The Digital Economy, with its focus on information as a key business resource, has changed the way Business Information Systems (BIS) are viewed in organisations. BIS are now seen as enablers of innovation in which people, supported by powerful technology, are considered to be the most important component. This is because problem-solving, innovation and critical thinking skills cannot be outsourced or easily acquired by competitors. This unit is designed to develop your understanding of how businesses operate. It shows how information systems support business operations and management through integration of people, business processes and systems. You will be provided with an introduction to state-of-the art business analysis techniques, frameworks and models to assist in understanding the nature and contribution of BIS in a range of business contexts. With its emphasis on business rather than IT, this unit does not require prior IT-related experience. In this unit you will learn about the increasingly important role of IT in business and acquire valuable business analysis and problem-solving skills.

This unit is designed to help you understand how information systems (IS) can improve business performance relating to the conduct of accounting based transactions. It will provide you with the skills necessary to identify and assess opportunities and understand the varied ways in which IS can assist in realising them. From an end-to-end systems perspective you will gain knowledge of approaches and methodologies related to the design, implementation, operation and, above all, control of IS. Through graphic representations visual thinking can be applied to analyse, assess and improve business processes. You will learn the importance of an integrated approach to managing business functions including accounting, sales and marketing, logistics and procurement where multiple competing requirements often need to be balanced. You will develop expertise in structured design, including data modelling and process mapping.

To compete effectively in today's knowledge economy businesses are required to systematically manage their information and knowledge resources. In this unit you will develop an understanding of the main issues businesses face when they develop and implement knowledge management initiatives. You will be introduced to the tools and systems that enable businesses to acquire, store, distribute, analyse, and leverage information and knowledge resources. By focusing on the theoretical and practical principles that link people, information, and organisations, this unit will help you understand the processes of generating, communicating, and using knowledge in businesses, and the way these can be integrated with business strategy and information technology. Assumed knowledge for this unit is INFS1000 or equivalent.

This unit provides you with an in depth understanding of the role of business process management (BPM) and process architectures in a business environment. You will gain essential skills of the entire BPM lifecycle, from process identification to process monitoring, including process modelling, analysis, redesign and automation required to achieve high performing business processes in a service oriented business environment. In this unit, you will attain considerable hands-on skills with BPM tools, by documenting, analysing, and simulating current and improved processes. Assumed knowledge for this unit is INFS1000 or equivalent.

This unit will provide you with a detailed overview of the concepts and models used in doing business digitally via the Internet. These concepts and models will enable you to evaluate, synthesise and implement Internet-enabled business models. The unit will provide the critical link between the firm's performance and modern Internet technologies, such as e-Commerce platforms, Social Media and Social Networking. Emphasis will be put on the utilisation of Internet technologies to enable new forms of digital business, rather than on the technologies themselves. Assumed knowledge for this unit is INFS1000 or equivalent.

Projects are a common way of managing organisational transformation and change, the development of new products and the implementation of Information Technology (IT) in business. Information Systems (IS) business analysts will work in projects and need an understanding of both project management and the project environment. This unit will introduce you to the end-to-end project management lifecycle as described in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). You will learn how to successfully manage projects from initiation through execution to completion. The focus of this unit will be on the management, execution, and coordination of project activities. To this end you will learn hands-on project management techniques and gain first hand experience with a modern online project management platform, including an introduction to agile project management methodologies.

This unit will introduce you to concepts, tools and techniques relating to the protection and assurance of information and IT enabled information systems. Information and information related systems are valuable organisational assets and of critical importance in meeting compliance obligations. This unit takes an interdisciplinary and multi-level approach that examines standards, frameworks and methodologies for identifying, analysing and evaluating potential risk areas, critical control needs and assurance processes throughout the information system lifecycle. In examining different stages of the lifecycle, you will also learn about legal, professional and ethical responsibilities, corporate governance of information and communication technologies and key stakeholders. The theoretical and conceptual material covered in seminars is reinforced through problem based learning. Assumed knowledge for this unit is INFS1000 or equivalent.

This unit provides you with an in depth understanding of the way in which implementation and use of large scale integrated Enterprise Systems change the nature of organisational capabilities, processes, and roles. You will understand the strategic role of Enterprise Systems in providing a platform for improved business operations and designing information infrastructures. You will gain considerable hands on experience with an enterprise wide system, such as SAP, concentrating on the way in which such systems support integrated business processes. Through a combination of discussion and practical work, you will gain strong knowledge in both the organisational and technical aspects of Enterprise Systems You will also explore the emergence and implications of cloud-based Enterprise Systems and the implementation process. Assumed knowledge for this unit is INFS1000 or equivalent.

To gain or maintain their competitive edge, more than ever before, organisations need to rely on high-quality information to support decision making processes at all organizational levels. Business Intelligence (BI) is now being recognized as one of the top business priorities world-wide. While in the past, the term BI was used to describe a very broad range of software applications, the latest thinking in this field emphasises IS support for human intelligence, in the context of business decision making. In this unit you will learn how to model, integrate and analyse multidimensional data and will gain hands-on experience in using a commercial BI platform. These practical skills, combined with in-depth analytical skills will enable you to help any organization (regardless of its size and industry domain) to derive more intelligence from its data, improve its performance and ultimately, compete on analytics. Issues are explored from the business rather than the technology perspective. This unit does not require prior programming experience. Assumed knowledge for this unit is INFS1000 or equivalent.

This unit aims to give students an introduction to the accepted practices in the field of business analysis as captured in the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK). The content of the unit will focus on the role, knowledge, and skills required by a business analyst. This unit will address both the hard skills, e.g. tools and methods used by business analysts, as well as the soft skills, e.g. communication, presentation, facilitation, negotiation and creativity skills. These skills are essential to successfully conduct business and requirements analysis in order to develop business cases that can lead to effective solutions to business problems. This unit has a heavy practical emphasis with hands-on exercises on real case scenarios. Through lectures, case studies, and role playing, students will gain the essential knowledge and skills required by the business analysts (BA) in practice. Assumed knowledge for this unit is INFS1000 or equivalent.