Department of Computing
Unit Outline: ITEC871
Semester 2, 2012
Convenor: Dr. Ian Krycer
Value: 4 credit points
Study period: Semester 2
Prerequisites:
Students should read this unit outline carefully at the start of semester. It contains important information about the unit. If anything in it is unclear, please consult one of the teaching staff in the unit.
About This Unit
This unit focuses on enterprise management information systems and the technologies used in their design, implementation and maintenance. The alignment of information systems with business strategy, socio-technical aspects of system development and enterprise systems are all explored. A case study analysing business rationale for an enterprise systems project is conducted. Systems discussed include ERP, CRM, Data Warehousing and Mining, Business Intelligence, Groupware, Knowledge Management, Web 2.0 and Mobile Commerce.
Teaching Staff
| Role | Name | Room | Office hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Convenor, Lecturer | Dr. Ian Krycer | ian.krycer@mq.edu.au 0425 314455 |
Adjunct | By arrangement |
All emails related to ITEC871 should be sent to ian.krycer@mq.edu.au and must include your full name and your student id number.
Classes
Each week you should attend 4 hours of lectures/tutorials/workshops. For details of days, times and rooms consult the timetables webpage.
Attendance at all classes is compulsory. You are advised to submit a legitimate and verifiable absence note to the lecturer if you are unable to attend a class, for whatever reason. In the first instance, an email will suffice, however, backup documentation, such as a doctor’s certificate, might be required.
Required and Recommended Texts
The following text is recommended, especially for students without an extensive IT background:
K. C. Laudon and J. P. Laudon “Management Information Systems: Managing The Digital Firm” 12th Edition, Pearson, 2012. This book is available from the University Co-op Bookstore. If unsure about the value of this text, I suggest you first borrow a copy from the library and make your own assessment. I will be referencing the 11th and most up to date edition, however, earlier editions are quite similar.
The following books are suggested as recommended reading. Copies of these books are available from the library.
- Sumner, M, “Enterprise Resource Planning” Prentice Hall, 2005
- Shanks, G, Sedden, P.G. and Willcocks, L.P. “Second-Wave Enterprise Resource Planning Systems” Cambridge University Press, Melbourne, 2003.
- Turban, E., Sharda, R, Delen, D and King, D, ”Business Intelligence: A Managerial Approach” 2nd Edition, Person International Edition, 2010
- Verville, J. and Halingten, A. “Acquiring Enterprise Software: Beating the Vendors at Their Own Game”, Prentice Hall, 2001.
- Marakas, G. M. “Modern Data Warehousing, Mining, and Visualization: Core Concepts” Prentice Hall, NJ, 2003.
Lectures will list appropriate Web based references and further reading for some of the rapidly evolving technologies discussed in this course.
Unit Material
A student folder with all the lecture notes and electronic references will be availalbe for download through the class web site on iLearn at:
https://ilearn.mq.edu.au
You will need to use the user name and password issued to you by the Science Faculty when you enrolled for the unit.
Technology used
Students are also expected to make use of MS Word and MS Powerpoint.
Learning Outcomes
A student completing the unit should have:
-
An understanding of how to assess and rank a series of competing IS investments using financial metrics and strategic alignment models.
-
A sound grounding in the functionality delivered by ERP systems and how the modules are interconnected, and critical success factors for implementation projects.
-
An understanding of the role of data in the enterprise and how Data Warehousing, Data Mining and Business Intelligence projects assist in enterprise management and planning.
- Be able to identify the driving forces for an enterprise CRM system and how these systems deliver strategic benefits.
- An understanding of the functionality, role and limitations of knowledge management systems including expert and artificial intelligence systems.
- An understanding of the potential of new technologies in the enterprise such as Web 2.0, latest Oracle architecture (guest speaker) and latest Microsoft IDE tools (guest speaker).
- Be able to describe the key characteristics and metrics for server platforms including performance, scalability and availability.
- Understand the evolution of wireless networks and direction of mobile commerce.
- In addition to the discipline-based learning objectives, all academic programs at Macquarie seek to develop students' generic skills in a range of areas. One of the aims of this unit is that students develop their skills in the following:
- Self-awareness and interpersonal skills;
- Communication skills;
- Critical analysis skills;
- Problem-solving skills;
- Creative thinking skills.
