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Faculty of Science Discovering tomorrow

Module Guide 2013

Business Information Systems: Module A

BSW2111

Table of Contents

1. MODULE OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................... 1

2. MODULE OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................ 1

3. GENERAL INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES (ILOS) ....................................................... 3

4. MODULE ACTIVITIES .................................................................................................................. 4

Lecture times and Venue: ..................................................................................................................... 4

Practical assessment ............................................................................................................................ 5

5. MODULE MATERIAL .................................................................................................................... 6

Prescribed textbooks ............................................................................................................................ 6

6. ASSESSMENT .................................................................................................................................. 6

Tests and Examinations ........................................................................................................................ 6

Calculation of marks ............................................................................................................................ 8

Duly Performed (DP) certificates ........................................................................................................ 8

7. IMPORTANT DEPARTMENTAL RULES: ................................................................................. 9

8. ACADEMIC GUIDELINES & SUPPORT .................................................................................... 9

General ............................................................................................................................................... 10

Practicals ........................................................................................................................................... 15

Consulting with lecturer ..................................................................................................................... 11

9. ADDITIONAL POLICIES & RULES .......................................................................................... 11

10. MODULE RESOURCE LOCATIONS ......................................................................................... 18

Staff .................................................................................................................................................... 18

SharePoint and email ......................................................................................................................... 18

File Locations and Saving .................................................................................................................. 19

Queries ............................................................................................................................................... 20

11. SCHEDULE ..................................................................................................................................... 21

BSW2111 Module Guide 2013

Page 1

1. Module Overview

The content of the BSW2111 course has been determined to fulfil the requirements for the

Information Systems (IS) related courses specified in the international ACM Information

Systems curriculum.

This module covers the following topics:

The basic concepts of Business information systems and technologies;

Hardware and software trends;

The fundamental role of Business Information System applications in business;

The use of information technology for strategic advantage;

Data resource management and its movement through the Business Information

Systems; and

Development of business systems

To understand how IS is applied in a business context, the BSW2111 module aims to provide

the student with a solid understanding Business Information Systems. Key aspects of IS-

enabled business are investigated through hardware trends, data analytics and

communications.

The credit value of the BSW2111 course is 12, which equates to 120 notional hours – that is,

you are expected to spend 120 hours of the semester on BSW2111. A breakdown of how you

should spend your time for BSW2111 is given below:

Hours

Weeks

Total

Lectures

Preparation

2

14

28

Attendance 3 14 42

Practical Laboratory 1 6 6

Assignments Preparation 4 1 4

Semester Test Preparation 10 2 20

Writing 1.5 2 3

Examination Preparation 15 1 15

Writing 2 1 2


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2. Module Objectives

The module examines the importance of information systems. Underlying concepts

fundamental to an understanding of business information systems are discussed. Several

managerial challenges relating to information technology are studied. Since information

systems can be used as a strategic tool, students should understand how IT can be used to

help organisations achieve their overall goals.

In order to enable organisations to attain their goals through the usage of information

technology, specific hardware and software might be required. Students should be aware of

available hardware and software as well as the trends in the hardware and software arena. At

the heart of every organisation lies its data. Effective data resource management allows

organisations to leverage the benefits it can gain from using its data strategically.

In the inter-networked environment we are living in, telecommunications and networks are vital

to the success of most organisations. Several telecommunications network alternatives and

some Internet technologies are examined. In any organisation there is a people element, which

is important in decision-making. Students should be able to understand the role of people in

business information systems.

The role of electronic business and enterprise e-business systems is discussed. The topics of

customer relationship management, enterprise resource management and supply chain

management are discussed specifically. System development of Business information systems

will be discussed. Students should understand the traditional systems development life cycle

and the rapid application development.

Students taking this course must be prepared to:

Take a genuine interest in the module;

Work consistently and hard;

Exert your own mind upon the subject matter;

Take ownership of your own work; and

Take action when you find yourself in difficulties (see Academic Support).


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Lastly, PARTICIPATE in your classes!!! (Remember the only silly questions are those

you don't ask!).

What you get out of the module will depend on you. The more time you spend applying

concepts you learn in class, the more proficient you will become.

