| Advanced Business Computing |
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BIS B319
Advanced Business Computing
| Introduction |  |
Welcome to BIS B319 Advanced Business Computing.
This course is one of ten higher-level courses that comprise the Business Information Systems Concentration within the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree.
BIS B319 Advanced Business Computing builds on the foundations of BIS B123 Business Computing Applications -- a foundation-level computing course within the BBA degree. In BIS B123, you look at business applications from the users' perspective, whereas in BIS B319, you look at how business applications are developed from a technical angle.
Purpose of this Course Guide
By now, you should have completed other OUHK courses, so you should be well aware of both the study skills required for distance learning and how OUHK courses are organized. However, it is recommended that you read this Course Guide thoroughly before looking at the study units.
The Course Guide tells you briefly what the course is about and how you can work your way through the material. It suggests the amount of time you will probably need to complete the course and gives you a general idea when your tutor-marked assignments are due. For detailed information on assignments, however, please refer to the Assignment File. For information on due dates and cut-offs for work to be submitted, please refer to the Presentation Schedule.
About the course
BIS B319 Advanced Business Computing describes the practical tools and techniques that you are likely to encounter in developing a simple, practical information system.
The course is a one-year, ten-credit, higher-level course. The advisory prerequisite is BIS B123 Business Computing Applications.
The course takes a problem-solving approach. You will try to answer real-life questions that are related to planning, analysing, designing, implementing, testing and evaluating an information system case study.
The study units and self-tests will help you learn key topics over a period of around 32 weeks.
Course aims
BIS B319 Advanced Business Computing aims to:
Introduce you to the basic principles of designing a relational database.
Emphasize the importance of preserving data integrity and ensuring data consistency in relational database design.
Develop, via hands-on experience, the knowledge and skills needed for controlling data input in a business information system.
Develop, via hands-on experience, the knowledge and skills needed to extract and present information in a business information system.
- Discuss key issues related to testing, implementing and maintaining a business system.
Course learning outcomes
On completion of BIS B319, you should be able to:
Compare the main stages and basic steps in various information system development methodologies.
Discuss the general procedures in entity-relationship modelling.
Examine the process of normalization in data analysis and design.
Design input screens, input validation, queries and reports using MS Access.
Write simple programs in VBA.
Review the general features of SQL and write simple SQL statements to extract information from a database.
Discuss issues related to the further development of the system.
| Course organization | |
The following chart gives a general overview of the course structure.
Unit
Title Weeks Introduction to information system development 3 Requirement analysis and process modelling 3 Data analysis and design 3 Input control 3 Introduction to VBA programming 4 Writing VBA programs to handle data in Access 4 Queries and reports 2 SQL 3 SQL in VBA modules 3 System enhancements and customization 2 Revision 2 TOTAL 32
| Course materials | |
BIS B319 Advanced Business Computing is designed to be a self-contained course.
In addition to this Course Guide, please ensure that you have the following important course components from the OUHK.
study units
Assignment File.
Study units
There are ten units in BIS B319 Advanced Business Computing. Each unit consists of two to four weeks of work. The study units introduce key issues, explain the relevant concepts and examples, and comment on related readings. Each unit also contains activities, self-tests and a summary to support your understanding of the main topics and skills.
Assignment File
Assignment details for this course are in your Assignment File. The nature of these assignments is described in the 'Tutor-marked assignments' section on page 12. You are required to complete your assignments and submit them via the Online Learning Environment of the OUHK in accordance with the timetable provided in the Presentation Schedule.
Presentation Schedule
The Presentation Schedule for this course is available on the Online Learning Environment (OLE). In this schedule, you will see the approximate time for your tutor's receipt of your assignments. Please note that you must submit all assignments on time.
Non-print media
All of the study units and the tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) will be posted on the OLE platform of the Open University of Hong Kong.
Equipment required by students
To complete this course, you need to have access to a personal computer capable of supporting Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Access 2000 (or newer version of Access). You also need to have access to the Internet.
| Use of case studies | |
Case studies are a useful and increasingly popular form of learning and assessment in the OUHK's School of Business and Administration. In this section we will look at why case studies are used and then suggest some learning strategies that you can use to approach case studies. We will also briefly discuss some problems that you may encounter as you learn from case studies.
What is a case study approach to learning?