Teaching and Learning Strategy
ITEC871 is taught via lectures, tutorials and workshop sessions. Lectures are used to introduce new material and to give examples of the use of enterprise systems in real life business contexts. While lectures are largely one to many presentations, you are encouraged to ask questions of the lecturer to clarify anything you might not be sure of.
Each week you should:
- Attend lectures, take notes, ask questions.
- Read appropriate sections of the text, add to your notes and prepare questions for your lecturer.
- Prepare answers to next week's tutorial questions.
- Work on any assignments that have been released.
Lecture notes will be made through the student folder to be downloaded from the class Moodle web site, but these notes are intended as an outline of the lecture only and are not a substitute for your own notes or the textbook.
Topic List
|
Week |
Topic |
|---|---|
|
1 |
Business Value of Information Systems |
|
2 |
ERP Overview Hand out Assignment One (Individual Assignment) |
|
3 |
ERP Success Factors – Two Case Studies |
|
4 |
ERP Modules: Production and Materials |
|
5 |
Web 2.0 |
|
6 |
SAP Guest Speaker |
|
7 |
Integrated Development Environments - |
|
8 |
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) |
|
9 |
Siebel CRM (Oracle Guest Speaker) |
|
10 |
Knowledge Management |
|
11 |
Servers and the Cloud |
|
12 |
Group Presentations |
|
13 |
Tutorial and Revision |
Assessment Items
| Task | Total Marks |
|---|---|
| Individual Assignment One (IT Projects) | 10% |
| Individual Assignment Two (ERP Proposal) | 10% |
| Group Assignment (Strategic IT Initiatives) | 25% |
| Group Presentation on Final Report | 5% |
| Final Exam (closed book) | 50% |
Please note that satisfactory performance in all of the assignments and especially in the final exam constitute a necessary pre-requisite for passing this unit.
Late assignments: All late assignments will attract the penalty of having the maximum possible mark reduced by 10% per day late, including weekends. In other words, this means that an assignment that is ten elapsed days late can only attract zero marks, even if it is perfect.
All assignments are to be submitted through the Moodle class website.
Relationship Between Assessment and Learning Outcomes
| Learning Outcome | Assessments |
|---|---|
| 1. An understanding of how to assess and rank a series of competing IS investments. | This will be assessed by Assignment 1. |
| 2.A sound grounding in the functionality delivered by ERP systems. | This will be assessed in Assignment 2, the Group Assignment and the Examination. |
| 3. An understanding of the role of data in the enterprise and how Data Warehousing, Data Mining and Business Intelligence projects assist in enterprise management and planning. | This will be assessed in the Group Assignment and the Examination. |
| 4. Be able to identify the driving forces for an enterprise CRM system and how these systems deliver strategic benefits. | This will be assessed in the Group Assignment and the Examination. |
| 5. An understanding of the functionality, role and limitations of knowledge management systems including expert and artificial intelligence systems. | This will be assessed in the Group Assignment and the Examination. |
| 6. An understanding of the potential of new technologies in the enterprise such as Web 2.0, latest Oracle architecture (guest speaker) and latest Microsoft IDE tools (guest speaker). | This will be assessed in the Examination. |
| 7. Be able to describe the key characteristics and metrics for server platforms including performance, scalability and availability. | This will be assessed in the Examination. |
| 8. Understand the evolution of wireless networks and direction of mobile commerce. | This will be assessed in the Group Assignment and the Examination. |
| 9. Develop skills in working in a group to achieve a shared objective within the required timeframe | This will be assessed in the Group Assignment. |
|
Enhance skills in achieving individual tasks within time frame constraints |
This will be assessed in all the assignments. |
Holistic standards
Please note the following table which will provide you with an understanding of the grading system used in ITEC871.