3. General Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

A student (learner) who has completed the course must be able to:

Explain and understand why knowledge of BIS is important for business professionals.

Identify and provide examples of components of a BIS, types of IS and the business

applications of an IS.

Identify basic competitive strategies and explain how IS/IT is used to confront competitive

forces faced by business.

Identify strategic uses of IT and give examples of how they give competitive advantage to

a business.

Understand and discuss the concept of business process reengineering.

Identify the business value of using Internet technologies.

Identify and discuss developments and trends of telecommunications and Internet

technologies.

Describe the networking and communication technologies that enable e-business.

Describe how organisations purchase application software, vendor services, and

hardware.

Identify and discuss developments and trends of hardware and software.

Discuss the importance of information architecture within an organisation.

Show an understanding of the information systems used by various functional

departments within an organisation.

Explain what e-business is and how it affects organisations.

Understand how the Internet and other information technologies support business

processes within several of the main business functions.

Understand systems development life cycle


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Understand various cross-functional system concepts such as cross-functional enterprise

systems, enterprise application integration, transaction processing systems and enterprise

collaboration systems.

4. Module Activities

If you cannot attend the required, weekly, scheduled activities, you should either shuffle your

other subjects or cancel this module with your Faculty Officer. You will not be allowed to

register for the module if you cannot attend the required activities.

Lecture times and Venue:

Two double theory lectures/workshops will be given each week. The times and venues are:

Day Time Venue

Full-time Wednesday 10h45-12h05 410 0 0008

Part-time Wednesday 17h30-19h00 411 0 0013

It is expected of all students to prepare for each lecture. The slides of presentations are

available in advance on the SharePoint site. You are expected to view these during your

practical session on Wednesday, as well as read the associated chapter BEFORE coming to

class. At the start of each lecture there will be a 10 minute test on the chapter to be discussed

THAT DAY. These tests will count 10% toward your DP. Should there be any queries with

regards to the contents of the chapter(s), it should be brought up in class. Refer to the

Schedule for a layout of work to be prepared during the semester.

Guest speakers may be invited to address topics covered in the course. The practical

experience conveyed of guest speakers will supplement the theoretical course material. Talk

contents will be examinable.


Page 5

Practical Times and Venue:

Practical assignments must be completed in the assigned Lab during the specified times.

Students must attend the following practical session, which will be held every alternate week, as

per the schedule included in this document:

Day Time Venue

Full-Time class Tuesday Period 12 - 13 411 0 0013

Thursday Period 8 - 9 411 0 0013

Period 12 - 13 411 0 0013

Part-Time Class Wednesday Period 15 - 18 411 0 0013

Students will register for a specific practical session during the first week of lectures.

The practical sessions serve as an opportunity to showcase technology that is covered in theory

during lectures. It is also an opportunity for students to have the lab available so that research

for assignments can be done. Practical Sessions are NOT an elective. This is your opportunity

to learn VISIO, Access Databases, Basic SQL and Pivot tables as well as an opportunity to view

the slides for the next weeks’ lecture. You will be assigned your practical group and will have a

supervisor available during this time. If this time is not utilised effectively by students, those

students will be reported to their diploma head, Prof Piet Pelle, for disciplinary action.

Practical assessment

All students are expected to spend the duration of the practical session with the practical task(s)

set for the relevant week. No assistance can be expected for practical task(s) of previous

weeks. Students who wish to leave before the end of the practical session must demonstrate to

the student assistant that the entire practical has been satisfactorily completed. A system of

random assessment of completed practical tasks of the previous week may be used. Check

your Practical Guide for each session’s submission requirements. These assessments, along

with your record of attendance, contribute to your examination entrance requirements (DP – see

Section 6 Assessment).


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It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that the student assistant has correctly recorded your

task submission BEFORE you leave EACH session.

5. Module material

Prescribed textbook

The prescribed book is Business Driven Information Systems 3rd Edition by Baltzan and

Phillips (2012) published by McGraw-Hill Publishers.

Additional notes may be supplied to supplement the prescribed textbook. The textbooks are

sold by Van Schaik’s, the University Bookshop in the Student Village and can also be

purchased online. The textbook will be used in lectures and practicals and is essential for the

successful completion of the module.

