CIS 9000

Information Systems for Managers

COURSE OUTLINE

This course describes concepts, techniques and issues related to the adoption of information technologies for business strategy. Information systems are shown to be facilitators of market penetration, competitive advantage, and organizational change.

The course demystifies many contemporary technological issues that are relevant to firms. Case studies reinforce the position that of these technologies to organizations. Attention is given to students' oral and written presentations of business analyses.

PREREQUISITE

Accounting core and/or Managerial Economics; waiver or concurrent enrollment in CIS 8000.

READINGS/RESOURCES:

Harvard Business School Cases:

• Baxter International: On Call as Soon as Possible
• Frito-Lay: A Strategic Transition (A) - Updated
• Frito-Lay: A Strategic Transition (C)
• Singapore TradeNet (A): A Tale of One City
• MCI - From Mainframe to Metroplex
• Coopers and Lybrand Expertax System
• Chrysler Corporation: JIT and EDI (A)
• United Airlines (condensed)

New York Times Business Section - Particularly Mondays (Technology and Business Sections)

(NOTE: The Wall Street Journal is also useful)

World Wide Web - Resources available at the BCTC.

Case Analyses:

The course includes several case analyses relating to the lecture material. Case analysis should be prepared in discussion groups, which will be formed during the first week of class. All groups are required to prepare the case, and students will be randomly required to walk through the material. It is expected that teams will meet for a minimum of one hour per week outside of regular class time. Preparation should revolve around strategy, not simply a rehash of the case material.

OTHER REFERENCES OF INTEREST:

Ascott & Caston: Paradigm Shift - The Promise of New Technology., McGraw Hill.

Postman, N.: Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology., NY: Alfred Knopf

Cash & McFarlane: Corporate Information Systems Management: The Issues Facing Senior Executives., Dow Jones, Irwin

Periodical: Wall Street and Technology

CASE STUDY GUIDELINES:

1. Executive Summary - ruin the ending. A two paragraph overview of what is contained in the presentation. Includes explanation of the recommendations.
2. Overview - very brief summary of the key issues of the case. Remember that this section is intended to motivate the discussion only - not to rehash in detain what we already know.
3. Problem Statement - Rank ordered hierarchy of the problems facing the organization. Be brief, concise and crisp. Do not be wordy.
4. Discussion - Explain why these are the problems, why you have rank ordered them as such, and provide some further detains about the nature of each problem.
5. Alternatives - Provide a list of possible strategic organizational alternatives. Identify which are mutually exclusive, which are not. Explain the relative advantages and disadvantages of each.
6. Scenarios - Hypothesize several different environmental/organizational scenarios that might affect the firm. Assign a level of "likelihood" to each.
7. Praxis - Cross-analyze the alternatives provided (#5 above) with the scenarios (#6 above) to determine the most functional strategies.
8. Recommendations/Conclusions - Again, concise.

Assignments and Due Dates