|
High Distinction
|
| Outstanding quality with the addition of originality and/or creativity. Oustanding description of the background, communication and analysis of results. Excellent conclusion summarising the key points. Results presented in well-formatted with correctly labelled tables, figures, captions etc. Analysis and synthesis of the main ideas from the literature are integrated and strongly linked to the tasks expected. Several key references are used (typically about 8-10 at 300 level), cited in the text and without error in the references. |
|
Distinction
|
| Superior quality description, analysis and communication of the material. Superior quality description of the topic and conclusions of the material under investigation. Results presented in clear prose, clearly labelled tables, graphs, figures and so forth. Analysis and synthesis of the literature is linked clearly to the assignment and shows good insight into what the literature states with regard to the topic under study. Most aspects and formatting of the references are correct. |
|
Credit
|
| Good quality presentation, analysis, description and presentation of the material in the assignments and exam. Material making up the assignments illustrates that a clear understanding is shown. Tables, graphs and other supporting material are present but will not have the depth of analysis of discussion incorporated into the assignment to the degree evident for a distinction/high distinction. Titles for tables and figures may have minor parts missing. Literature has been analysed and evaluated, but may lack clear linkage with the topic under study. Most aspects of referencing are correct, but some references cited in the text may be missing or incorrectly formatted in the reference list. |
|
Pass
|
| Satisfactory description, analysis and presentation of results. All components of the assignment are present in the assignment. There may be an incorrect structure to the assignment in parts. Prose is perhaps not particularly fluid, but the main points are still present. An inappropriate means of presentation may have been used in the assignments. Literature has been used, but often will include textbook instead of journal articules/given readings on the specific topic under question. Most aspects of referencing are correct, how some references cited in the text may be missing or incorrectly formatted in the reference list. |
|
Fail
|
| Poor assignment coverage and structure. Very limited analysis and dicussion of the results. Ideas are not clearly expressed and limited attention has been given to writing in academic form. Inadequate and/or incorrect referencing. |
Examinations
You are expected to present yourself for examination at the time and place designated in the University Examination Timetable. The timetable will be available in Draft form approximately eight weeks before the commencement of the examinations and in Final form approximately four weeks before the commencement of examinations.
You are advised that it is Macquarie University policy not to set early examinations for individuals or groups of students. All students are expected to ensure that they are available until the end of the teaching semester, that is the final day of the official examination period.
The only exception to not sitting an examination at the designated time is because of documented illness or unavoidable disruption. In these circumstances you may wish to consider applying for Special Consideration. Information about unavoidable disruption and the special consideration process is available on the web (PDF).
If a Supplementary Examination is granted as a result of the Special Consideration process the examination will be scheduled after the conclusion of the official examination period. For details of the Special Consideration policy specific to the Department of Computing, see the Department's policy page.
Plagiarism
Please refer to the Department of Computing Plagiarism Policy for the definition of plagiarism, advice on avoiding it and the penalties in place if you are found to have submitted plagiarised work.
Student Support Services
Macquarie University provides a range of Academic Student Support Services. Details of these services can accessed at http://www.student.mq.edu.au.
The Department of Computing provides a Third Year Liaison Officer to help deal with non-unit related issues that you might have as a first year student at Macquarie. If you are falling behind in your work or having problems that interfere with your studies, please ask to see the Liaison officer: Ros Ballantyne, email ros at ics.mq.edu.au, telephone 9850 9513.
Staff-Student Liaison Committee
The Department has established a Staff-Student Liaison Committee at each level (100, 200, 300) to provide all students studying a Computing unit the opportunity to discuss related issues or problems with both students and staff.
For each meeting, an agenda is issued and minutes are taken. These are posted on the web at:
Details of the regular meeting dates will be posted on the unit home page. Anyone with an interest in Computing units may attend. This includes staff involved in the teaching and administration of the units, and all students currently taking a Computing unit at that level. There are formal Liaison Committee representatives for each unit who attend to present the views of the student body; all students are welcome and are encouraged to attend.
The meetings are usually held in the Department of Computing Meeting Room, E6A357.
To forward agenda items or get in touch with your representative, send an email to ian.krycer@mq.edu.au .
If you have exhausted all other avenues, then you should consult the Director of Teaching (Assoc. Prof. Debbie Richards) or the Head of Department (Assoc. Prof. Benard Mans). You are entitled to have your concerns raised, discussed and resolved.
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