVAS no later than 15 Sep 2017 12:30. Register at: People
  • Note that, we will NOT assign you in any team. You will have to form your team yourself. 
  • And not being in a team simply means that you will fail the PRV part of this course, in turn fail the course (check section 11). 

There are two other deadlines (29 Sep and 20 Oct) ... 

Please check the following page for more information about this assignment: Assignment 2: Experience Report on EIS Implementation & Operation

 

10. Assignment 2 (Non-standard Option)

For those student groups that provide convincing arguments to the lecturers that they were NOT able to find a company despite all their efforts, there is a non-standard alternative option for the second assignment:  Assignment 2 (non-standard).

Assignment 2 (non-standard) is a theoretical work. The student group is expected to perform a literature study and write a research report on a specific well-defined and clearly formulated topic that relates to the management of enterprise information systems. The group has to base the report on scientific literature from high quality journals and conferences.

More information is available at: Assignment 2 (Non-standard Option)

 

11.  Professional Skill ‘Collaboration’

As mentioned in the sections above, the students will work together as a team for Assignment 2. In addition to the examination and assignments, each student will also be evaluated with respect to the “Collaboration” professional skill. Note that, receiving a positive evaluation on this skill is a prerequisite to pass the course. This teamwork has to be evaluated by peers.

For more details about your responsibilities regarding PRV please check: PRV- Professional Skill ‘Collaboration’

 

Course summary:

Date Details Due