Introduction to IT strategic thinking

Code: BUS4TF007
Extent: 6 credit points ( 162 h)
Timing: 7th semester
Language: English
Level: Professional studies
Type: Compulsory for Business IT Consultant study path

Starting level and linkage with other courses

Student must have at least 120 accepted credit units.

Learning objectives

The student:

understands what are the core concepts and what they mean in the field of business and IT strategy
understands what is strategic thinking concerning organization’s IT decisions, IT development and IT usage
can explain the most important strategic issues concerning people, skills, organizing and organization, software, hardware and data network
is able to support an SME organization to enhance its overall IT management through strategic thinking
understands IT strategy implementation process
understands what requirements IT vendors meet in strategic level at the customer interface
is able to create well thought IT strategic development proposals for IT user and/or vendor organizations

Course contents

What is strategy and what is strategic thinking
What are the focus areas of a user organization’s IT strategy
IT strategic thinking and planning
Overview of well-known IT strategical frameworks
IT strategic organizational, competence and process issues
Seeing information technology as an organizational resource
Recognizing IT related issues in various kind of frameworks
Understanding what is strategic thinking from organizational point of view

Teaching and learning methods

This is an intensive course with 5 days of contact hours plus one additional workshop day at the end of the semester. The completion of the course requires both student’s individual work and team work. Individual assessment based on exam and personal exercises. The course will have lessons and the lesson related exercises in teams which will be presented to the class.

Self-assessment of learning 1 h

Course materials

Course book

The Executive’s Guide to Information Technology, Second Edition By: Baschab, John; Piot, Jon; Carr, Nicholas G. Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Pub. Date: March 23, 2007 (in HAAGA-HELIA’s Library SAFARI E-books)

Additional material

Strategic Alignment: Leveraging information technology for transforming organizations, J.C. Henderson, N. Venkatraman, IBM Systems Journal, vol 38, os 2&3, 1999

Enterprise Architecture as Strategy, Jeanne W. Ross, Peter Weill, David C. Robertson, Harward Business Scholl Press, 2006.

Isaca.org / COBIT papers

Analysing the Relationship Between IT Governance and Business/IT Alignment Maturity, Steven De Haes, University of Antwerp Management School, Wim Van Grembergen, University of Antwerp, www.uams.be/itag

other articles delivered during the contact hours and Moodle

Cooperation with the business community

Company visits for interviews

Teachers

Jarmo Peltoniemi

Tuomo Ryynänen

Plan for the lessons

Day 1: Introduction to the subject; Non-tech related information technology aspects
Day 2: Strategical frameworks
Day 3: IT management matters and management frameworks
Day 4: Workshop
Day 5: Results of the day 4 workshop, wrapping up the previous days, and the presentation of the course project
Day 6: The course exam and project presentation (usually in the mid of May)

Assessment criteria

Components	Grade 5 (90 %)	Grade 3 (70 %)	Grade 1 (50 %)
Individual part	The exam is passed The exercises are done and they based on deep analytical thinking Rich and appropriate content in answers Full contribution in the lessons	The exam is passed The exercises are done and they based on analytical thinking Rich and appropriate content in answers Full contribution in the lessons	The exam is passed The exercises are done Full contribution in the lessons
Group module	The group assignments are done The course exercise is done Team is active, balanced and works on-time Appropriate quality of answers Each team member are active and illustrates contribution + competence Good or excellent capabilities in communication	The group assignments are done The course exercise is done Team is active, balanced and works on-time Appropriate quality of answers Good capabilities in communication	The group assignments are done The major course exercise is done Capabilities in communication

Modes of assessment and their weights

50 % exam, 50 % lesson work and on-time project deliverables. Students will have an exam in the first part. In the final lesson students will provide a mutual demonstration to the course teachers how they have planned the system integration.

The self-assessment of learning assignment does not impact your grade. The assignment is the same for all courses/modules and your answers will be used also for course/module development. The assignment is completed online in WinhaOpaali.

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