Information Technology - 50 Marks

Module aim

To introduce students to the reasons for the use of IT in enterprises, the link between the strategy of a
business and the IT that it uses in practice, and methods for managing IT and to outline the electronic
commerce in business.

On completion of this module the students will be able to:

Information Systems in Business

 LO1: Understand the five basic areas of information systems needed by business professionals, including
the conceptual system components, major types of information systems and the trends in information
systems along with managerial challenges associated with it.

Information Technologies

 LO2: Understand and Identify history, trends, developments in different computer systems; and the major
types of technologies used in peripheral devices for computer input, output, and storage.
 LO3: Identify the basic features and trends in the major types of application software and system software
used to support enterprise and end-user computing.
 LO4: Understand the management of the data resources of computer-using organizations and understand
the key database management concepts and applications in business information systems.
 LO5: Understand the basics of the Internet and other telecommunication networks, business applications,
and trends in technical telecommunications alternatives.

usiness Systems

 LO6: Understand how information systems integrate and support enterprise-wide business processes, as
well as the business functions of marketing, manufacturing, human resource management, accounting, and
finance.

Electronic Commerce Systems

 LO7: Identify the basic process components of e-commerce systems, and discusses important trends,
applications, and issues in e-commerce.
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Enterprise Business Systems

 LO8: Understand the goals and components of customer relationship management, enterprise resource
planning, and supply chain management, and the benefits and challenges of these major enterprise
applications.

Method of assessment

The Information Technology module will be examined using a paper-based assessment of 1.5 hours.
Specification Grid

This grid shows the relative weightings of chapters within this module and should guide the relative study time
spent on each. Over time, the marks available in the assessment will equate to the weightings below, while
slight variations may occur in individual assessments to enable suitable questions to be set.

Weighting
Syllabus area
(indicative %)
1 Information Systems in Business
20
2 Information Technologies
3 e-Business Systems
20
4 Electronic Commerce Systems
5 Enterprise Business Systems 10
50
* Questions will be set covering all the above areas.

Information Systems in Business

a) Foundation concepts: information systems in business (Reference: 1,
Chapter – 1, Section I)
b) Foundation concepts: the components of information systems (Reference: 1,
Chapter – 1, Section II)

Information Technologies
a) Hardware (Reference: 1, Chapter – 3)
b) Software (Reference: 1, Chapter – 4)
c) Data Resource Management (Reference: 1, Chapter – 5)
d) Telecommunications and Network (Reference: 1, Chapter – 6)

Business Systems
a) e-business systems (Reference: 1, Chapter – 7, Section I)
b) Functional business systems (Reference: 1, Chapter – 7, Section II)

Electronic Commerce Systems

a) Electronic commerce fundamentals (Reference: 1, Chapter – 9, Section I)
b) e-Commerce applications and issues (Reference: 1, Chapter – 9, Section II)

Enterprise Business Systems

a) Customer relationship management (CRM) (Reference: 1, Chapter – 8, Section I)
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 b) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) (Reference: 1, Chapter – 8, Section II)
c) Supply chain management (SCM) (Reference: 1, Chapter – 8, Section III)

References:

1. Management Information Systems: James A O'Brien, George M Marakas, and Ramesh Behl, Tata McGraw-
Hill Education Private Limited

The following learning outcomes should be read in conjunction with the relevant sections of the technical
knowledge grids.
Information Systems in Business LO1

1. Information Systems in Business

Candidates will be able to understand the five basic areas of information systems needed by business
professionals, including the conceptual system components, major types of information systems and
the trends in information systems along with managerial challenges associated with it.