One main purpose of a case study is to explore an issue or a number of issues in relation to an organization. The intention is to get you to carefully diagnose an organization; to focus on key problems, and to suggest how these might be resolved. Often the case is a real-life account of an organization which you are required to analyse in order to focus on a problem. Usually, the information that is provided is incomplete and you are often expected to observe developments in the organization over a period of time. The case study approach is an excellent opportunity to actively apply material that you have read and conceptual knowledge to the reality of an organization.
At the OUHK, case studies may be used as part of TMAs, exams, study units, or day-school exercises. You normally are given some information about a company (this could be both text and graphical information, such as figures and tables). You are then asked to think about some problems related to the company and to use concepts and apply theories that you have learned in your course to propose possible solutions for the company.
Let's have a look at two kinds of case study questions that you might be asked to work through in your courses. The first example is quite structured, while the second is much more open-ended.
Two examples of case study questions
Read the case study entitled 'ABC Consultants' and consider the following issues:
Using your understanding of the resource-based model, what measures could be taken to improve ABC's returns?
Drawing on your broad understanding of the consultancy industry, assess ABC's relative competitiveness and its profit potential.
To what extent do internal factors account for ABC's financial weaknesses?
Based on your assessment of ABC's financial weaknesses, formulate a new strategic intent and develop a mission statement for ABC.
Read the case study entitled 'XYZ Industries'.
Identify the key problems that are currently faced by XYZ's management.
- Propose viable solutions to these problems.
Why case studies?
As you can see from the above examples, a case study approach to learning requires a great deal of thinking and often will not easily yield a quick 'wrong' or 'right' answer. However, case studies are also good preparation for dealing with real-life business problems. Cases may be short and relatively simple, or longer and complex. The purpose is the same for both types: to give you an opportunity to develop your skills in analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the organization under examination, to consider the processes at work within the organization, and to make decisions about future actions.
Case studies are not meant to replace textbooks, but rather to ask you to draw connections between theories and practice and to apply abstract ideas, concepts, and principles to specific concrete situations. Consequently, case analysis develops a number of skills that are crucial in business. In particular, they help you to:
analyse complex, unstructured, sometimes ambiguous situations;
identify critical issues and problems;
question your own and others' assumptions;
improve your problem-solving skills;
develop your ability to find alternatives and make informed decisions;
make decisions with incomplete information and think strategically;
self-educate yourself and draw on a broad range of resources and knowledge; and
- present and justify recommendations in writing.
You may find that there are many possible 'right' answers to the questions in a case study. This illustrates that there is often no single best way to responsibly manage and solve real-life business problems.
Some guidelines for analysing case studies
The following strategies should help you to successfully analyse case studies:
1 Read the case and become familiar with the facts
First, skim read the case to obtain a general understanding of the main point(s). Highlight or underline the pertinent points as you read.
Read the case again, and this time note down critical facts (such as names, time sequences, and where events occurred). Try to understand how events have influenced decisions. Identify the important individuals or stakeholders, and try to assess the importance of supporting information in the case. How reliable is this supporting information? Are there any gaps in the information that is given?
Make a note of any questions that you have as you read the case.
2 Assess the context of the case
Try to understand the environment of the organization and the wider context of the case.
Ask yourself questions about:
The state of the organization: What is the state of this organization: good, bad or in-between? Usually this involves thinking about interpersonal relationships, and assessing production or financial problems.
Key players and systems: How do systems and people operate in this organization? Why do they operate like this? Are the systems undergoing change? How successful are the changes? Is there someone who could sabotage any future strategy? Is there someone who can ensure the success of a future strategy?
Significant trends: How does this industry operate? What are the main or unique characteristics of the industry? What were they five or ten years ago, and what are they likely to be in the future? What impact are trends likely to have on the organization under investigation? How does this organization's performance compare with that of competitors?
- Constraints: Clearly identify all constraints in the case. A constraint may be viewed as anything (usually beyond the control of the organization) that may prevent an otherwise feasible course of action from becoming a success. What is outside the control of individuals in the case study? For example, it is unlikely that any company or individual in Hong Kong could prevent a foreign government from imposing tariff barriers on imports.
A SWOT analysis is a good way to get a better understanding of the organization and the context or environment in which it is operating.A SWOT analysis considers the Strengths and Weaknesses of the organization, and the Opportunities and Threats which the organization faces in the external environment.
