OEMBA Information Systems Course James R. Coakley PhD, Accounting Information Systems, Utah (1982) “Minor” in Statistics and Computer Science MBA, Utah (1976) BS, Math/Computer Science, OSU (1970)

Are enterprises getting value from their investment in IT?  What percentage of “big” applications are considered successful?

What makes an IS “successful”?  Old definition of success Use: Only if voluntary  New definition of success Does it add value to enterprise Cut costs (efficient) Improve quality (effective) Does what it should do (efficacious) Provide opportunities (enable) Usable (emulate business processes)

IT Project Success  Key factors for successful project? Involve end-users Involvement does not guarantee success, but lack of involvement guarantees failure Eliminate user-designer communication gap Gain top management support Ensures funding and management support Manage level of complexity and risk Manage the implementation process

“Implementation” failures  System: Lack of user involvement!!!!! Inadequate training of end-users Inadequate infrastructure in place Over time and budget Inadequate systems integration testing Conversion problems – “global data”  People: natural resistance to change  Politics: IT system can change basis of power

So What?  What is the likelihood that recent advances in information technology will significantly affect your business?  Is the information technology infrastructure within your organization adequate to support your strategic initiatives? Does it enable you to pursue new strategies? Does it emulate the best practices in the industry? Does it do what it needs to do?

Purpose of this course  Exposure to a number of concepts and issues related to IT Strategic alignment: is your IT infrastructure aligned to support your strategic priorities? What are some of the risks associated with using IT applications and “internet” technologies? What alternatives are available to manage IT resources?

Course Topics IT Framework – terminology Alignment of Business and IT Strategy Develop framework to analyze Business/IT alignment Management of IT IT Success – how do you maximize likelihood of implementing successful IT projects? Open Source – is it right for you? Outsourcing – good for the company? Security – risk assessment framework Privacy – are you protecting the privacy of your constituents?

Evaluation  Philosophy OEMBA has set target “GPA” for each class You are at end of two-year program This class is not an exit hurdle  Pedagogy Discuss key issues associated with the use of information technologies within an organization Demonstrate understanding of key issues via a project

Evaluation – cont’d  Two Team Presentations Week 3: Article Synopsis and Analysis Popular articles included in IT class in many MBA programs Will highlight some of the key management issues associated with information technologies Weeks 4 & 5: Current Topic Research Your choice on the major issues that affect you (individually), your organization, or society. I have provided some suggested topics

Evaluation – cont’d  IT Project Purpose Address the IT Value question  Identify a specific IT project  Why is this project being implemented?  Need some background on the unit and the current IT infrastructure  How will you determine the success of the project?  ROI?  Key issues and risks?  What is the implementation plan?  What is status and likelihood of success? Confidentiality rules apply

Course Web Site  MBA_web/home.htm MBA_web/home.htm  Schedule and updates to information in your notebook. Provide electronic links to PowerPoint slides used in lecture After the lecture Add supplemental readings

Other aspects  Terminology Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification on terms “Speakin’ Geek”  Start/stop times  Breaks

Questions/Concerns?