Related Course/s:

A unit of study in the Master of Information Technology, Master of Information Technology Project Management ,  Master of Information Technology (Professional Computing), Graduate Diploma of Information Technology Business Analysis, Master of Information Technology Business Analysis and Master of Technology (Information Technology).

Aims & Objectives:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the issues and options available to providing organisational IT services.
• Evaluate the pros and cons of differing approaches to acquiring systems, and demonstrate an ability to match particular approaches to particular organisational contexts.
• Discuss the issues associated with package selection, including requirements specification, selection criteria, vendor due diligence, and apply tools and techniques to business cases.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and processes involved in IS vendor selection and management, and IS contract negotiation and management.
• Explain the major issues and human concerns in IS-related organisational transformation, identify causes of human resistance to change, and to show an ability to identify and implement steps to effectively manage IS-related change in an organisation.
• Understand approaches and frameworks for implementing systems in organisations, and appreciate the purpose and approaches to post implementation reviews.
• Write user documentation and basic training manuals.

Teaching Methods:

Lectures (24 hrs) and Tutorials (12 hrs)

Assessment:

Individual assignment , Group assignment, Examination

Generic Skills Outcomes:

Students will be provided with feedback on progress in attaining the following generic skills:
· teamwork skills,
· analysis skills,
· problem solving skills,
· communications skills,
· ability to tackle unfamiliar problems, and
· ability to work independently

Content:

• IS Contract negotiation & management.
• IS procurement.
• IS Vendor selection & management.
• Understanding the business implications of Open Source architectures.
• ISD Methods.
• Agile, adaptive approaches.
• Build vs buy decisions.
• IS Packages (requirements specification, selection criteria, vendor due diligence, contract negotiation, modification, implementation, integration issues).
• Systems integration.
• Assessment and appraisal of various approaches to implementation of systems in organisations.
• Management of people issues in implementing systems.
• Management of IT-based change, motivating organisational change and innovation.
• Training.
• Creating user manuals.
• Post implementation reviews.
• Systems maintenance.

References:

Tayntor, CB (2006) Successful Packaged Software Implementation, Boca Raton, Auerbach Publications.

Readings will also be drawn from:

Anderson, D & Anderson, L (2001) Beyond Change Management: Advanced Strategies for Today's Transformational Leaders. Pfeiffer.
Baschlab, J & Piot, J (2003) The Executives Guide to Information Technology, New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Cohen, AR & Bradford, DL (1989) Influence without Authority, New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Gelinas, UJ, Sutton, SG & Hutton, JE (2005) Acquiring, Developing and Implementing Accounting Information Systems, Mason, Ohio, Thomson
Gray, P (2006) Managers Guide to Making Decisions about Information Systems, Hoboken, NJ, USA, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
McAfee, A (2003) 'When too much knowledge is a dangerous thing'. Sloan Management Review, 44(2): 83-89..
Starinsky, RW (2003) Maximising Business Performance through Software Packages, Boca Raton, Auerbach Publications.
Ward, J & Daniel, E (2006) Benefits Management: Delivering Value from IS & IT Investments, Chichester England, John Wiley & Sons.
Additional readings will be also be drawn from various professional journals.