BIS 3003
Business Information Systems
LONG WRITTEN WORK 3: Systems Analysis Project
WORTH: 25% of the Course (15% Report / 10% Oral Defense OR Presentation)
PAGE COUNT: Minimum 16 pages.
CONDITIONS: This is a Group (4 – 5 students) assessment task.
Tasks must be handed in before the deadline. Failure to submit on time will result in a deduction of 10% for each day over the deadline.
Any question regarding the project requirements are welcomed.
DETAILS: In this project you will select a medium or large company and review the information systems deployed for the creation of value and competitive advantage in the business. Your discussion should address the specific nature of the industry the company is in as it shapes the types of systems deployed by the business and the ways in which their daily use helps create the product or service and generates competitive advantage. Read the instructions carefully. Do not just put generic theory; the discussion must be specific, you must apply the material and tools covered in class sessions. You must use specific examples that are relevant for the company and its business activities.
TEACHER CONTACTS: Email:
HCT ACADEMIC
HONESTY POLICY: Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated within HCT. Academic dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarism (copying) or any other attempt to gain an academic advantage in a dishonest or unfair manner. Breaches of the Academic Honesty Policy will result in dismissal from HCT.
BASICS OF THE PROJECT: 5 marks
Title page (1 mark)
The Title can be something like: MIS Audit of ___________ .
This should be a separate page. You can include a photograph or logo or something here.
Table of contents (1 mark)
The Table of Contents must indicate the headings in the project as well as the page numbers. The Table of Contents must also be on a separate page.
Basic guidelines for the project: (2 marks)
– Use numbered headings and paragraphs. This will make referrals easier and will make references to the Table of Contents easier.
– The project should be typed at 1 line spacing. The Font size should be 12. You should use Times New Roman or Arial Font
– Page layout should be portrait.
– You must quote and include any references you use. Any references used should be included in a list of references at the back of your project.
Structure of the project (1 mark)
The main structure for the project should use headings. Those should be numbered and use bold typeface:
– CAPS and BOLD for the main headings
– Bold, for the subheadings and
– Bold and Italics for the sub-subheadings
1. INTRODUCTION, COMPETITIVENESS AND STRATEGY
Background of the company and the industry in which the company competes and the strategy of the company. This section is about the company and its industry.
In this section you provide a brief background of the company. Briefly describe the companys activity and their products/services. What type of strategy is the company following? Justify your answer. Describe the industry in which the company operates in with this product/service. Who are its the main competitors. Explain how you believe the company uses Business Information systems to compete. How competitive is the nature of the industry?
[10 marks]
2. Overview of Mission Critical Systems .
Following from the introduction, the group will identify at least THREE mission critical information systems that allow the company to carry out its daily activities and compete. For each system the group will need to specify:
Which Functions use the IS in question
How does the IS generate value for the Business how/why is it mission critical?
How innovative (uniquely inimitable) is the technology being used?
[20 Marks]
3.Overview of the Infrastructure required by the Identified systems deployed by the company.
Following the review of the systems students need to look at the infrastructure in place for those systems to operate. Key points to look at include:
the fundamental hardware information technology that is required,
the communication infrastructure required
social infrastructure/human factors in place
[10 Marks]
4. Discussion of Data, data governance and data management policies applied by the company
The group will explain the type of data required by each of the systems and the resulting outputs produced by them. Where are the outputs used? What are the data management policies employed by the company? What is the strategic role of the data and information collected by the company?
[10 Marks]
5. Discussion of IT and Data Security measures necessary for normal daily operations
The group will review the measures taken by the company to ensure Data security and the reliable operation of the IT infrastructure and the information systems deployed by the company
[20 Marks]
6. Competitive advantage and Recommendations on the BIS strategy of the company
The group will identify the way in which the mission critical information systems participate in generating i) business value and ii) in shaping the competitive position of the company in relations to its competitors (identified in the introduction)
As a result of this analysis the group should identify at least THREE recommendations or areas/plans for improvement which can support the success / profitability / competitive positioning of the company.
[20 Marks]
7. CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the group will provide a review of the IS including conclusions on competitors, strategy and trends.
[5 marks]
