Code

ΠΠΣ-181

Semester

1st

ETCS

7,5

E-Services

Lefkippos

Category

Obligatory

Instructors

G. Vassilakopoulos
Α. Μenychtas

Οbjective

The aim of the course is to equip students with the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical skills for developing modern Information Systems (IS) and optimizing business processes. Adopting a systems approach, the course treats IS as human activity systems designed to solve real-world organizational problems, taking into account technical, operational, social, and economic factors. At the same time, it bridges technology with management, focusing on Business Process Management (BPM) and process redesign to achieve strategic and competitive advantages.

The theoretical background of the concepts studied is provided to demonstrate their foundation and facilitate a deeper understanding, alongside a significant number of examples aimed at mapping these concepts to real-world problems.

After successfully completing the course, students will be able to:

  • Apply current best practices and methodologies across the Information Systems development lifecycle.
  • Evaluate technical, operational, social, and economic factors to select and implement the optimal solution for any given organization.
  • Understand in depth how business processes are supported, modeled, and redesigned through modern IS.
  • Plan the evolution of systems, ensuring smooth interoperability with existing infrastructures while protecting the organization’s prior investments.

Through a balance of strong theoretical foundations and practical case studies, students are prepared to take an active role in the entire lifecycle of an IT project: from initial conception, requirements analysis, and design, to the final programming implementation, deployment, evaluation, and production operation.

Learning Outcomes

  • Search for, analysis and synthesis of data and information, with the use of the necessary technology
  • Adapting to new situations
  • Decision-making
  • Team work
  • Working in an interdisciplinary environment
  • Project planning and management
  • Criticism and self-criticism
  • Production of free, creative and inductive thinking

Syllabus

  • Systemic analysis

    Principles of systemic analysis, human activity systems, systems thinking, systems analysis, definition and resolution of information systems problems, systemic approach to information systems, types of information systems.

     

  • The organization as a context for information systems development

    The organization as a system, the organization as a reference framework for information systems development, the concept of the organization in information systems, organizational redesign assisted by information systems.

     

  • Construction of information systems

    Information systems development lifecycle, advantages and disadvantages, user participation, diagrams for representing functions, processes, and data. Human-centric and participatory development of information systems. Requirements specification. Prototyping. Interoperability.

     

  • Information systems methodologies

    General methodological approach to information systems development, Information systems development methodologies, lifecycle methodologies, evolutionary methodologies or rapid application development methodologies, RUP methodology, Unified Modeling Language (UML) diagrams, Agile Systems Development methodologies.

     

  • Information systems project management

    Management of information systems development projects: Conception, Definition, Execution, Operation. Planning, staffing, and organizing information systems development projects. PERT and GANTT charts. Choosing between in-house development and/or installation and/or operation versus outsourcing.

     

  • Business processes

    Definition of business processes, intra-organizational and inter-organizational processes. Process-oriented organizational approach, business process automation, adapting business processes to achieve a competitive advantage, process-oriented and service-oriented information systems.

     

  • Business process modeling

    Process modeling requirements, Methods for analyzing and improving business processes. Mapping process evaluation criteria. Process modeling methods and techniques (integration definition for function modeling, data flow diagrams). Case study on a process modeling platform.

  • Business process management lifecycle

    Discovery, analysis, modeling, monitoring, alignment, simulation, optimization. Business process redesign methodology. Success and failure factors (criteria). Change management.

  • Six Sigma Methodology

    Define, measure, analyze, improve, and control business processes. Examples. Case study.

  • Business process management in practice

    Business process redesign. The portfolio of organizational business processes. Critical success factors. Core skills. Real-world case study using a BPM software system.

Bibliography

  • Βασιλακόπουλος Γ. (2018). Πληροφοριακά Συστήματα. Εκδόσεις Τσότρας.
  • Checkland P. and Holwell S. (2002). Information, Systems and Information Systems – Making sense of the field.
  • Arthur M. Langer (2010). Analysis and Design of Information Systems.
  • Earl T., Little M., Simon A. and Richbeck T. (2011). Modern SOA Infrastructure: Technology, Design and Governance. Prentice Hall.
  • Tony Morgan (2002). Business Rules and Information Systems: Aligning IT with Business Goals. Addison-Wesley.
  • Alan Hevner and Samir Chatterjee (2010). Design Research in Information Systems: Theory and Practice.
  • William M. Ulrich and Philip Newcomb (2010). Information Systems Transformation: Architecture-Driven Modernization Case Studies. The MK/OMG Press.
  • Olegas Vasilecas, Albertas Caplinskas, Gregory Wojtkowski and Wita Wojtkowski (2010). Information Systems Development: Advances in Theory, Practice, and Education. Springer.
  • Phil Simon and Bruce F. Webster (2010). Why New Systems Fail: An Insider’s Guide to Successful IT Projects. Course Technology/Cengage Learning.