Note that the prescribed text for the module has not changed from 2012, so previous BSW211

students may wish to sell their text book, which would likely be substantially cheaper than a new

copy.

6. Assessment

Classwork and Practical work

All class tests and practical work count towards the calculation of your class mark. It is

therefore important to ensure that you participate during the session and that you submit the

tasks that are required. The onus rests on you to ensure that your completed tasks are

submitted before you leave the specific venue.

Tests and Examinations

Class Tests


Page 7

Class tests may be given at any time during the semester and will cover work that has

been completed in previous lectures or prescribed reading.

It is typically a 10 minute test totalling 10 – 15 marks, and will count towards your class

mark and may be conducted in class or online.

Semester Tests

Semester Test 1: Wednesday, 27 March 2013 during the Evening lecture time – This

could change to Saturday morning.

Semester Test 2: Wednesday, 15 May 2013 during the Evening lecture time – This

could change to Saturday morning.

Anyone providing a valid verifiable sick note will have to write a sick test that provides

evidence of a valid medical or related emergency. This test will encompass all the work

done. Two marks HAVE to exist for your Duly Performed(DP) mark to be calculated. If

you miss the sick test, you will have to enrol next year for the subject.

A sick test may be available for candidates that have missed a semester test with a valid

sick note, as discussed above. The date for the test will be communicated to qualifying

candidates during the semester.

The tests may consist of either a practical or a theoretical component, or both. The syllabus

covered in the tests will be communicated at least three weeks before each test.

A single examination will be written during the examination period. More information on the

format of the examination will be given to you prior to the examination. The examination for this

module takes place in the June 2013 exam period. If you fail the examination, you may qualify

for a supplementary examination if your final mark is <50% and ≥45%. The supplementary

examination will take a format similar to the regular examination, and is prepared prior to the

first examination having been written.

Registered candidates will either:

1. Pass with distinction – if the set of outcomes has been satisfied (final mark ≥ 75%), or

2. Pass – if the set of outcomes has been satisfied (50% ≤ final mark < 75%), or

3. Be allocated a supplementary examination (45% ≤ final mark < 50%), which could

result in either a pass or a fail; or

4. Fail (final mark < 50%).


Page 8

Calculation of marks

To pass the module, you must:

Achieve a minimum final mark of 50%, and

Perform satisfactorily throughout the semester.

Although this may vary, the marks are generally calculated as follows:

Final Mark 40% Class Mark

60% Examination Mark

Class Mark

75% formal assessment - Semester tests

25% informal assessments

10% class exercises and class tests

15% assignments and practicals

Duly Performed (DP) certificates

Satisfactory Performance means that you have performed the work of the module to a

satisfactory degree. It is determined prior to the examination, based on your work performance

from the beginning of the module up to the date of issue and published on the notice board.

In order to be allowed to write the examination, you have to meet the following requirements:

You must attend at least 70% of all your lectures and practical sessions. If you are

absent without good reason or if you attend a session other than your assigned session,

you will be marked absent. It is your responsibility to ensure that your attendance

has been recorded.

Missing a lecture or practical will severely impair your understanding of future work. If

you miss a lecture or practical, you MUST send an email to the module lecturer for

record purposes. If you fail to do this, you will not receive DP for the module

You must complete at least 70% of all your practical practicals. It is your responsibility to

ensure that your completion has been recorded.

You must have shown satisfactory progress in at least 70% of all your assessed

practical applications.

You must achieve a minimum assignment mark of 40%.


Page 9

You must achieve a minimum class mark of 40%.

If you do not achieve satisfactory performance, the examination office will be informed that you

do not have admission to the examination (exam code FA). This information will also be

posted on the module notice board prior to the examinations. If you do not achieve satisfactory

attendance or fail this module, you will have to repeat it the following year.

Any published administrative information (e.g. attendance and marks) that is not queried

within two weeks of being published will be assumed to be correct, and cannot be

changed thereafter.

7. Important Departmental Rules:

1. If you are absent from any assignment counting for marks (theoretical or practical tests,

class assignments) or a randomly assessed assignment, you will receive a mark of zero,

unless you have a valid reason. If you are absent from any contact session, you will be

marked as having not attended, unless you have a valid reason. If you have a valid

reason, you must bring the necessary documentation to room 09 02 14 (see Section 10

Module Resource Locations) within three days of arriving back on campus, otherwise it

will not be accepted. All submitted certificates will be verified and disciplinary action

instituted against any student submitting a fraudulent certificate.

