CMSC 272 Strategic Information Systems Development

COURSE GUIDE

 Introduction and Course Description

Welcome to strategic information systems development! This is your course guide for CMSC 272. First, let us get to know more about the course. Strategic Information Systems are computer systems that integrate the information needs and the business directions of an organization. While most information systems are limited to the task of automating current operations for better efficiency, control and effectiveness, strategic information systems are designed to consider a wider vision for an organization and achieve its competitive advantage.  

This course will focus on how you can develop strategic information systems. We will study several guidelines in planning and systems engineering to help you avoid developing information systems that will lead to future financial and performance disasters. In this course, you can look forward to using several modeling tools and making strategic recommendations both as an individual and as a member of a team. Do not hesitate to take a stand and defend your specific strategies that you think is the best. The rationale and your supporting documents for your strategic recommendations will be more important than your actual recommendations.

An experience in programming and development of prototype information systems is a prerequisite for this course. Moreover, involvement in planning, commissioning, developing and deploying information systems is necessary. You need to pass the Business Analysis Professional Certification exam to satisfy the prerequisite of the course. Review materials and instructions are uploaded in the course site under the Reviewer folder.

This course consists of four units and twelve modules. 

Unit I covers three modules. Module 1 presents an overview of the course, while Module 2 and Module 3   give you a review of basic concepts in information systems, and crafting and executing strategies.

Unit II is on Information Systems Strategic Planning (ISSP). Various sets of planning procedures will be presented. Various modeling and analytical tools that can be used to design systems will be introduced. We will also discuss the importance of tailoring strategies to fit the organization’s internal and competitive environment. The corporate and Philippine government standard and acceptable format for ISSP will serve as templates for the ISSP.

Unit III is devoted to crafting IT strategies. We will argue why an IT strategy must be built around its resources, competencies, and competitive capabilities.

Unit IV is about the strategic framework for the stakeholders such as the people involved, and the IT leadership. Since the impact of technology to the people is crucial, in this unit we will focus on how people and their attitude can influence the success of new systems under development. We will also cover issues such as whether and why an organization has a duty to operate according to ethical standards.

Course Objectives

The main objective of the course is to develop a pragmatic and compelling framework for developing a strategic information system suited for a specific organization.  At the end of the course, you should be able to:

a)   develop an information systems strategic plan;

b)  build resource strengths and organizational capabilities needed to execute IT strategies; 

c)   recommend procurement and allocation of resources to strategically-critical IT activities;

d)  recommend policies and procedures for the deployment and continuous maintenance of  IT systems; and,

e)   conceptualize, develop and deploy for testing a prototype information systems solution identified in the ISSP;

Course Outline

The entire course is divided into four units.  Each unit is further divided into three modules as follows: 

Unit I:             FOUNDATION CONCEPTS                   

                        Module 1:       Overview of Strategic Information Systems Development

                        Module 2:       Basic Concepts in Information Systems

                        Module 3:       Crafting and Executing IT Strategy

Unit II:           INFORMATION SYSTEMS STRATEGIC PLANNING (ISSP)

                        Module 4:       The Planning Process

                        Module 5:       Evaluating the Organization’s IT Environment, Resources and Competitive Position

                        Module 6:       Information Systems Modeling and Analytical Tools

Unit III:          CRAFTING A STRATEGY

                        Module 7:       Generic IT Competitive Strategies

                        Module 8:       Strategies for Competing in International IT Markets

                        Module 9:       Ethical IT Strategies and Social Responsibilities

Unit IV:          EXECUTING THE STRATEGY

                        Module 10:     Building a Capable Organization for a Strategic IT Execution

                        Module 11:     Managing Internal Strategic Information Systems Deployment

                        Module 12:     Corporate IT Culture and Leadership

Grading Scheme and Course Requirements

Your final grade will be computed based on your performance in the following:

*Quizzes, Exercises and Certification     20%

  Mid Term Examination                        20%

*Group ISSP                                         30%

*Individual Prototype and Paper            30%

The nature of questions that will be given as exercises, exams and reports do not really have strict right or wrong answers.  However, you have to devote time in answering and preparing for them because your work will be graded in terms of the amount of preparation that went into it and on the soundness of your arguments.

*will be subject to peer review and evaluation

Study Schedule

I strongly suggest that you try to scan/read the entire course manual.  It would give you an idea on how the different assignments relate to each other.  It will also guide you in the amount of preparation that you have to put into your project so that your work will really be spread uniformly throughout the semester.  

On Academic Integrity

Intellectual honesty is one of the most important values that this university upholds.   Therefore, as a student of the University of the Philippines, it is expected that any work you submit for this course is your own.  This means that   cheating in exams, plagiarism and other forms of intellectual dishonesty will not be tolerated.  It is said that each one of us has his own brilliant idea and therefore you should not miss the chance of discovering yours.

A public presentation or submission of your work in conferences and seminars may be required to test the integrity of your output.

If you were caught cheating in this course, the policy below will be followed:

• for the first offense, the student will receive a score of zero (0) for the exam;
• for the second offense, the student will receive a final grade of 5.0 for the course.

As you can see, like any other faculty member or good student of the University of the Philippines, I take academic integrity seriously.  I hope that you will, too.