3 Recognize the case's symptoms
Read the case again and as you read, try listing all the symptoms of the case. The symptoms of a case are not the problems, but they may help you to identify the problems. Symptoms are all the things that are undesirable or that are not as expected. For example, falling sales could be a symptom of several problems such as poor market segmentation, poor product quality, or problems in a supply chain. At this stage of your analysis, you should just try to observe all the symptoms, and avoid prematurely identifying problems or suggesting solutions. Like a doctor who consults a patient, you first need to observe and note all the symptoms before you can give a definite diagnosis of the problem. Think about how the symptoms may be interrelated. Relationship diagrams, like the one below, may help you to see the relationships between symptoms.
4 Diagnose the case's problems
After you have a good sense of the symptoms, you're ready to determine key issues that need to be analysed more closely. You are now diagnosing the situation, like a doctor diagnosing a patient's symptoms. Ask yourself 'what seems to be the trouble in this organization?' and make a list of what you now perceive to be the key problem(s). You will probably need to go back to the details of the case and as you do this, you may add to or refine your list of potential problems.
If there are several problems, you need to order and prioritize them. You might want to number problems according to how you perceive their importance, or make a matrix, like the one below, which shows relationships between various criteria and each problem.
Criteria Problem #1 Problem #2 Problem #3 Importance: what will happen if the problem is not addressed? Urgency: how quickly must this problem be solved? Centrality: To what extent does this problem cause others? Solvability: Can this problem actually be solved? Also try to establish if there are relationships or themes in common among the various problems. Perhaps different problems in your list are actually variations of a broader central problem.
Ask yourself what assumptions you have made about the case. Are these assumptions reasonable, and are they supported by the facts? Would other people objectively suggest the same problems, based on the facts that you have? Are you suggesting problems that are not supported by the facts of the case?
After you have considered and put into order the possible problems and questioned your assumptions relating to these problems, you should write a statement of the problems as you perceive them. Avoid suggesting solutions at this stage.
Once you have a problem statement, you need to find evidence in the case to support your problem diagnosis. Also, try to identify ideas, concepts and theories from your textbook and course units which help to explain what is happening in the case.
5 Formulate criteria for a 'good' solution and identify possible constraints to solutions
Before you propose a solution, you need to consider the characteristics of a 'good' solution. Obviously, your solution should bring benefits such as improved productivity, reduced costs or greater profits. However, it also needs to be viable and to accommodate the constraints that you have already identified, i.e. Is the solution legal? Is there a budget for this solution? Does it conflict with the organization's culture?
Try to brainstorm alternative solutions. Aim to generate a broad and creative range of options and then try to rate each according to various criteria.
The following matrix demonstrates how this can be done.
Cost Ease of implementation Impact on organization culture Impact on profits Option 1 *** * * ** Option 2 * *** *** ** Option 3 ** * * *** Also refer to ideas, concepts and theories from your course materials as you consider and assess each possible solution.
It's often wise to propose a solution that allows for plausible alternatives if it should fail. Managers use the term satisfice when they are considering acceptable alternative solutions, that is, the solution is able to satisfy the situation while also making some realistic sacrifices to existing constraints. Therefore, it is a satisficing rather than a maximizing solution.
Finally, don't forget to consider the possibility of taking no action. What will actually happen if no action is taken? Are any (or all) of the solutions less viable than taking no action at all?
6 Recommend a viable solution
After you have assessed the merits and pitfalls of each alternative solution, select the best solution for the situation.
Remember that the solution needs to be viable. Can the recommended solution be introduced? Are there the resources and the willingness to implement it? Be realistic about what may work. Explain why it is the best solution within the constraints of the existing context and explain how it can be applied to the organization. Suggest a time-frame for the solution's implementation.
Outline possible strategies for implementing your solution, either partially or completely. As many feasible courses of action as possible should be considered before you choose the one that seems the most likely to succeed. The more ideas you have, the greater your chance will be of finding a solution that will work well. The complexity of most organizational problems means that it is highly unlikely that one idea alone will correct the situation. Usually a combination of actions is required, and these need to be funded differently, timed carefully and staffed as necessary.