2. Public Holidays: If your scheduled practical session coincides with a public or university

holiday, it is your responsibility to complete the tasks of that practical session in your

OWN time BEFORE your next scheduled practical session.

3. Note that the Department of Computing Sciences has a rule specifying that you must

obtain a class mark of at least 40% in order to be allowed to write the examination.

8. Academic Guidelines & Support


Page 10

General

Do not leave your work until the last moment.

Use the schedule in this Study Guide to make sure that you are up to date with the

module activities and check what material you need to cover each week in the contact

sessions.

We recommend that you use a file exclusively to store this module guide, your notes,

your answers to exercises, review activities and practical tasks’ preparation and results.

Ensure that you have this file with you whenever you work on any section of this module

or participate in any module activities, so that you can refer to the material as needed.

Read this module guide. It includes a schedule that indicates what work needs to be

covered when, important dates for semester tests and information on how to obtain

satisfactory performance.

During the module, when you are not sure about how something works or when you

need to do certain things, refer to the module guide first and then ask your lecturer or

module coordinator.

You will be required to keep a log file/diary of all your problems and successes with the

course. This will keep track of any issues (positive and negative) which you encounter

with lectures, practicals, the case study and assignments.

Practicals

Make sure you review the materials provided and your lecture notes BEFORE you

attend your practical sessions. If you have not done this, you will NOT benefit from the

practical sessions at all. Read through the tasks and then plan what you are going to do.

Bring all the resources that you may need with you. If, while preparing your work, you

foresee problems arising, see the lecturer before your practical session. The lecturer

and student assistants in the session must divide their attention between all the

students and cannot spend a lot of time with one person. The more prepared you

are when you arrive at a practical session, the better your chances are of finishing

before the end of the session. This way you will not fall behind.

During practical sessions, student assistants will be present to help you if you have

questions or problems.

If you require extra computer time, there are free periods when you can work. Look at

the timetables on the doors of the laboratories to find out when the laboratories are free.

You are generally not allowed to work in the laboratory during other sessions although


Page 11

some lecturers allow it. Always check with the lecturer on duty, follow his/her ruling and

do not argue. It is unwise to ask for permission in the first 10 minutes of a new session.

Consulting with lecturer

If you need help with content of the work, see your lecturer. Please check the lecturer’s

door for his/her consulting hours. Make a note of these. Your lecturers are only

available during consulting hours because of their other responsibilities. If the lecturer is

not there when you visit, send an email to set up and appointment – DO NOT leave

notes under the door! No action will be taken until the lecturer sees you

personally or communications via email have been concluded.

9. Additional Policies & Rules

Disciplinary:

It is important that you read the section on Student Disciplinary Code in the 2013 NMMU

General Prospectus. In addition, make sure that you have read the Undergraduate

Departmental Information Brochure, to ensure that you do not breach any of the

Departmental rules. Please note that strict action will be taken on any infringements –

for example: plagiarism (e.g. copying or paraphrasing information or work from the

Internet, a published work or a classmate); fraudulent documentation submitted for

absenteeism or proof of prior learning; allowing another to use your user code &

password, etc.

You will be required to sign a declaration stating that the work is your own whenever you

submit any piece of work (written, printed or electronically) for assessment purposes. A

copy of the plagiarism form can be found in the Undergraduate Departmental

Information Brochure.

Laboratory Rules:

Make sure you check and understand the rules for Laboratory use in the Undergraduate

Departmental Information Brochure.

Academic Progress:


Page 12

Rules for successful completion of this module are outlined above. Also, check the 2013

NMMU Prospectus for prerequisites to ensure that you are allowed to register for this

module and how the successful completion of this module affects your registration for

other modules you may need to complete for your degree.


