Course in Business Integration with Information Technology: Concepts and Case

At IIM-C we firmly believe that information is power. In the years to come the need for increased sharing of information will govern the changes in organizational structure. A basic understanding of information systems is thus mandatory. We endeavor to ensure that you drive the e-commerce revolution. These courses not only equip you with software tools but also impart an understanding of the hardware which will help you set design your own database. It's time you started your own dotcom at IIMC.
Course Objectives

The course focuses on the integrating role of Information Technology. While it has become increasingly easy to capture organizational data, a good part of the strategic value of IT comes from its role in being able to integrate processes within and across firms. The course covers different aspects of IT-enabled integration and identifies related strategic and managerial issues.
Course Content

There are numerous IT applications that companies can use and there is no dearth of buzzwords surrounding them. But how do these applications (ERP, SCM, CRM ....) actually provide business value? Mostly by integrating across processes and strategically tapping the benefits of shared information management capabilities. We will explore different ways in which IT is used to integrate intra- and inter- firm processes. Topics include enterprise integration (Enterprise Resource Planning, for example) and inter-enterprise integration (Business-to-Customer, Business-to-Business and Supply Chain Management). We will look at integration as it relates to Customer Relationship Management and Knowledge Management. We will also look at how IT creates business value in various ways and understand why one size does not fit all when it comes to acquiring and managing different kinds of IT.
Pedagogy

The class is typically expected to have a mix of students. Some of you will have had substantial academic background in computer science/MIS, others would have industry experience in managing/developing information systems. All of you are experienced users of IT, at the very least in an academic or home office environment. The course will have case analyses, classroom lectures/discussions and a project. We will pool in our collective experiences to make sense of how IT enabled integration can create business value.
Evaluation

Case analysis and participation (25%) and presentation (10%)
Project - Integration plan for a company (30%)
Quizzes - (15%)
Final Exam - (20%)