1997 Swinburne Higher Education Handbook

BT703 Introduction to Business Software BT706 Information Technology Effectiveness
2 hours per week Hawthorn Prerequisites: nil 12.5 credit points 2 hoursper week o w 1 s m m ~
Assessment: to be advised Prerequisites: BT601 Systems Project Management Instruction:
A subject in the Master of Business Administration kctures/seminan/workshops Assessment: Assignment (50%)
This subject is compulsory (conversion students expected) and Research (jO%)
A subject in the Master of Information Systems
0 bjectives
The aim of this subject is to:
Ob jedives
introduce students to information technology concepts This subject focuses on the effective management of IT
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with particular emphasis on decision support systems;
enable students to appreciate, and gain practice in the
application of a range of PC-based analysis methods as a
means of providing information for management
decision making;
enable students to confidently use a number of key
software packages which can be utilised in other areas of
the course.
Content
Software and hardware components of decision support
systems
Decision support system concepts
Recent software developments
Hardware facilities available
Specific application software available for decision
support analysis
Recent developments in decision support software
Mainframe vs PC based decision analysis
Decision support software
Spreadsheets
An appreciation of the nature and role of modelling in
the decision making process, e.g. financial, forecasting,
simulation.
Choosing the right type of decision analysis tool for a
specific application.
Using Lotus 1-2-3 for decision analysis.Students will be
expected to acquire the necessary skills needed to build
their own models.
Graphics
The presentation of information in a graphic format,
including output from modelling packages.
Using presentation graphics software for effective
communication.
Data bases
Using corporate data as source material for micro-based
decision support tools.
Data base packages as a decision support facility.Students
will be expected to acquire the necessary skills needed to
build and query their own data bases.
Availability and accessing of public data bases.
Recommended reading
As this subject is primarily concerned with the use of application
software and current developments in using microcomputers, text
books form a minor component of reference material
Software documentation, user manuals and current journal
articles will provide the major reference material for the subject.
It is required that students have access to a PC for work
undertaken outside formal session times.
resources.
On completion of this subject students will have developed
an understanding of the financial management of the IT
department, the management of productivity and quality in
software development and the application of metrics to the
management of IT.
Content
Topics covered in these three areas include:
Financial management
Cash flow, chargeout, budgets and capital expenditure
evaluation;
Quality
An overview of total quality management, factors
affecting productivity and quality in S/W development,
approaches to controlling quality, quality standards,
measurement of quality;
Metrics
Measuring IT performance quality, operations and
productivity measured at both strategic and tactical
levels, evaluating IT investments including IT
infrastructure.
Textbooks
No single text covers the subject material.
References
Carlson. W.M. and McNurlin. B.C. Uncoverinp the Information
- ,,
~echnolonv Payoffs, Rockville, ~ d., United CO-uniLations
Group, 1992.
Jones, C. Applied Software Measurement Assuring Productivity and
Quality. New York, McGraw-Hill, 1991
~uinlan, T.A. EDP Cost Accounting, New York, Wiley, 1989.
BT711 lnformation Systems Requirements
12.5 credit points 2 hours per week o w I semester
Prerequisites - Nil Instruction: lecture/tutorial Assessment:
group project 50% and individual assignment TO%
A subject in the Master of Information Systems
Objectives
To extend students' knowledge and understanding of and
competency in the modelling of data requirements in a
. . . . .
business oriented setting.
Content
The aims of data modelling and its role in information
systems development. The NIAM approach to developing a
fact model. The underlying assumptions and limitations of
NIAM. Development of a fact model diagram using the
NIAM approach for a given business scenario. Conversion
of a NIAM conceptual schema into relational logical
schema. Conversion of NIAM fact models into equivalent
Entity Relationship models. Optimizing a NIAM
conceptual schema using appropriate schema
transformations.
Swinburne University of Technology 1997 Handbook 325