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In this course you will learn about business strategy concepts and the implications for the IS/IT strategy. Explicit attention will be paid to the IS/IT strategy planning process that companies can use to develop (and maintain) and IS/IT strategy that is aimed at optimally supporting the business strategy and related management domains. More in general you will learn about the different managerial aspects of running a company during the business game. These issues will be dealt with both theoretically (part I) and practically (part II) in this course.
Summarizing the learning objectives for the course are:
- Acquire knowledge about the main models, theories and insights in Strategic Management and specifically the IS/IT Strategy Planning process
- pply acquired models, theories and insights in a case study setting and a business simulation setting
- Practice team collaboration skills, presentation skills and business report writing skills
- Managerial and practical insights in running a company from the perspective of different executive roles
Today’s organizations would not run without information technology. It not only supports the business processes of an organization but also enables totally new business models. For example, think of how Uber, AirBnB, and EasyJet changed competition in their industries by applying information technology in new and innovative ways. Therefore, it is important for organizations to carefully align their Business Strategy and IS/IT strategy. In this course we will address the strategic planning process that organizations conduct to define their business strategy and IS/IT strategy respectively and how to align these two. The different steps of the strategic planning process are discussed as well as the inputs that are required during this process. Outcome of the planning process are the Business Strategy and IS/IT strategy and you learn about the contents of these deliverables. Once organizations have defined their Business and IS/IT strategy they regular revise their strategy as part of their annual business planning cycle. Besides the strategic planning process you will also learn what it takes to manage an organization as you will also run your own beer brewery as part of the course. You will collaborate with other students in running your brewery in a business game and have to devise a business and IS/IT strategy that can make you successful in the beer industry.
The course consists of a Theoretical Part and a Business Game. In the Theoretical Part (first three weeks) we will discuss the material from the Ward & Peppard book during the lectures. In the tutorials during these weeks you will be working on assignments concerning the theory from the book. At the end of the three weeks you will take a multiple choice exam that you need to pass to get access to the Business Game that starts in the fourth week. The game is played in teams of 5 or 6 students where each of you will have a distinct function (e.g. Chief Executive Office, Chief Information Officer) and corresponding responsibilities. You need to apply for one of these functions by means of a job application letter. Besides your operational job, your team will also work on strategic issues as your team needs to define a business strategy and an IS/IT strategy. There will also be individual assignments to demonstrate your skills or to respond to events that occur during the business game. At the end of the game you have to make an annual report of the game year that we played and which you have to present to a team of experts as well as the other breweries. As it is a game, you can also win the game by showing that you can successfully run your brewery. Winning the game results in bonus points that count for your final grade.
All game activities will take place on Fridays, and will occupy you and your team the full day between 8.30 AM and 5.15 PM! On Wednesday there will be lectures that provide theoretical reflection and feedback on the results of your beer brewery.
Check the SMOI course website for the details of this course: http://www.cs.uu.nl/docs/vakken/b3smi
This course is a logical successor of: INFOB1ISY (Information Systems) and INFOB1OICT (Organizations and ICT). If you did not take the suggested courses you should have basic knowledge of information systems and organizations.
This course is also open for students from other faculties. Before you subscribe please check the prerequisite knowledge for this course. Also note that this course can be taken as part of a minor in Information Science.
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