MSIS
492: Management of Information Technology
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Instructor: |
Ashok Subramanian |
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Office: |
234 CCB |
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Phone: |
(314) 516-6279 |
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Fax: |
(314) 516-6827 |
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E-mail: |
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URL: |
www.umsl.edu/~subraman |
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Office Hours: |
Sat. 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. |
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Class Hours: |
Sat. 9:30 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., 005 CCB |
Tentative Course Description
Information technology has many well-known success
stories, such as America Online, Yahoo, and Amazon. However, there have also
been far too many failures. The reason for this is that the effect of
information technology on a company's shareholder value has been unpredictable.
Lacking a method to analyze the value of an IT system, managers are forced to
make decisions based on fragmented data and guess-work, which often prove to be
faulty. This course will examine the problem of determining the value of
Information Technology initiatives within organizations. The prescribed textbook and supplemental
readings will present concepts and tools and quantitative methods to aid in
comprehending the problem and addressing it in a practical manner.
Recommended
Text
The Valuation of Information Technology: A
Guide for Strategy Development, Valuation, and Financial Planning
by Christopher Gardner, John Wiley Publishers, Feb. 2000
http://www.wiley.com/cda/product/0,,0471378313|print|2491,00.html
This practical reference demonstrates how to
assess the shareholder value created by a technology system before it is built
for companies interested in investing in all types of IT systems. The author,
the partner in charge of Price-Waterhouse-Cooper's Information Strategy Group,
walks the reader through every aspect of evaluating an IT system within their
business environment--from concept to cash and then to shareholder value. A
solutions-oriented book, this reference is written in easy-to-understand
language, covers all types of IT.
Case Material
“Your Next IT Strategy” by John Hagel III, and John Seely Brown, Harvard
Business Review Case, Oct. 2001
http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu/hbsp/prod_detail.asp?R0109G
Companies have traditionally viewed their information systems as
proprietary. They buy or lease their own hardware, write or license their own
applications, and hire big staffs to keep everything running. This approach has
many flaws--it's cumbersome and expensive and hinders collaboration. But
there's been no alternative until now. Today, we're seeing the emergence of an
entirely new approach to corporate information systems: web services. Rather
than own and maintain all of their own hardware and software, companies will
soon buy their information technologies as services provided over the
Internet. This case explains what the
web services architecture is, how it differs from traditional IT architecture,
and why it will provide significant cost savings to businesses while creating
new opportunities for growth. The case also identifies a step-by-step approach
for adopting the new architecture.
The pedagogy will comprise traditional lectures/discussions, and a Case study. Performance evaluation will be based on detailed analyses of a real-world contemporary IT project. This will be a collaborative exercise involving groups. Each group will develop a project proposal/business plan for the deployment and /or use of Web Services for an existing or new IT application. The feasibility and economic value of the project will be demonstrated by applying analytical concepts, tools and techniques learned in class.
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Tentative Class Schedule |
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Week |
Readings |
Topic |
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6/22 |
Ch. 1 |
Orientation |
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6/29 |
Ch. 2, 3, 4 |
Customer Opportunity |
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7/06 |
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7/13 |
Ch. 5, 6, Case |
IT Systems |
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7/20 |
Ch. 7, 8 |
Valuation |
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7/27 |
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Project Presentation |
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8/03 |
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Project Presentation |