4.00 PM Tuesday / May 20, 2014

Thilini Prarthana Bandara

Diploma In IT Syllabus - IT Service Management

Services Management, and certainly management at all levels in the Information Technology industry, requires a specific set of competencies. The management competencies include skills required in general services management and more specific competencies associated with, and specific to, Information Systems and Technology. This syllabus is designed to develop an awareness of the variety of skills necessary to manage successfully in an Information Systems environment.

Aims

• To examine the relationship between computer based information systems, management and organizations
• To review concepts of management and organization in the context of Information Technology
• To describe traditional information support systems for managers
• To understand the major issues concerning the management, development and operation of computer based information systems

Prior Knowledge

Candidates are expected to be familiar with the material covered in the Certificate syllabuses.

What You Will Be Studying

INFORMATION SYSTEMS

• Information systems components Organizations and management
• The information system as a socio-technical system
• The strategic use of Information Technology

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS

• Informational needs of organizations
• Capabilities of information systems from an organizational perspective Information requirements for management
• Levels of planning and control with MIS
• Support for business functions
• Management reporting systems and transaction processing systems

SYSTEMS AND MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS

• Systems approach, organizational design, MIS in organizational control e.g. feedback etc.
• Management theory and management functions
• Concepts of planning
• Role of information systems in the planning process (e.g. modelling and forecasting)
• Using MIS to enhance management control: performance reports, break-even analysis, calculation of financial ratios e.g. return on investment

MANAGERIAL DECISION MAKING

• Decision-making
• Components of Decision Support Systems
• Types of DSS
• Building a DSS
• Executive Information Systems Organizational aspects of DSS and EIS

CULTURAL DIMENSION OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT

• Factors of organizational complexity in relation to information systems development Human aspects of information systems
• Contribution of system development approaches (such as Soft Systems Methodology and ETHICS)
• Measures of performance to cover performance factors and service level agreements Departmental and project budgets, including specific reference to training costs

PRINCIPLES OF PROFESSIONALISM

• Professional concepts in relation to professional practices e.g. the BCS Code of Conduct.
• Business ethics.

ACQUISITION OF SOFTWARE, HARDWARE, MEDIA AND CONSUMABLES

• Specification of hardware and software configurations and systems Implications of throughput, resilience and reliability
• Alternatives, costs and solutions
• Selection criteria, acquisitions, purchase, hire or lease, facilities management

INSTALLATION AND SITE PLANNING, SECURITY AND EXTERNAL THREATS

• Planning, scheduling and co-ordinating contractors, suppliers and services Progress control and monitoring
• Installation, test planning, acceptance criteria and trials Implications of throughput, resilience and reliability Workload
• External threats and strategies to limit their effect Security

APPLICATIONS AND SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

• Distributed, intelligent systems, electronic mail
• Communication Networks
• Intelligent office
• Characteristics of telecommunication systems
• Software production
• Control of data
• Operating system facilities

Books to refer

Primary Texts

• McNurlin & Sprague, Information Systems Management in Practice, Prentice Hall (7th Ed), 2005, ISBN: 0131968777
• Fidler C. & Rogerson S., Strategic Management Support Systems, Financial Times Management, 1996, ISBN: 0273614185

Other Reading

• Bott M. F., Professional Issues in Information Technology, The British Computer Society, 2005, ISBN: 1902505654 and 9781902505657
• Holt, J and Newton, J., A Manager’s Guide to IT Law, BCS, 2004, ISBN: 1902505557 and 9781902505558
• BS ISO/IEC 17799 Information Technology, Security Techniques: Code of Practice for Information Security Management, British Standards Institute, ISBN: 0580462625
• Carroll J.M., Computer Security, Butterworth-Heineman, 1996, ISBN: 0750696001 (only available to order via publisher)

What is BCS Professional Graduate Diploma in IT ?