INSS 300 - Management Information Systems - Fall 1995

Over the past 20 years, information technology (computers, telecommunications and office automation) and the management of information technology have changed dramatically. The need to learn how to use and deploy information technology became a must for business professionals.

In many industries, obtaining competitive advantages became directly related to the deployment of information technology to design, create and provide the main products/services. In many instances the information technology became an integral part of the product/service.

The course aim is to provide you with learning experiences in the use, development and management of information systems. It builds on the basic concepts and tools learned in INSS 201, or equivalent, to focus on the application of these concepts and tools to business.

Each class meeting will be divided in two parts:

(a) lecture and discussions related to in-depth study of main types of information systems: transaction processing and decision support systems. In this context system concepts, decision making, systems development, data base, networking, information architecture, and artificial intelligence will be revisited. In addition, managing information systems, including IS organization, strategy and planning, and strategic use of information technology, will be reviewed from an IS and non-IS manager perspectives.

(b) activities, related to applications of tools for development of information systems. You should know (from INSS200 or equivalent) how to create spreadsheets and simple data bases, as well as, how to use basic Internet tools. We will use spreadsheets to create a simple decision support system; data bases to implement a simple transaction processing system; Internet tools to create a global marketing presence for an organization; and you will learn a graphics presentation package for creating diagrams to represent systems, as well as, for doing presentations of your group assignments. In addition, we will also discuss four comprehensive business cases included in the textbook.

CLASS MATERIALS

Class handouts will be available on the Web at the following address of the course syllabus:

• http://ubmail.ubalt.edu/~abento/300/300syl.html

Note: To print properly this syllabus set top and bottom margins to 1" in your browser.

NOTE: a take-home placement exam on spreadsheets (Lotus) and databases (Paradox) will be given in the second week of classes. Students will be advised to take a Saturday workshop in these topics if they need to.

Class projects

Your grade in the projects will depend upon the content and structure of the final system and written documentation. The projects are to be made in groups of two to three students, but one -- create your own home page in the World Wide Web (individual).

1. Mail Order System: the objective is to do the analysis, design and implementation of a mail order system for VOICE. The final report should include: (a) management summary, (b) narrative, (c) system diagrams, (d) data base design, (e) data base structure and data printouts, and (f) examples of inputs and outputs.

2. World Wide Web: the objective is to create your own home page, in your UBMail account, like an one-page resume. You will use an HTML editor (shareware) in order to do so. After the course is over you can keep this page and use it for recruiting purposes.

3. Financial Planning: the objective is to do the analysis, design and implementation of a Financial Planning system for the Porter Hospital. The final report should include: (a) management summary, (b) narrative, (c) system diagrams, (d) spreadsheet formulas and macros printout, and (e) printout of outputs.

Assignments

• Case analyses:

  1. American Standard MIS Architecture [186-187]
     
  2. XCON at DEC [657-666]
     
  3. DuPont and End User Computing [375-379]
     
  4. SOS IS planning [854-859]

  You will submit the case analyses, one copy per group, by e-mail, no later than 5 PM Sunday after the class meeting the case is scheduled. Your case analyses should respond the Case Study Questions at the end of the case.

• Computer work

  1. DFD for Voice. To be submitted in printed form, one copy per group, in the due date.
     
  2. Gopher search . To be submitted by e-mail, one copy per group, in the due date.

Presentations

Final Exam

Zwass, V. Management Information Systems, Wm.C.Brown Publishers, 1992 (required). [ ]
Krol. E. The Whole Internet, O'Reilly & Associates, 1994 (optional).( )

Additional (free) references, available in the Internet, will also be required.
Class materials are available both on the World Wide Web and in the PCUB lab.

OUTLINE
Day	5:30 - 6:50	7:00 - 8:00	Assignments
09/06	Course overview, information and systems concepts [1,2]	Group formation and lab acquaintance	Open accounts
09/13	Decision-making and Information systems concept [13, 3]	Review of E-mail: VaxMail and Pine *	Self-study [6]
09/20	TPS and MIS [4]	case: American Standard MIS Architecture	(1) case analysis due by e-mail
09/27	Systems Development [10,18]	Using Freelance *
10/ 04	Systems Analysis and DFDs [19]	DFD and Freelance *
10/11	Files & Data Base [8], handouts	Paradox Review *	(2) Voice DFD due
10/18	Telecommunications and networking [7]	VOICE: question & answers
10/25	Navigating the Internet (2,5,6,7,11)	Telnet, Gopher, Listserv, FTP *	(A) Voice project due
11/01	The World Wide Web and HTML (13)	HTML Editors: Assistant, Webmagic *	(3) Gopher search due
11/08	DSS and Expert Systems [14,15]	case: XCON at DEC (pre#1)	(4) case analysis due by e-mail
11/15	DSS design. (handout).	Lotus macros review *
11/22	End-user computing [9]	case: DuPont & EUC (pre#2)	(5) case analysis due by e-mail
11/ 29	Information Resource Management [17,20]	Ethical issues: handouts and video It's just not worth the risk; Porter Hospital: question & answers	(B) Home page due
12/ 06	Strategic Impact and global aspects of Information Systems [5,12]	case: SOS IS planning (pre#3)	(6) case analysis due by e-mail
12/13	Study day, no classes	Study day, no classes
12/20	Final exam ( 5:30 - 8:00)	Final exam ( 5:30 - 8:00)	(C) Porter Hospital due

This page is maintained by Al Bento who can be reached at abento@UBmail.ubalt.edu This page was last updated on August 27,1995. Although we will attempt to keep this information accurate, we can not guarantee the accuracy of the information provided.