Introduction
This course introduces concepts, principles, and practices concerning the use of digital technology to support a firm’s strategic goals and key activities. A firm’s business model as well as its operational activities are supported by an information technology infrastructure that consists of hardware and software, in short, business information systems. Business information systems enable all sorts of activities necessary to perform tasks within and across firms. Therefore, a central competence for modern managers, consultants, or entrepreneurs is the ability to understand the interaction between business decisions and technology decisions to align a firm’s strategic and operational goals with technological capabilities.
To engage with these issues, this course serves as an introduction to the role and importance of information systems (IS) and information technology (IT) in a world that is increasing being digitalized. The course introduces basic concepts of IT/IS and relates them to corporate and business strategy. Topics include but are not limited to strategic alignment, principles and practices of its implementation, enterprise systems architecture, development, and design as well as key applications of information systems in businesses.
The course combines conceptual knowledge about information systems in business with hands-on exercises involving state-of-the-art tools and systems through teaching cases, tool demonstrations, and simulations. Knowledge of IS/IT as well as any technical skills such as programming or database management are not required.