7 Present your solution as a written recommendation
Review your final solutions and then prepare a set of written recommendations. These should clearly outline your proposed solution in relation to the problems that you have identified. Your recommendations should also include details of why these solutions are the most appropriate given the circumstances and constraints of the case. Finally, you need to clearly state how and when your proposals will be implemented.
Your tutor and your course Assignment File can provide some guidelines on how to present your recommendations.
Some mistakes to avoid as you analyse cases
When you first tackle case studies, you should be careful to guard against the following mistakes:
One of the most common mistakes made in case analysis is repeating or simply summarizing the facts of the case. Your tutor is already very familiar with the case details, so you do not have to restate them. You are required to use and analyse the facts, not repeat them. Your analysis should contain only enough case material to support your arguments. Therefore, be analytical!
You may often be tempted to just deal with symptoms and ignore the causes of the problem. It is very important to analyse the background of the case (and the climate in which the events of the case unfold).
Avoid discussing problems in isolation and do not overlook their interrelatedness. If you try to think in terms of 'systems' rather than in terms of individual problems, you are more likely to avoid this pitfall.
Students often fail to state the assumptions underlying their analysis. If any important assumptions have been made, have you questioned them and are they reasonable and appropriate? Avoid selectively using and interpreting case material in order to justify a preconceived solution.
Practical limitations and constraints may sometimes be overlooked. For example, a recommendation that a whole team be fired is probably unrealistic.
A very common mistake is poor integration of the facts in the case with the concepts, principles, and theories in the textbook. Such integration is vital. Ask yourself if relevant theories from your course have been fully and constructively applied.
- Finally, recommendations are too often not spelled out in detail or are unrealistic. A timetable for implementing them is also often not given.
Analysing cases poses many challenges, and this is one reason the case study method is so rewarding. It is a very active form of learning. It offers you a risk-free opportunity to gain managerial and organizational experience and should greatly increase your confidence to make informed decisions in the real world.
Good luck and we hope you enjoy working through the cases that you encounter!
| Course assessment | |
This course is designed so that you can move easily through the required readings, and on to the activities, self-tests, assignments and examination. Although the in-text activities and self-test questions are not part of formal assessment, they are important as preparation exercises for more advanced problems that are set in the tutor-marked assignments.
The formal assessment consists of
four TMAs, and
- a final examination.
Tutor-marked assignments
Four assignments (TMAs) have been set for this course. All four (4) assignments will count towards the final course grade. The combined marks for the assignments account for 50% of the total course grade.
How to submit assignments
You must use Microsoft Word and Microsoft Access to prepare the TMAs, and submit the TMAs via the Online Learning Environment (OLE). All assignments must be uploaded to the OLE by the due date.
Failure to upload a TMA in the required format to the OLE may result in the score of the TMA being adjusted to zero.
Final examination and grading
The final examination for this course is three hours long and account for 50% of the total course grade. You should use the time between finishing the last unit and the examination to review the entire course. You might find it useful to review your self-tests, tutor-marked assignments, and your tutor's comments on them before sitting for the examination. You will be advised of examination arrangements in due course.
If, for some good reason, you are not able to complete all assignments or sit for the examination, contact your Course Coordinator to see whether another arrangement can be made.
The table below shows how assessment marks are allocated in BIS B319.
Assignments Assignment 1 Assignment 2
How to complete your assignments
For each assignment, first read through the question or problem and the instructions for completion in the Assignment File. Make brief notes on what you believe is the key information provided in the question and the key points that need addressing in your answer. Read the question or problem two or three times carefully, referring to your notes. Make sure that you have identified all of the key points. Reread the instructions that accompany the assignment. These explain specifically what you are required to do. Make sure you understand what is required and that your assignment provides what is required.
When you have completed the assignment, submit it via the Online Learning Environment. If, for any reason, you cannot complete your work on time, contact your tutor before the assignment due date to discuss the possibility of an extension. Extensions will not be granted after the due date, except in exceptional circumstances. Consult your Student Handbook for help on submission of assignments.
We suggest that you use references in addition to your textbooks as research for your assignments. These must be referenced. If you do not provide a reference, you commit plagiarism and will be penalized severely. Plagiarism is theft of someone else's work or ideas. This applies just as much to using the work of other students as it does to the authors of books. If you use someone else's ideas in your work, you must give credit for it. In the body of the work, provide a specific reference with the author, year of publication and page number of the source, for example, (Baldwin and Paradice 2000, 34). At the end of your assignment, provide complete information about all sources used in the assignment in a section called 'References' The full name of the author(s), title of the publication, and date and place of publication are listed. The correct way to cite a reference is:
Baldwin, D and Paradice, D (2000) Applications Development in Microsoft Access 2000, San Francisco: Thomson Learning.
