Production Management: Fashion and Related Industries

MG-306 INFORMATION SYSTEMS: Case Analysis

2 credits; 1 Lecture hours; 2 Lab hours per week

Professor Mary Kasner

COURSE OF STUDY

Section
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX

Topic
Title and Prerequisites
Course Description
Course Objectives
Required Text and Materials
Grade Determination
Unit Objectives
Summary of Hours
Detailed Course Outline
Recommended Resources and Bibliography

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2
2
2
3
4
4
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June 2014
2 Credits: Prerequisite: MG153 or equivalent.
General Course Description:
This course presents an overview of Management Information Systems (MIS) and how they impact on
the productivity and processes of a business organization. Students will problem solve different business
situations with database and spreadsheet tools, and create presentations to illustrate their solutions.
Areas to be covered include human resources, marketing, manufacturing, computer, and communications
technology.
Course Objectives:
1. To learn how to develop and use information systems in business organizations by lecture, research,
and hands on projects.
2. To develop a basic understanding of the value and uses of information systems for business
operations, management decision making, and developing strategic advantage through case study
analysis.
3. To develop an understanding of the technology used in different work environments and how to
develop integrated business solutions.
4. Apply the knowledge received by creating database and spreadsheet solutions to case problems and
then utilize presentation software to demonstrate the result. Some work may be group oriented.
Required Text and Casebook:
The readings in the text are intended to provide you with background information to be able to enhance
your knowledge of information systems, technology and organization concepts to integrate with your
hands on casework. Mastery of this information will be determined by quizzes and students ability to
synthesize materials in presentations.
Computing Essentials 2015: Complete
Timothy J. OLeary and Linda I. OLeary
McGraw-Hill, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-07-351689-9 n
Suggested Media:
Flash memory removable media 512MB or larger.

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References:
Due to the nature of this course it is highly recommended that students read relevant periodicals
and newspapers as Information Systems and Information Technology is constantly evolving.
A partial suggested listing is provided for you. You may substitute other publications that relate
directly to your major. There are a large number of web sites on the internet that should be
accessed and used during the semester. Search engines such as Google, and others will take you
to sites that contain information from publications, associations, companies, and suppliers. As
this area is so fluid, these resources are recommended so long as you realize that you need to use
credible sources and verify your information.
Suggested References (Trade Publications and Periodicals):
Apparel Magazine
Electronic Commerce
MacWeek
Direct Marketing
Advertising Age

Store
PC World
PC Week
T.H.E. Journal
Windows
RT Technology
Network
Stores
International Cosmetique News

Wall Street Journal

New York Times
Beauty Fashion
HFN

Grade Determination:
Assignments
Quizzes
Case Studies
Total

20%
20%
60%
100%

Helpful Hint:
You must know Microsoft Office 2010, or 2013 for Windows (Word, Excel, and Power Point.)
Access is helpful to know in advance, but not required. Essentials of Access will be taught
during the class. For purposes of home use this would be the equivalent of Microsoft
Professional Office.
Microsoft Access is not available for use on a Mac. If you need to purchase Microsoft
Professional Office it is available with a special educational discount through the MyFIT section
of the FIT website.

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UNIT OBJECTIVES
Unit I: Students will work through preliminary warm up cases to expand their skills in:
1. Spreadsheets and the use of tools such as goal seek, and vlookup.
2. Databases especially integrated queries and transference of data through importing
and exporting to spreadsheets.
3. Creation of directed presentations that integrate linked data.
Unit II: Students will work through a variety of case studies that require the use of database,
spreadsheet, and presentation software. These cases will be rotated each semester to
insure their freshness and relevance to the current economic and technical environment.
SUMMARY OF HOURS
Week
1
Unit I

Topic
Introduction to Information Systems
and software skills.

Hours
15

Business Case Analysis

30

Unit II

Total hours

45

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DETAILED COURSE OUTLINE

Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

Topic
Course Orientation
Chapter 1, Information Technology, the Internet, and You
Lab session: Excel Warm Up
Chapter 10, Information Systems
Lab session: See Course Calendar.
Chapter 5, The System Unit
Lab session: See Course Calendar.
Chapter 6, Input and Output
Lab session: See Course Calendar.
Chapter 7, Secondary Storage
Lab session: See Course Calendar
Chapter 11, Databases
Lab session: See Course Calendar
Chapter 3, Application Software
Lab session: See Course Calendar.
Chapter 4, System Software
Lab session: See Course Calendar.
Chapter 8, Communication and Networks
Lab session: See Course Calendar.
Chapter 2, The Internet, The Web and Electronic Commerce
Lab session: See Course Calendar.
Macy*s Vendor Guidelines
Lab session: See Course Calendar.
Chapter 12, Systems Analysis and Design
Lab session: See Course Calendar.
Chapter 9, Privacy, Security and Ethics
Lab Session: See Course Calendar
Final Project Due.

