SYS670 –Introduction to Information Systems Engineering:
Redesigning the Future
Cross-Listed as:
OPIM 660 - Information Systems for Managers
Time:
Thursdays, 4:30-7:30
Location:
Towne 313
Professor:
Barry G. Silverman, 229c Towne Bldg, Office Hours: Thurs. 2-4:30 PM
(215) 573-8368
This course looks at the information systems
phenomena that are revolutionizing organizations (e.g., clicks & mortar
shopping, net-centric value chains, telemedicine, emergent communities, online
democracy, etc.). To be effective in this milieu, organizations must do more
than just push new information technology. They need to determine how to
harness the new technology to manage complexity and to maximize stakeholder
value. Processes need to be systematically analyzed and redesigned all along
the value chain from supplies and procurement to electronic storefronts and
customer support, from campaign headquarters to voter booth, etc. This course
examines design principles, task and information process modeling and analysis
methodologies, and a range of underlying information technologies (e.g.,
webserver design, transaction processing, warehousing, datamining/knowledge
management, bots and agents, XML, security, information theory/complexity, and
more) that will help the modern organization or community to maximize its
strategic objectives. We also examine failure case studies and derive lessons
learned.
Part I – Harnessing IT to
Manage Complexity Alter
9/4 #1. System Complexity and Emergent Behavior 1
·
Managing
Complexity and Emergence
·
Cases:
health, violence, commerce (value chain)
·
The
Planning Function: Reactive vs. Proactive
·
Continuous
Learning and Adaptivity (L&A)
·
Pair
up into project teams
9/11 #2. Aligning IT w/ Organizational & Personal Strategy 2
·
Tech
Push vs. Need Pull CW
Choo Piece
·
The
Psychology of Info Systems (Levi
Strauss Case)
·
Situational
Awareness and Decisionmaking
9/18 #3. Basic IT Infrastructure and Enterprise Systems 8, 10
·
Types
of IT (EIS, DSS, ES, MIS, etc.)
·
Web
Clients & Servers (Redundancy, Scalability)
·
XML
& Data Bases: EDI and I/Fs
·
Application
Servers & Security project
team
Part II – B2C: Business to
Consumer
9/25 #4. Online Transaction Processing Systems 4, Ch.3(pp.84-91)
·
Logical
vs. Physical E-catalog structure DB
Labs 1 & 2 due
·
Integration
Obstacles: from Browse to Cart to Checkout
·
Evolving
Standards for Integration (Patient
Safety Case:
·
E-R
Diags, Normal forms, start DB Lab 3 see
External Links)
10/2 #5. Customer Relationship Management 6
·
Where
to start, what to integrate: A System View project
team final
·
Personalization
– buying vs. selling vs. content plan
due
·
Role
of Rule Agents and Collaborative Filtering DB
Lab 3 due
10/9 #6. Human Computer Interaction 7,
rest of Ch.3
·
Good/Bad
Design Issues (HCI & task models) Silverman
Art.1
·
Electronic
Storefronts & E-catalog Search (Pharma
Webs Case
·
Buyer
Behav. Theory & Search/Browse Functionality see External Links)
·
Challenges
for search technology (keyword, concept, IR)
10/17 #7. MIDTERM (no Class)
Part III – Stakeholder
Knowledge Management
10/23 #8. Ubiquitous Computing, Agents, and Knowledge 9
·
Intelligent
Agents Defined Silverman,
Art.2
·
Case:
EquiSearch design issues and natural language
·
Learning
& Adaptation Revisited
10/30 #9. Knowledge Discovery & Datamining 5
·
Clickstream,
Customer & Prospect Warehouse Lissack,
Art.3
·
Analytical
Modeling (OLAP)
·
KDD
Process & Data Cleaning Agents
·
Collab
Filter/Rule Derivation
11/6 #10. Semantic Web and Ontologic Engineering
·
Knowledge
Mgt & Intellectual Capital Snowden,
Art.4
·
W3C
and the Semantic Web XML
Lab (in class)
·
Designing
and Constructing Ontologies
·
HTML/XML/RDF Lab
11/11 #11. VideoGames and Game Based Learning
·
Learn
While Doing Prinsky,
Art.5
·
Role
of Immersive Games in Training Silverman,
Art.6
·
Aesthetics
of Design and Game Mechanics
·
Case
Studies: The Sims, Heart Sense, Terrorism Game, etc.