TMA extension policy
The assignment policy of the University as stated in the Student Handbook should be observed. Applications for extension of up to seven days should be submitted to the tutor. For extensions of over seven days, please note the following:
Assignment extensions may be granted in extenuating circumstances, which should be interpreted as circumstances that are unexpected. Work commitments and travelling are not regarded as extenuating circumstances unless they are unexpected.
Supporting documents must be submitted along with the application for extension of over seven days to justify the claim. Applications without supporting documents will not be considered.
Applications for extension should be submitted either before or on the due date.
The decision to grant or refuse an extension is made by:
the Course Coordinator for extensions of up to 21 days;
the Dean for extensions of over 21 days.
After an assignment is submitted via the OLE, it is your responsibility to check that the assignment has been successfully submitted. Extension applications due to any problem with uploading will not be accepted. The University cannot accept any responsibility for assignments that are not received by your tutor due to any problem with submission via the OLE. As a precaution, you are advised to keep a copy of each assignment you submit.
According to the University's policy, no extension of the due date will be allowed for the final TMA. This policy will be strictly enforced. Any late submission of the final TMA will result in the score of the TMA being adjusted to zero.
| Tutors and supplementary lectures/tutorials | |
Your assignments will be marked and commented on by your tutor, who will monitor your progress and help you if you have problems during the course. Marked assignments will be returned to you as soon as possible.
It is a good idea to keep a copy of each assignment submitted for marking, so that you can always refer to the queries with the tutor during telephone conversation. Please contact your tutor if the following arise:
You do not understand any part of the study units or the assigned readings.
You have any difficulty with self-tests.
- You have a question or problem with the assignments, your tutor's comments, or grading on an assignment.
Supplementary lectures and tutorials
Supplementary lectures and tutorials will be organized to help you in your learning process. Details of the dates, time and location of supplementary lectures/tutorials as well as the name and phone number of you tutor will be sent to you in due course.
It is strongly recommended that you attend all supplementary lectures/tutorials, because they provide considerable assistance in your study of this course. Also, you will have the chance to meet with other distance learners who are studying at OUHK.
Online support
The course will be delivered in dual mode: printed mode and online mode using the OLE platform.
Your tutor will also provide online support and answer questions that you post in the discussion board of the OLE.
| Summary | |
The course is a one-year, ten-credit, higher-level course. The course takes a problem-solving approach. You will try to answer real-life questions related to planning, analysing, designing, implementing, testing and evaluating an information system case study. BIS B319 Advanced Business Computing describes the practical tools and techniques that you are likely to encounter in developing a simple, practical information system. We hope that you are able to develop the knowledge and skills needed to analyse and solve real-life business information system problems.
Good luck!
| A note about the developer of this course | |
Dr Wan Hak-man is an Assistant Professor in the School of Business & Administration of the Open University of Hong Kong. He was responsible for the development of the Master of Electronic Commerce (MEC) programme and has been involved in the development of almost every course Project in the MEC programme. At the same time, Dr Wan has led the working teams for the revision of several courses at undergraduate level as well as postgraduate level, including BIS B322, BIS B422, BIS B425, BIS B318 and BIS B842C.
Before joining the OUHK, Dr Wan served at Lingnan University for many years, teaching courses on business information systems and working on a number of research areas in information systems. He has published a number of journal papers as well as articles on conference proceedings.
| Deferment of studies | |
If you wish to defer your studies of this course until a later date, you should apply for deferment of studies. For the regulations governing deferment of studies, please refer to Section 14, 'Regulations for Admission, Registration and Maintenance of Status', in your Student Handbook. If you have applied for deferment of studies you should continue with your studies of this course and submit the required assignments until formal approval is given by the University. Should you have difficulties in submitting an assignment, you are advised to liaise with your Course Coordinator and apply for a TMA extension. Students who have been granted deferment of studies will not be allowed to submit TMAs due before the date that their application for deferment of studies is received by Registry.
| About the Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration | |
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