Information Systems Development

This program deals with information and communication technologies (often abbreviated using the acronym ICT) with a strong focus on how they are understood, applied and used within organisational servings in particular in business organisations.

These technologies are Important and interesting to study. but we should appreciate at the outset that this course is not just about these technologies in an isolated sense, but about what to do with them. why we become involved with them, and all the management problems associated with them.

We build our technologies into organisational information systems, and these technologies allow organisations (and even societies) to change the ways in which they operate. To achieve this, available ICT’s can be adopted to capture, store, manipulate and distribute information. When we see a collection of these technologies (or technical things — compacts networks, databases), linked together and working within an organisational setting, probably alongside and involving people, and providing some service or value to somebody, we can see an information system. We focus in particular on how organisations of all types seek to use technologies to develop their own information activities for their own purposes.

Information Systems Development and Management aims to provide a critical understanding of the context within which IS professionals perform specific technical tasks.

More specifically, when you have completed studying this course, you should be able to:

• discuss the process of information systems development as an innovation process, that is as an endeavour that comprises social and technical activities in order to promote both technological and organisational change.
• describe and discuss the nature of the tasks involved in information systems innovation.
• critically evaluate some of the most frequently used methods for the development or implementation of information systems.
• recognise the different types of technologies contemporary organisations endeavour to introduce, and the different kinds of organisational changes that may be associated with them.
• recognise the bias in the work of theorists and practitioners in this area, whether intended or not.
• understand the issues involved in the debate over methodologies and the issues characterising current professional practice.
• discuss the challenges facing information systems managemt.
• describe the fundamental structures of information systems management.
• discuss the strategic value of information systems for organisations and know some of the methods used for information systems planning.
• critically evaluate alternative theoretical perspectives of leT innovation and organisational change.