11/20 #12.Task Analysis and Job Design 3
·
Theories
of Motivation, Utility & Emotion Silverman,
Art.7
·
Artificial
Life, System Evolution, and Swarms
·
Model
Construction for Combat Simulations
·
Begin
UML Lab
11/27 No
Class- Thanksgiving Break
12/4 #13. IS Project Management 11,12 11,12
·
Modeling
Methods (UML, Use Cases)
·
00
Systems, Component Libraries, Reuse
·
PERT/CPM
and Project Earned Value
12/11 #14. Reading Period: PREPARE PRESENTATIONS
12/18 #15. PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
·
Alter---
Information Systems: The Foundations of E-Business (4th Edition), by
Steven Alter, Publisher: Addison Wesley , latest edition
·
Choo
– The Knowing Organization: How Organizations Use Information to Construct
Meaning, Create Knowledge, and Make Decisions, New York: Oxford U.Press,
1999.
1.
Silverman, BG, Bachann,M,
“Implications of Buyer Decision Theory for the Design of Online e-Commerce
Websites”, Inter. J.Human Computer Studies, 55/4, Nov’01, pp.815-44
2.
Silverman,
BG, Bachann,M, “Do What I Mean: Improving the Online Shopping Experience via a
Natural Language Search Agent,” IEEE Intelligent Systems, 14(4),
48-53,Jul/Aug 2001.
3.
Lissack,
M., “Complexity: The Science, Its Vocabulary, and Relations to Organization,” Emergence,
1(1), 110-126, 1999
4.
Snowden,
D., “Complex Acts of Knowing: Paradox and Descriptive Self-Awareness,” J. of
Knowledge Management, 2003
5.
Prinsky,
M, Digital Game Based Learning, New York: McGraw Hill, 2001 (Ch.1)
6.
Silverman,
BG, Holmes, J, Kimmel, S., et al., “Modeling Emotion and Behavior in Animated
Personas to Facilitate Human Behavior Change: The Case of the Heart-Sense
Game,” INFORMS J. of HealthCare
Management Science , 4/3, Sept. 2001, pp. 213-228.
7.
Silverman, BG, Johns, M, Weaver, R, O’Brien, K,
Silverman, R, “Human Behavior Models
for Game-Theoretic Agents,” Cognitive Science Quarterly, 2(3-4),
273-301. Fall’02.
·
Format (typed, bullets & tables where feasible,
management briefing oriented)
·
Style (clear, concise, yet complete)
·
Content (start each para. or bullet with a general
principle for all business and illustrate how it applies to this case)
Students in the course working in teams of about 2 each, will analyze some aspect of information technology in an enterprise (preferably a real one). This project should demonstrate the skills and technology-based insights for effective problem solving with information technologies and systems (IT&S), and how to extract the most value from an actual or potential information system. The key here is to apply a rigorous (formal) systems analysis methodology to describe the ‘as-is’ system, to design a better ‘to-be’ version, and to justify your designs and/or recommendations. Casual surveys of today’s state of the practice/art are unacceptable.
Some sample projects (among many other
possibilities) include:
·
Evaluate
a “bricks & mortar” organization’s information systems and make a design
recommendation to turn them into a “clicks & mortar” organization.
·
Improving
information agents, search, and/or chatterbots for internet usage
·
Help
a dot com improve its B2C or B2B functionality
·
Security
considerations for e-Commerce
·
Objective
evaluation of alternative architectures for patient record systems
·
A
video game for on the job learning
·
Disease
management via telemedicine
·
Mobile
agents in a wireless world
·
Stock
exchange for China
ABSTRACT: 1 page on the as-is vs.
to-be concept, team members, and org to be studied.
PLAN: Up to 5 pages (max) on
project goal, as is system problem statement, to-be system solution approach,
tasks to complete the project, schedule, staffing, and risks.
FINAL PAPER/PRESENTATION: 25 page typed report
(single space) & powerpoint.
Use a formal method to document your design (e.g.,
E-R diagrams, OOA, etc.).
NOTE:
All homeworks (labs, cases, abstract and plan) must
be submitted in paper form to receive credit for timely submission and for
grading. No electronic submissions are accepted whatsoever. Also, 10% per day
loss in grade for each day late, no credit if 1 week late. Midterm and Final
Project lose 1% of grade per day late.