Coursework 30%
A business/technical report based on a case study taking about 30 hours per student to produce. The work will normally be done in pairs, with a section that provides an individual to shared mark. The work will include the analysis of an existing situation, the application of analysis techniques (introduced in lectures and developed in tutorials) and the presentation of a proposal or solution using similarly-acquired techniques. It is intended to promote and assess practical skills. Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 4. (10-12 pages)

Examination 70%
An individual closed-book, time-constrained examination of 2 hours duration. The examination may be based on the same case study as the course work. A choice of questions will be offered, with a compulsory section if considered appropriate. Learning outcomes 1, 3 and 4.

1. The changing `eras' and roles of IT and the strategic impact of IS/IT on businesses and organisations. Applications portfolio planning and management techniques;

2. Techniques for identifying business opportunities to deploy IS/IT resources. Value, competition and collaborative models of IS/IT use. Frameworks for categorising, assessing and applying techniques for maximising business benefits from IS/IT. Business transformation through IS/IT;

3. IS/IT architectures and strategies for flexibility, competitiveness and collaboration. Methods for achieving and sustaining competitive advantage from IS/IT;

4. Methods for managing IT infrastructures, configurations and architectures, client/server models and intranets. Hardware/software migration and re-engineering. Techniques for budgeting, cost recovery/charge-back and producing service level agreements;

5. Operations and facilities management techniques. Hardware and software acquisition and contracts. Outsourcing, facilities management and service level agreements. Legal and contractual obligations and responsibilities;

6. Security and risk management factors. Risk analysis and prevention. Contingency planning, back-up and recovery. Data protection and system security issues.

These learning strategies will occupy your time:

Keynote lectures are used to indicate the main points of the core course material;
Student-centred practical tutorials (workshops) to develop and illustrate the main points in small groups in applying techniques to a case study;
Student-led seminars or debating sessions will be used where appropriate to develop discursive skills;
Case studies, guided reading and open learning materials will be provided where relevant to help give structure to independent learning;
Students will be invited to attend the programme of regular seminars and presentations given by researchers and external speakers as part
of the faculty research activity.

The delivery of the module is as follows:

2 x 1 hour lectures per week with the whole group
1 x 1 hour workshop/tutorial per week in groups of ~20 students
(1:20) (1:n)

You will need access to these resources:

The Student Handbook including schedule and module descriptor
The Module Workbook containing the case studies and worksheets for workshop/tutorials
Lecture notes and guided reading material given out by the module team
Text books, journals and web-sites in the Information Technology Management domain
Word Processing and presentation graphics software for use in the coursework

Prior study of CE00218-1, Systems Analysis and Design or equivalent.

Recommended texts:
Callon, J.D. (1996) Competitive Advantage Through Information Technology. McGraw-Hill International. ISBN 0-07-114106-5
Dixon, G. and Desantis, G. (2001) Information Technology and the Future Enterprise. Prentice Hall International. ISBN 0-13-017854-3.
(These texts provide the basis for the study and application of IT planning models that form the first section of the module).

Laudon K.C. and Laudon J.P. (2003), Management Information Systems, 8th Edition, Prentice Hall, ISBN: 0131206818
Willcocks, F., Feeny, D and Islei, G. (1997) Managing Information Technology as a Strategic Resource. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-709364-X
Luftman, J. (2004) Managing the Information Technology Resource. Prentice Hall International. ISBN 0-13-122721-1.
(These texts examine the ways in which IT resources can be acquired and managed. This forms the second section of the module).

Background Reading:
Ward, J. and Peppard, J. (2002) Strategic Planning for Information Systems. John Wiley. ISBN 0-470-84147-8
Peppard, J. (1993) IT Strategy for Business. Pitman Publishing. ISBN 0-273-60024-9
O'Brian J.A. (2005) Management Information Systems, McGraw Hill, ISBN: 00711629X