Reading Assignment
Getting Started, Tutorials
Chapter 1
Chapter 10
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 11
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 8
Chapter 2
Vendor Guidelines
Chapter 12
Chapter 9

SESSION OBJECTIVES

Course Orientation
Competencies
o Define the components of paper based and computer based information systems.
o Review the course expectations and grading.
o Review the Course Calendar.
o Review the mission of the modern day manager / consumer while reviewing desktop system
being utilized in the classroom.

Lab session: Understanding Microsoft Excel for business.

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Chapter 1
Information Technology, the Internet, and You
Competencies
o Explain the five parts of an information system: people, procedures, software, hardware, and
data.
o Distinguish between system software and application software.
o Discuss the three kinds of system software programs.
o Distinguish between basic and specialized application software.
o Identify the four types of computers and the six types of microcomputers.
o Describe the different types of computer hardware including the system unit, input, output,
storage, and communication devices.
o Define data and describe document, worksheet, database, and presentation files.
o Explain computer connectivity, the wireless revolution, the Internet, smartphone, and cloud
computing.

Chapter 10
Information Systems
Competencies
o Explain the functional view of an organization and describe each function.
o Describe how information flows within an organization.
o Describe computer-based information systems.
o Distinguish among a transaction processing system, a managerial information system, a
decision support system, and an executive support system.

Chapter 5
The System Unit
Competencies
o Describe the six basic types of system units.
o Discuss how a computer can represent numbers and encode characters electronically.
o Describe each of the major system unit components.
o Discuss microprocessors, including microprocessor chips and specialty processors.
o Discuss memory including RAM, ROM, and flash memory.
o Discuss expansion slots and cards.
o Describe five principal types of expansion buses.
o Compare standard, specialized, and legacy ports.
o Discuss power supply for desktop and notebook computers.

Chapter 6
Input and Output
Competencies
o Define input.

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o Describe keyboard entry including the different types of keyboards and keyboard features.
o Discuss pointing devices including mice, touch screens, joysticks, and styluses.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Describe scanning devices including optical scanners and card readers.

Discuss image capturing devices including digital cameras, digital video cameras and WebCams.
Define output.
Discuss monitor features, flat-panel, CRT, e-book readers, digital and interactive whiteboards, and
HDTVs.
Define printing features as well as ink-jet, laser, cloud printers, dot-matrix, thermal, plotter, photo,
and portable printers.
Discuss audio and video devices including portable media devices, and Mobile DTV.
Define combination input and output devices including fax machines, multifunctional devices, and
Internet telephones.

Chapter 7
Secondary Storage
Competencies
o Distinguish between primary and secondary storage.
o Discuss the important characteristics of secondary storage including media, capacity, storage
devices, and access speed.
o Describe hard disk platters, tracks, sectors, and head crashes.
o Compare internal and external hard drives.
o Discuss performance enhancements including disk caching, RAIDs, file compression, and file
decompression.
o Define optical storage including compact, digital versatile, and high-definition discs.
o Define solid-state storage including solid-state drives, flash memory, and USB drives.
o Define cloud storage and cloud storage services.
o Discuss mass storage devices, enterprise storage systems, and storage area networks.

Chapter 11
Databases
Competencies
o Describe how data is organized: characters, fields, records, files and databases.
o Define key fields and how they are used in databases
o Define and compare batch processing and real-time processing of data.
o Describe the functions of a database management system.
o Distinguish among centralized, decentralized and distributed data processing.

Chapter 3
Basic Application Software
Competencies
o Discuss common features of most software applications.
o Discuss word processors and word processing features.

Production Management: Fashion and Related Industries

MG306 Information Systems: Case Analysis
o Describe spreadsheets and spreadsheet features.
o Discuss database management systems and database management features.
o Describe presentation graphics and presentation graphics features.
o Discuss integrated packages.
o

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Describe software suites including office suites, cloud suites, specialized suites and utility suites.