Page 13

10. Module Resource Locations

Staff

Ms Norma Moffat

(Lecturer and Module

Coordinator)

http://tutor.nmmu.ac.za/norma

X226

(2nd

Ave

Campus)

[email protected] 504-3727

Mr Clayton Burger

(Lecturer)

https://nmmumod.nmmu.ac

.za/sites/BSW2111

09 02 31

(South

Campus)

[email protected] 504-2093

SharePoint and email

Your lecturers and tutors will mainly use SharePoint to communicate things not discussed in

class. The SharePoint site of the module is as follows:

https://nmmumod.nmmu.ac.za/sites/BSW2111 - Part Time Classes

http://tutor.nmmu.ac.za/norma - Full Time Classes

Bookmark these sites as it will be used for communicating important information to you

throughout the year, as well as for digital submission of homework and assignments. If an

urgent matter arises or a general announcement must be made, email will be used as a means

of contacting you. Remember: not reading your mail will not be considered a valid excuse.

The web site and the notice board will be the means used to get important announcements to

you. It is your responsibility to ensure that you do not miss any announcements.

File Locations and Saving

All documents and announcements for the BSW2111 course will be communicated via

the module web page. This can be found at the following URL:

https://nmmumod.nmmu.ac.za/sites/BSW2111 - Part Time Classes

http://tutor.nmmu.ac.za/norma - Full Time Classes


https://nmmumod.nmmu.ac.za/sites/BSW2111







Page 14

Each student has a permanent storage folder on the network. This folder may only be

accessed by the owner and is referred to as the HOME folder. You should always save

all your work in this folder for backup purposes. It is also encouraged to make use of a

portable USB flash-drive for storing your university work.

The location (or path) of your personal folder is:

H:\<student number>

You must keep your HOME folder tidy by creating sub-folders and saving your

documents within the appropriate folder.

Queries

If you have any queries regarding the content of your module, or related to the case study

please see your lecturer.

If you have any of the following administrative queries, see the applicable module

coordinator:

Changing practical attendance sessions;

Incorrect practical attendance and assessment;

Incorrect capturing of test marks; and

Medical certificates.


Page 15

Schedule

BSW2111 Schedule - 2013

Week Date Unit Topic(s)

1

13 Feb Lecture Lecture 1: Introduction & Administration & Practical explanations

Multiple Practical Lab booking and orientation

2

20 Feb Lecture Lecture 2: Information Systems in Business

Multiple Practical Practical 2: Assignment 1 due by end of practical

3

27 Feb Lecture Lecture 3: Strategic Decision Making

Multiple Practical Practical 3: Start planning and working on Assignment 2

4

6 Mar Lecture Lecture 4: E-Business

Multiple Practical Practical 4: Start planning and working on Assignment 3

5

13 Mar Lecture Lecture 5: E-Business


6

20 Mar Lecture Lecture 6: Ethics and Information Security

Multiple Practical Thursday 21 March (Human Rights Day)

No practical this week

27 Mar Lecture Lecture 7: Ethics and Information Security


Page 16

7 27 Mar Test Semester Test 1: 17h30 on lectures 1 – 6. Venue TBA


Recess (29 March – 7 April)

8

10 Apr Lecture Lecture 8: Business Intelligence

Multiple Practical Practical 8: Assignment Demo on Access Database

9

17 Apr Lecture Lecture 9: Mobile Business

Multiple Practical Practical 9: Access Database SQL & Pivot Tables

10

24 Apr Lecture Lecture 10: Supply Chain Management

Multiple Practical Practical 10: Test workshop

11

1 May Lecture Lecture 11: Public Holiday (Worker’s Day)

Multiple Practical Wednesday 1 May (Worker’s Day)

No practical this week

12

8 May Lecture Lecture 12: Supply Chain Management

Multiple Practical Practical 12: Pivot tables & Data Mining – Bring

Earphones

13

15 May Test Semester Test 2: 17h30 on lectures 7 – 12. Venue TBA

15 May Lecture Lecture 13: Customer Relationship Management

Multiple Practical Practical 13: Pivot tables & Data Mining – Bring

Earphones


Page 17

14

22 May Lecture Lecture 14: Infrastructures: Sustainable Technologies

Multiple Practical Practical 14: Infrastructures: Sustainable Technologies

15

29 May Lecture Lecture 15: Exam Preparation

Multiple Practical Practical 15: Exam Workshop

Examinations (3 June – 22 June)

Any changes to the above will be posted on the notice board, via email or through the module

SharePoint site. Check regularly!

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