Course 2020-2021 a.y.

20209 - IT CONSULTING

Department of Management and Technology

Course taught in English
Go to class group/s: 31
CLMG (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/10) - M (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/10) - IM (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/10) - MM (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/10) - AFC (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/10) - CLELI (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/10) - ACME (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/10) - DES-ESS (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/10) - EMIT (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/10) - GIO (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/10) - DSBA (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/10) - PPA (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/10) - FIN (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/10)
Course Director:
FERDINANDO PENNAROLA

Classes: 31 (II sem.)
Instructors:
Class 31: FERDINANDO PENNAROLA


Mission & Content Summary

MISSION

Information technology services (consulting + outsourcing) account for a significant portion of overall consulting business. Companies like Accenture, IBM Global Services, Cap Gemini, Deloitte, KPMG, EY, Cognizant, Avanade are challenged by new players from India, i.e. Infosys, Wipro and Tata Consulting. IT consulting is a reality managers cannot avoid: the competence in designing and running information systems is often provided by skilled service based organizations that master information technologies and do both the strategic and operative work for you. Thus, lots of the innovation and capital investments pass through the complex relationship established by clients and their IT partners. This course provides a framework for managing IT consulting projects assuming either the perspective of the service provider (the IT Consulting firm) or the client. Understanding what IT consulting ultimately is requires a focusing on what are the tools used by these organizations, their models and service approaches: business processes redesign, information system design, ERP implementation, change management, outsourcing. Course learning resources include a group based project for a real-life IT Consulting firm, with company visits and interaction with company tutors.

CONTENT SUMMARY

  • Professional service firm management: definitions and characteristics.
  • The role of IT services in the service economy: a global outlook of a global industry.
  • Preparing / answering to a Request for Proposal from a major client.
  • Transforming business processes: an organizational perspective.
  • Transforming business process: an application perspective.
  • Feasibility studies, business requirements and outsourcing.
  • ERP project and implementation.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Demonstrate understanding of the key principles of intervention practice in consulting relationships.
  • Demonstrate the ability to define a client problem or opportunity.
  • Be able to prepare a proposal to undertake a consulting project.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...

Skills: 

  • Negotiate and communicate effectively in the course of the engagement.
  • Demonstrate personal skills associated with the management and operation of a piece of advisory work.
  • Demonstrate general project management skills.

Values/attitudes: 

  • Appreciate the contribution of a specific intervention to the development of an organisation.
  • Be able to integrate specific, technical skills from other modules within the generic consulting paradigm.

Teaching methods

  • Face-to-face lectures
  • Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
  • Company visits
  • Exercises (exercises, database, software etc.)
  • Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
  • Group assignments

DETAILS

A real-life IT Consulting firm challenges attending students in undertaking a consulting project. Company visits are organized and field analysis are required. Learning groups are assisted both by Faculty and IT Consulting firm's project tutors.


Assessment methods

  Continuous assessment Partial exams General exam
  • Written individual exam (traditional/online)
 x   x
  • Group assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)
 x    
  • Active class participation (virtual, attendance)
 x    

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Attending students receive an individual evaluation at the end of the course composed as follows:

  • Consulting Project for IT Consulting firm (teamwork activity) = 55%.
  • In-class case analysis and discussion (teamwork activity) = 10%.
  • Final exam (individual activity) = 35%.
  • Class participation (individual) +1/30 to max 5 students.

A “pass course” is issued ONLY in case each one of the above grades is >= 18/30.


NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Final exam (100% of grade) based on textbooks for non attending students.


Teaching materials


ATTENDING STUDENTS

  • Online readings and cases provided by faculty.
  • V. SAMBAMURTY, R. ZMUD, Guiding the digital transformation of organizations, Legerity Digital Press, 2018 (Book is in PDF format available at  http://www.ldpress.com).

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

  • D. AVISON, G. FITZGERALD, Information Systems Development, McGraw Hill, 2006, fourth edition.
  • N. CARR, The big Switch: rewiring the world, from Edison to Google, Norton, 2013.
Last change 23/12/2020 12:57