information technology applications for business
| Unit title: |
Information Technology Applications for Business |
| Unit code: |
|
| Level: |
Postgraduate Diploma – Level 7 |
| Credits: |
30 |
main aims of the unit
The main aims of this unit is to provide a detailed and in-depth knowledge and understanding of how information technology can improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of business organisations with particular emphasis on the benefits and operations of e-commerce and e-business.
The unit introduces the concepts and practical techniques for e-commerce and e-business and it highlights the different strategies, models, processes, and opportunities in marketing, CRM and procurement as well as legal, ethical, social and global issues The unit also provides knowledge of the operations of on-line interactive ecommerce web sites and it incorporates a range of software applications.
The unit will enable students to:
- Understand the key concepts and techniques of e-commerce and e-business
- Appreciate the knowledge and skills required to develop a themed on-line interactive e-commerce web site
- Understand the practical objectives and benefits of information technology and its applications
main topics of study
digital business and e-commerce
- Impact of electronic communications on modern business practices.
- Differences between digital business and e-commerce.
- Business or consumer models of e-commerce transactions
- Drivers of digital technology adoption
marketplace analysis for e-commerce
- Business and revenue models for e-commerce
- Importance of multichannel marketplace models
- Importance of search engines
- Business models for e-commerce
- Assessing online business: Concept, innovation, execution, traffic, financing, profile
managing digital business infrastructure
- Range of digital business platforms
- Internet technology
- Domain name selection
- Selecting hosting providers
- Managing digital business applications
- Intranet and extranet applications. Internet governance
e-environment
- Social and legal factors
- Business demand for digital business services
- Privacy and trust in e-commerce
- Anti-spam and e-commerce legislation
- Technological innovation and technology assessment
- Political, economic and competitive factors
Digital business strategy
- Strategy process models for digital business
- Strategic analysis and application portfolio analysis
- Assessing competitive threats
- How can digital business create business value
- Online revenue contributors
- Diversification of digital platforms
supply chain management
- Using technology to support supply chain management
- Models of supply chain
- Push and pull models
- The value stream and value chain analysis
- Options for restructuring the supply chain and use of digital business
- Data standardisation and exchange
- Managing global distribution
e-procurement
- The procurement process
- Types of procurement and e-procurement
- Drivers of e-procurement
- Estimating e-procurement costs
- Barriers and risks of e-procurement adoption
- Integrating company systems with supplier systems
digital marketing
- Elements of digital marketing
- Digital marketing planning
- Situation analysis and objective setting
- Market and product positioning
- Characteristics of digital media: Interactivity, intelligence, individualisation, integration, industry restructuring. Independence of location.
- Marketing tactics
- Online branding
customer relationship manager (crm)
- Marketing applications for CRM
- Conversion marketing and online buying process
- Characteristics of interactive marketing communications
- Assessing marketing communications effectiveness
- Social media and social CRM strategy
- Customer retention management
- Managing customer activity and value
- Technology solutions for CRM
- Data quality
change management
- Challenges of digital business transformation
- Types of change in business
- Planning change
- Human resource requirements
- Outsourcing
- Approaches to managing change and revising organisational structures
- Measuring and improving performance of digital business services
- Measuring social media marketing
learning outcomes for the unit
Upon successful completion of the course students will be able to:
- Reflect on the developments and flexibility of information technology and its applications.
- Understand the key concepts and techniques of e-commerce and e-business
- Appreciate the e-business opportunities in a variety of business application contexts involving products and services
- Develop effective e-business strategies for the marketing, promotion and distribution of products
- Understand the key issues associated with the development and design of an interactive e-commerce web site
- Critically evaluate and appreciate the value of information technology to the management problem-solving processes
- Understand the legal, ethical, social and global issues in the context of e-commerce and e-business
learning and teaching methods/strategies used to enable the achievement of learning outcomes:
Learning takes place on a number of levels through lectures, class discussion including problem review and analysis. Formal lectures provide a foundation of information on which the student builds through directed learning and self-managed learning outside of the class. The students are actively encouraged to form study groups to discuss course
assessment methods which enable student to demonstrate achieving the learning outcomes for the unit:
Project (5000 words) on a topic selected by the candidates which addresses the learning outcomes of the unit
indicative reading for this unit
main text
Chaffey, D., 2014. Digital Business and E-Commerce Management, 6th ed., Pearson.
alternative text and further reading
- Kenneth C. Laudon and Carol Guercio Traver, 2018. E-Commerce: Business, Technology, Society, 14th ed., Pearson.
- P. Wallace Introduction to Information Systems 2nd ed. ,Pearson
- T. Larsson E-Commerce Evolved Independent Publishing Platform
- C. Bones, J. Hammerssley Leading Digital Strategy: Driving Business Growth through Effective E- Commerce Kogan Page
journals
The Computer Journal of the British Computer Society, ISSN 1460-2067 (Electronic); Publisher: Oxford: Oxford Journals, Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
websites
Student support site for text - http://wps.pearsoned.co.uk/
guideline for teaching and learning time
100 hours - lectures / seminars / tutorials / workshops:
Tutorial support includes feedback on assignments and may vary by college according to local needs and wishes.
100 hours - directed learning:
Advance reading and preparation / Class preparation / Background reading / Group study / Portfolio / Diary
100 hours - self managed learning:
Working through the course text and completing assignments as required will take up the bulk of the learning time. In addition students are expected to engage with the tutor and other students and to undertake further reading using the web and/or libraries.
