2018-2019 / INFO0934-8

Information Technology Management

Duration

30h Th

Number of credits

 Master in business engineering (120 ECTS)5 crédits  

Lecturer

Ashwin Ittoo

Language(s) of instruction

English language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the second semester

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

In this course, students will 


  • Be introduced to information systems and their use in managing organizations, particularly ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems
  • Acquire hands-on experience with a real-life, well-known ERP software package, namely SAP, for managing core business processes
  • Acquire hands-on experience with data modeling (and process modeling), which are essential when designing or implementing information systems? Data modeling will be performed with UML (and BPMN2.0 will be used for process modeling)
  • Acquire hands-on experience with Object Oriented Programming (OOP) and Database Management Systems. The Java programming language will be used for OOP and SQL standard for database management.
  • Be introduced to blockchains and their applications to cryptocurrencies.
  Topics include
 ERP systems: 
  • Information Silos/Legacy systems and the need for Enterprise Information Systems
  • Enterprise Information Systems and Organizational Structure
  • Types of Enterprise Information Systems (ERP, SCM, CRM)
  • ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems architecture and modules
  • ERP trends and evolution
  Business Processes: 
  • Overview of some key business processes: Materials Management, Sales and Distribution, Finance and Control
  • Mapping of business processes to ERP system architecture and modules
  • Business Process Modeling using BPMN 2.0
  Business Process Reengineering (BPR and ERP System Implementation: 
  • Introduction to BPR and BPR Methodologies
  • ERP implementation lifecycle (phases)
  • Strategies for going-live
  • ERP implementation critical success factors
  • Theoretical models and factors of user-resistance
  • Change Management
  Data Modeling: 
  • Data representation in ERP systems: classes vs. objects
  • Data modeling standards
  • UML data modeling
  Database Management Systems (DBMS):  
  • Relational database management systems
  • Data normalization
  • SQL statements for data manipulation (including practical)
  • Rise of NoSQL and examples of NoSQL databases
  Introduction to Blockchains and Cryptocurrencies:  
  • Public key encryption, digital signatures
  • Cryptographic Hash Functions
  • Proof of work, Incentives
  • Ethereum
  • Bitcoin exchanges
  • Smartcontracts
 Mining Social Networks (if time permits):
  • Graph Theory
  • Algorithms for finding cliques and communities 
Object Oriented Programming (OOP) in Java 8:  
  • OOP paradigm (vs. other programming paradigm such as "functional" languages)
  • OOP and its relation to UML objects/classes and databases
  • Revision of basic programming constructs (loops, conditionals, variables and types)
  • Classes (and objects) in Java (constructors, methods)
  • Inheritance
  • Java API
  • Data Structures in Java (Lists, Maps) (if time permits)
  Project: students will have to model, reengineer, and implement selected business processes, using BPMN2.0, Java and mySQL.
 

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

  • Recognize the fundamental role of information systems, in particular, ERP systems, in ensuring the proper running of organizations
  • Devise a strategy to optimize an organization's business processes with information systems
  • Lead or actively participate in information systems implementations projects within organizations
  • Implement database-driven software applications to support/automate various business processes (or steps within) and to improve overall organizational performance
  • Use information systems to monitor and improve quality control and performance
  • Communicate effectively to various stakeholders (software vendors, developers and end-users)
  • Adapt to trends and evolutions in information systems, especially those brought about by Big Data and other technological phenomena such as the IoT
  • Communicate effectively to various stakeholders (software vendors, developers and end-users)

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Course candidates should have taken (and passed) information systems courses of their earlier years, in particular, INFO0076-1: Informatique pour ingénieurs de gestion

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

  • Lectures
  • Practical sessions/help sessions
  • Project

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

  • Lectures (resources: notes, articles will be on lol@)
  • Practical sessions and additional help sessions will be organized
  • Please note that attendance is compulsory for lectures and practical. Please contact the lecturer beforehand if you are unable to attend a lecture or practical

Recommended or required readings

Selected chapters from  

  • Enterprise Systems for Management, by Motiwalla and Thompson, Pearson 2012
  • Integrated Business Processes with ERP Systems, by Magal and Word, Wiley, 2012
  • Java: The Complete Reference, by Schildt, 2014

Assessment methods and criteria

The course will follow a continuous assessment system. The final grade will be based on a series of assignments during the course and a final written examination. Details: 

  • Java programming assignment (practical) ~30% (of overall grade)
  • Small written exercise or practical on SAP (to be confirmed), 5%
  • Written examination, 65%
Note that the weights for the different components above are tentative and will be finalized in due course.

Work placement(s)

Organizational remarks

Contacts

Ashwin Ittoo, ashwin.ittoo@uliege.be  Eddy Heins, eddy.heins@uliege.be 

Items online

Lecture Notes
Lecture Notes