In the assessment, candidates may be required to:

a. Identify the concept of a system and how it relates to information systems.

b. Explain why knowledge of information systems is important for business professionals and identify five
areas of information systems knowledge that they need.
c. Illustrate how the business applications of information systems can support a firm’s business processes,
managerial decision making, and strategies for competitive advantage.
d. Illustrate several major types of information systems from experiences with business organizations in the
real world.
e. Identify several challenges that a business manager might face in managing the successful and ethical
development and use of information technology in a business.
f. Illustrate the components of real world information systems. Illustrate that in an information system,
people use hardware, software, data, and networks as resources to perform input, processing, output,
storage, and control activities that transform data resources into information products.
g. Demonstrate familiarity with the myriad of career opportunities in information systems
Information Technologies LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5

2. Information Technologies

 Candidates will be able to understand and Identify history, trends, developments in different
computer systems; and the major types of technologies used in peripheral devices for computer
input, output, and storage.
 Candidates will be able to identify the basic features and trends in the major types of application
software and system software used to support enterprise and end-user computing.
 Candidates will be able to understand the management of the data resources of computer-using
organizations and understand the key database management concepts and applications in
business information systems.
 Candidates will be able to understand the basics of the Internet and other telecommunication
networks, business applications, and trends in technical telecommunications alternatives.

In the assessment, candidates may be required to:

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a. Identify the major types and uses of microcomputer, midrange, and mainframe computer systems.
b. Outline the major technologies and uses of computer peripherals for input, output, and storage.
c. Identify and illustrate the components and functions of a computer system.
d. Identify the computer systems and peripherals that would be acquired or recommended for a business
and explain the reasons for selections.
e. Illustrate several major types of application and system software.
f. Explain the purpose of several popular software packages for end-user productivity and collaborative
computing.
g. Describe the main uses of computer programming software, tools, and languages.
h. Describe the issues associated with open-source software.
i. Explain the business value of implementing data resource management processes and technologies in an
organization.
j. Outline the advantages of a database management approach to managing the data resources of a business,
compared with a file processing approach.
k. Explain how database management software helps business professionals and supports the operations
and management of a business.
l. Understand the concept of a network and Identify the basic components, functions, and types of
telecommunications networks used in business.
m. Explain the functions of major components of telecommunications network hardware, software, media,
and services and explain the concept of client/server networking.
n. Explain the concepts behind TCP/IP and understand the seven layers of the OSI network model.

e-Business Systems LO6

3. e-Business Systems

Candidates will be able to understand how information systems integrate and support enterprise-wide
business processes, as well as the business functions of marketing, manufacturing, human resource
management, accounting, and finance.

In the assessment, candidates may be required to:

a. Identify the following cross-functional enterprise systems, and illustrate how they can provide significant
business value to a company:
i. Enterprise application integration
ii. Transaction processing systems
iii. Enterprise collaboration systems
b. Illustrate how Internet and other information technologies support business processes within the
business functions of accounting, finance, human resource management, marketing, and production and
operations management.
Electronic Commerce Systems LO7
4. Electronic Commerce Systems

Identify the basic process components of e-commerce systems, and discusses important trends,
applications, and issues in e-commerce.
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In the assessment, candidates may be required to:

a. Identify the major categories and trends of e-commerce applications.

b. Identify the essential processes of an e-commerce system and give examples of how it is implemented in e-
commerce applications.
c. Identify and give examples of several key factors and Web store requirements needed to succeed in e-
commerce.
d. Identify and explain the business value of several types of e-commerce marketplaces.
e. Discuss the benefits and trade-offs of several e-commerce clicks-and-bricks alternatives.

Enterprise Business Systems LO8

5. Enterprise Business Systems

Understand the goals and components of customer relationship management, enterprise resource
planning, and supply chain management, and the benefits and challenges of these major enterprise
applications.

In the assessment, candidates may be required to:

a. Identify and give examples to illustrate the following aspects of customer relationship management,
enterprise resource management, and supply chain management systems:
i. Business processes supported
ii. Customer and business value provided
iii. Potential challenges and trends
b. Understand the importance of managing at the enterprise level to achieve maximum efficiencies and
benefit

-The End-

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