UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY Course Designator AMBA 604 Course Title Managing Projects, Operations and Information Systems 9/19/08 NOTE: ALL SECTIONS WITH AN ASTERISK (*) ARE COMMON TO ALL AMBA COURSES Course Introduction This is a six credit hour seminar, the fourth one in the AMBA program. There are 10 weeks in the semester. There is no semester break. The semester begins on 29 September 2008 and ends 7 December 2008. The last date to withdraw is 23 November 2008. 1Course Description Prerequisite: AMBA 603/630. A study of project management, operations management and information systems management – three key areas of modern business functional management – in an international context. Topics include a guide to the project management body of knowledge, development of an international project management plan, as well as a discussion of how not to manage a project. Consideration of operations management includes several world-class techniques such as Six Sigma and also reviews industry best practices in operational efficiency and effectiveness. In their study of information systems management, students critically assess the mission, goals and importance of information systems management, using their own work organization as a model. Students also develop an international information systems management plan. Course Objectives Upon successful completion of this seminar, the student should be able to: 1. Identify a project in contrast to an ongoing process. 2. Employ project management techniques to skillfully and ethically lead complex international projects in organizations. 3. Determine the key factors that establish an organization's operational efficiency and effectiveness. 4. Employ several world-class operations management techniques to improve an organization's performance. 5. Assess the uses of information systems in support of managerial decision making in an organization. 6. Develop an integrated plan incorporating project, operations and information systems management to improve organizational performance. 7. Assess forthcoming changes in one or more selected areas of technology and innovation as they affect the associated business models. Course Materials REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS 1. Jacobs, F.R & Chase, R.B. (2008). Operations and supply management: the core. New York: McGraw Hill/Irwin. ISBN 978-0-07-340330-4 22. O'Brien, J.A., & Marakas, G.M. (2008). Management information systems (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. ISBN 978-0-073-51154-4 OR Dorf, R.C., & Byers, T.H. (2008). Technology ventures: from idea to enterprise (2nd ed.) New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-352922-6. Students with a strong interest in entrepreneurial technology ventures should acquire Dorf & Byers; all other students should acquire O’Brien & Marakas. 3. Schwalbe, K. (2009). An Introduction to project management (2nd ed.). Boston: Course Technology. ISBN 978-1-4239-0220-1 RECOMMENDED TEXTS AND MATERIALS N/A Additional Readings/Materials See the Reserved Readings (R) and the Webliography posted in each WebTycho section classroom. Accessing Articles in the Web Databases A portion of the reading in this seminar is comprised of articles taken from professional or trade journals. Several of the articles are available in the ABI/Inform Global (A) and Business Source Complete (B) databases, which can be accessed through the UMUC library web page (http://www.umuc.edu/library/database/). This database is part of the University System of Maryland Library Databases and E-Journals. Additional articles are available in the Reserved Readings (R) section of the WebTycho classroom. The particular location of each article is indicated next to the article. Instructions have been prepared to help find articles in the databases; to see them, visit http://info.umuc.edu/mba/public/MBA-library.html. Materials retained from prior seminars 1. Adobe Acrobat 8 or 9 Standard or any comparable pdf creation free-/shareware. Adobe Acrobat 6 or 7 may be used. 2. Browne, M., & Keeley, S. (2007). Asking the right questions: A guide to critical thinking (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-138-29939. Other editions may be used. 33. PureVoice, a free download from Qualcomm via http://www.qctconnect.com/products/purevoice.html, may be used in your section at your section professor's choice 4. Hacker, D. (2006). A writer's reference (6th ed.). Gordonsville: Von Holtzbrinck. ISBN 0-312-39767-4. Other editions may be used. Grading Information and Criteria *GRADING SCALE According to the Graduate School of Management and Technology's grading policy, the following marks are used: A (90-100) = Excellent B (80-89) = Good C (70-79) = Below standards F (69 or below) = Failure FN = Failure for nonattendance G = Grade pending P = Passing S = Satisfactory U = Unsatisfactory I = Incomplete AU = Audit W = Withdrew GRADING CRITERIA Graded Items/Points in Total Grade In this seminar there are: 1. Three individual assignments worth 15 points each, 45 points in total. 2. Two team assignments worth 10 points each, 20 points in total. 43. Four conference activities worth five points each, 20 points in total. 4. An end-of-seminar project, another individual assignment, worth 15 points. *AMBA Program Grading Philosophy The average grade for UMUC graduate courses is a "B." If you complete each assignment at a level consistent with graduate work, you can expect to earn a "B." This does not mean you have to be an expert on the subject matter, but you are expected to put in as much time as is necessary to demonstrate an acceptable level of understanding. If you have questions about the subject matter, or if you do not understand an assignment, do not hesitate to get in touch with your faculty member. She or he is there to help you understand this material. You should let your faculty member know how to make your learning experience more rewarding. If you want to increase your chances of earning an "A," you must pay close attention to the quality of your writing. Superior writing skills certainly can help you to earn a better grade. The degree to which you provide authoritative support in your discussion can also improve your chances of earning an "A." You are expected to refer to the required readings to support your analysis in an assignment. In some cases you will