Strategic Planning of Information Systems

Code:

PRODEI008

Acronym:

PESI

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Information Systems

Instance: 2012/2013 - 1S

Active?	Yes
E-learning page:	https://moodle.fe.up.pt/
Responsible unit:	Department of Informatics Engineering
Course/CS Responsible:	Doctoral Program in Informatics Engineering

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
PRODEI	0	Syllabus	1	-	6	54	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

Aims:
This course unit aims to endow students with skills to plan information systems and technologies in an organisation according to a strategic perspective.

Learning Outcomes:
Strategy and information systems

- To identify the challenges placed by information systems and management solutions;
- To show how information systems may support different strategies;
- To state and assess strategic matters in the development of information systems;
- To show how information systems help companies using synergies, key competence and strategies based on a network in order to reach competitive advantages;
- To assess the challenges placed by strategic information systems associated to innovative management solutions;
- To describe a historical perspective of IS on organisations using Nolan’s model;
- To describe the critical factors of successes in IS and consequences of lack of IS/IT strategy;
- To describe the strategic procedures of IS/IT using Earl’s model;
- To describe and apply the model of strategic development cycle of IS;
- To describe and apply the model to the strategic development of IS;


Strategic analysis for IS

- To define business strategy, IS strategy, IT strategy, strategic alignment;
- To distinguish IS planning and IS strategic planning;
- To be able to assess the strategic impact of information systems on organisations;
- Main approaches of strategic planning and its application on Strategic Planning for Information Systems;
- Reasons of the gap between the theory and practice of Strategic Planning for Information Systems.

Strategies for information and knowledge management

- To explain the concepts of information management, knowledge management, collaboration, information and knowledge sharing;
- To identify the different types of information culture and describe its influence on the definition of information and knowledge strategies on organisations;
- To explain the close connection between collaboration and information management on organisations;
- To explain the emergence of collaborative networks of organisations as a business strategy supported by IS;
- To analyse an organisational situation and specify a collaboration and information management strategy.

Program

M1: Introduction to strategic IS and strategic planning

Information Systems (IS), Information Technology Systems (IT); Human Active System (HAS), Information Systems Planning (ISP), Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP).
Historical perspective of the evolution of IS; Stages of evolution of IT/IS (Nolan 1979). Different stages in the evolution of IS: Data Processing Era; Management Information Systems Era, Strategic Information Systems Era.
Cycle of strategic development. Model for Strategic Planning of IS/IT.

M2: Strategic Analysis of f IS/IT

Cycle of Strategic Development.
Business strategy:
Techniques and tools of Strategic Analysis: SWOT analysis, External environment analysis, Macro environment analysis, Porter’s five forces (competitive forces), Critical success factors, Internal environment analysis, Resource analysis, Central skills and competences, Value chain, Strategic options, Business portfolio, Balanced scorecard.

Business model:
Concept of business model and typologies of business models.

Information architecture:
IS planning. Zachman and Ward frameworks. Business process, Business process modelling; BSP (Business Systems Planning)
Conceptual modelling as a business and information systems planning tool.

Information system:
MacFarlan application portfolio. Investment assessment and establishment of priorities in the various application portfolios.

M3: Strategies of information and knowledge management

Information as an asset. Information culture.
Implementation of enterprise systems of information and knowledge management. Management of information assets. Policies and implementation aspects. Management of knowledge resources.
Methodologies, tools and techniques for information and knowledge management in organisations. Knowledge management as a technological process vs. social process. Tools to collect and share knowledge.
Planning and analysis of requirement of information and knowledge management systems. Social networks. Actor network theory.
Implementation of information management system: content management, collaborative writing, other collaborative technologies.

Mandatory literature

Ward, John; Strategic planning for information systems. ISBN: 0-471-96183-3
Anita Cassidy; A practical guide to information systems strategic planning, CRC Press, 2006
Claudio Ciborra; The Labyrinths of Information: Challenging the Wisdom of Systems, Oxford University Press, 2002

Complementary Bibliography

Luís Amaral, João Varajão; Planeamento de Sistemas de Informação, Lidel, Edições Técnicas, 2007

Teaching methods and learning activities

Theoretical classes provide students with conceptual, theoretical and methodological basis to carry out the projects.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Eligibility for exams

Execution of a group assignments (semester) and analysis of articles (individually and in group).
Students have to reach a minimum grade of 40% in all components.

Calculation formula of final grade

FG= 0.6*SA + 0.3*AA + 0.1* IA

SA- Semester assignment (group)
AA- Article analysis (individually + group)
IA – Individual assessment (professor’s opinion)

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Working students have to carry out the three assignments.