Information​ ​Systems Specialization

Firms make significant investments in IT. In the IS/IT Governance course we will discuss how to govern IT to make sure that the IT investments contribute to organizational goals and strategies.

Firms need to formally evaluate significant IT investments. IT investments are also risky, so firms need to consider the risk associated with the investments to appropriately evaluate the investment. We will discuss how to evaluate IT investments. Firms usually make multiple IT investments in a given year. In this course we will discuss how to evaluate a portfolio of IT investments. Firms need a mechanism to charge users for the IT investments made to encourage prudent consumption of IT resources. We will discuss different mechanisms for charging for IT that incents users to spend IT dollars wisely. Finally, IT investments are made to generate value for the firm. This requires that employees actually use the new IT systems that is developed. Thus, in the IS/IT Governance course we will discuss strategies to make sure that users use the new system so that the firm derives value from its IT investments.

Most often, organizations acquire information systems as part of a larger focus on process improvement and efficiency. These organizations need to invest in the right system to meet their needs: right functionality, right size, and for the right price. The business systems analyst role in most organizations is responsible for translating the organization’s needs into requirements, which are then used to select or build the right system for the organization.

During the Analysis for Business Systems course, you’ll learn about the standard model for systems development: the systems development lifecycle, or SDLC. You will learn how to read and even create the specific deliverables that business systems analysts prepare during the SDLC. These documents provide guidance to the organization as they determine whether to build or buy and configure a system that meets the organization’s needs.

This course provides you with an understanding of what Enterprise Systems (also commonly termed as Enterprise Resource Planning Systems, ERPs) are. After learning about what these systems are, we would touch upon why these systems are useful to companies, through which you would get to see the various jobs and positions that are associated with the use and deployment of ERPs.

In this course, you would also develop an appreciation of the managerial aspects related to the selection and implementation of ERPs. Specifically, we would touch on the important points to consider when shortlisting and purchasing an ERP, the approaches taken in ERP implementation, and change management techniques to utilize when an organization is undergoing ERP implementation. At the end of this class, you will be endowed with practical knowledge that would help you to address real world business problems associated with ERP usage and implementation.