ERP and Business Intelligence Systems

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This course will build on the literature on ERP systems and Business Intelligence systems, in order to introduce students to two recently developed concepts in the IT practice: digitized platforms and big data.

Could the enterprise become a full-time laboratory? What if you could analyse every transaction, capture insights from every customer interaction, and didn’t have to wait for months to get data from the field? Data are flooding in at rates never seen before as a result of greater access to customer data from public, proprietary, and purchased sources, as well as new information gathered from Web communities and newly deployed smart assets. These trends are broadly known as “big data.”

Web-based companies, such as Amazon.com, eBay, and Google, have been early leaders, testing factors that drive performance—from where to place buttons on a Web page to the sequence of content displayed—to determine what will increase sales and user engagement. Companies selling physical products are also exploiting big data for rigorous experimentation using Business Intelligence technology. Ford Motor, PepsiCo, and Southwest Airlines, for instance, analyse consumer postings about them on social-media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to gauge the immediate impact of their marketing campaigns and to understand how consumer sentiment about their brands is changing.

Most companies are far from accessing all the available data. Many haven’t even mastered the digital platform needed to capture and analyse the valuable information they can access. More commonly, they don’t have the right talent and processes to design experiments and extract business value from big data, which require changes in the way many executives now make decisions: trusting instincts and experience over experimentation and rigorous analysis.

Graduates have academic, evidence-based knowledge and understanding of theories, methods and tools in business/economics.
Graduates can apply their knowledge and understanding to identify and solve real life business/economic problems. This includes demonstrating analytical skills and a problem-solving attitude.
Graduates can effectively function in a multicultural environment and work in multicultural teams. This includes demonstrating interpersonal skills and a high proficiency of English.