INFO2039-2 : Management Information Systems

Study Programmes 2015-2016

INFO2039-2

Management Information Systems

Duration :

30h Th

Number of credits :

Master in management, professional focus in law and management		5
Master in management, professional focus in law		5
Master in management (120 ECTS)		5
Master in management (60 ECTS)		5

Lecturer :

Ashwin Ittoo

Language(s) of instruction :

English language

Organisation and examination :

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Course contents :

Information Systems (IS) encompass the technology (i.e. "Information Technology - IT") for managing information as well as the ecosystem (e.g. people, society) into which the IT is embedded. Over the years, IS have become increasingly intertwined with the strategic activities pursued by business entities. A case in point are Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, a type of IS, which are now considered as de-facto in manufacturing organizations.
The aim of this course is to equip students with the fundamental skillsets in IS for their future professional (e.g. consultants, managers) or academic (e.g. doctorate) careers. Therefore, it requires that students take on a critical stance to evaluate the implications of IS (and associated issues) for organizations. Furthermore, the course focuses both on the theoretical and the practical aspects by means of lectures and hands-on exercises using software packages. In addition, guest-speakers from industry will be invited to give lectures on selected topics.
The course starts by motivating the need for (integrated) IS and by defining the core concepts/notions. The focus will be on ERP systems. Among others, the topics to be covered include:

Issues with legacy IS (information silos) and the need for ERP systems
Critical success factors and cultural factors that can make or break ERP projects
Re-engineering existing processes to align them with the ERP system

Relevant examples from (discrete) manufacturing and real-life ERP implementations will be provided to illustrate the topics covered.
Next, we delve into data models underlying ERP systems. Specifically, we will learn how to conceptualize data models from scenarios using the UML notation in practical exercises.
Subsquently, we will turn our attention to business processes, which are central to ERP systems. In particular we will look at

Business Process Management (BPM)
Business Process Re-engineering (BPR)

In the practical part, we will study how to model business processes using the BPMN notation.
(Note that BPMN and UML are de facto industry standards)
As future consultants, students will be expected to participate or lead ERP implementation projects. As such, students will be introduced to the phases and challenges involved in ERP implementation. Main topics will include:

ERP implementation lifecycle
Critical Success Factors
Strategies for going-live
Post-implementation

Following the topic of ERP implementation, we will focus on more organizational aspects. In particularly, we will look at the process of Change Management and User Resistance, which, despite being often overlooked, are fundamental to the success of ERP implementations.
If time permit, the course will also cover emerging trends in IS/IT, such as

Big Data and Analytics
RFID
Healthcare Information Systems

Learning outcomes of the course :

At the end of this course, students should be able to:

Define basic notions associated with IS
Appreciate the need for integrated Enterprise IS (e.g. ERP) compared to legacy information silos
Acquire basic hands-on experience with a real-life ERP system, namely SAP

Describe the ERP implementation process
Appreciate the risks and challenges of ERP implementations
Discuss solutions to mitigate the risks and challenges
Describe the critical success factors of ERP implementation

Understand the fundamental difference between the data and process perspective
Develop comprehensive data models of a given scenario using UML
Develop comprehensive process models of a given scenario using BMPN2.0

Evaluate the success of IS and IS implementations
Critically discuss the weaknesses/strengths and suggest improvements to standard IS Success Models

Discuss the challenges and opportunities of new trends and technologies in IS, in particular, Web 2.0 and Social Media and Big Data
Discuss how these trends and technologies will affect classical IS like ERPs and society

This course contributes to the following Intended Learning Outcomes :

ILO-3 : To understand, in management situations, the transversal tools of quantitative reasoning, information systems and project management

ILO-5 : Integrate autonomously researched information, tools, knowledge and context to build and propose, either individually or as part of a team, original, creative and viable solutions to concrete complex management problems, whether real or simulated, taking into account, when necessary, the human, social and legal context.

ILO-6 : Ability to speak 2 foreign languages: C1 in English and B2 in one other language.

ILO-9 : Developing a critical sense (arguing)

Prerequisite knowledge and skills :

Students should have taken (and passed) IS courses of their earlier years, in particular, INFO2043-1 and INFO0074-1

Planned learning activities and teaching methods :

Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :

Lectures
Practical sessions (as described above)
Please note that attendance is compulsory for lectures and practical sessions. Please contact the lecturer beforehand if you are unable to attend a lecture or practical