Chapter 4
System Software
Competencies
o Describe the differences between system software and application software.
o Discuss the four types of system software.
o Discuss the basic functions, features, and categories of operating systems.
o Describe Windows, Mac OS, UNIX, Linux, and virtualization.
o Describe the purpose of utilities and utility suites.
o Discuss mobile operating systems including Symbian, BlackBerry OS, iOS, Android, Windows
Phone 7, and WebOS.
o Identify the five most essential utilities.
o Discuss Windows utility programs.
o Describe device drivers, including Windows Add a Device Wizard and Update.

Chapter 8
Communications and Networks

Competencies
o Discuss connectivity, the wireless revolution, and communication systems.
o Describe physical and wireless communications channels.
o Discuss connection devices and services including dial-up, DSL, cable, satellite, and cellular.
o Describe data transmission factors, including bandwidths and protocols.
o Discuss networks and key network terminology including network interface cards and network
operating systems.
o Describe different types of networks, including local, home, wireless, personal, metropolitan, and
wide area networks.
o Describe network architectures, including topologies and strategies.
o Discuss the organization issues related to Internet technologies and network security.

Chapter 2
The Internet, the Web, and Electronic Commerce
Competencies
o Discuss the origins of the Internet and the Web.
o Describe how to access the Web using providers and browsers.
o Discuss Internet communications, including e-mail, instant messaging, social networking, blogs,
microblogs, Webcasts, podcasts, and wikis.
o Describe search tools, including search engines, Web directories, metasearch engines, and
specialized search engines.

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o Evaluate the accuracy of information presented on the Web.
o Discuss electronic commerce including B2C, C2C, B2B, and security issues.
o Describe cloud computing, including the three-way interaction of clients, Internet, and service
providers.
o Describe these Web utilities including plug-ins, filters, file transfer utilities, and Internet security
suites.

Macys Vendor Guide

Competencies
o Be able to read and understand the vendor requirements imposed by retailers.
o Understand the concept of chargebacks and strategies you can employ to avoid them.
o Identify organizations that can help you with vendor compliance.
o Discuss strategies young professionals would employ to enable them to remain up to date with
changing standards.

Chapter 12
Systems Analysis and Design
Competencies
o Describe the six phases of the systems life cycle.
o Analyze existing information systems and evaluate the feasibility of alternative systems.
o Identify, acquire, and test new system software and hardware.
o Learn the importance and how to perform system audits and periodic evaluations.
o Describe prototyping and rapid applications development..

Chapter 9
Privacy, Security, and Ethics
Competencies
o Identify the most significant concerns for effective implementation of computer technology.
o Discuss the primary privacy issues of accuracy, property, and access.
o Describe the impact of large databases, private networks, the Internet, and the Web on privacy.
o Discuss online identity and the major laws on privacy.
o Describe the security threats posed by computer criminals including employees, hackers, crackers,
carders, organized crime, and terrorists.
o Discuss computer crimes including creation of malicious programs such as viruses, worms, Trojan
horses, and zombies, as well as denial of service attacks, Internet scams, social networking risks,
cyber-bulling, rouge Wi-Fi hotspots, theft, data manipulation, and other hazards.
o Detail ways to protect computer security including restricting access, encrypting data, anticipating
disasters, and preventing data loss.
o Discuss computer ethics including copyright law, software piracy, and digital rights management
as well as plagiarism and ways to identify plagiarism.

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COURSE SUPPLEMENTAL ASSIGNMENTS

1. Students are expected to become aware of how technology is infused into business
information systems. You are therefore required to read appropriate newspapers,
journals, trade publications, or web sites and submit an article each week with a 2-3
sentence comment on the significance of the article. Articles can include such topics as
mergers or acquisitions of vendors, new product releases, case studies on companies,
discussions on information technology, political legal social issues involved in
business systems.
Further details on how these are to be submitted will be relayed to you by your instructor.
They may be printed, or posted in a discussion forum online depending on how an
instructor wishes to use the material.

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RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY

Some Helpful Sites On the Web

Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Dept. of Commerce

http://otexa.ita.doc.gov
Apparel Industry Magazine http://www.apparelmag.com/ME2/Default.asp
Womens Wear Daily http://www.wwd.com
U.S. Census Bureau http://www.census.gov
EDGAR Database
http://www.sec.gov/edaux/searches.htm
Standard & Poors Personal Wealth http://www.personalwealth.com
National Textile Center
http://www.ntcresearch.org/
Seventh on Sixth (National Collections)
http://www.imgworld.com/entertainment/fashion/default.sps
Womens Wire (Style Page) http://www.womenswire.com/fashionwire/
Link to computer and other magazines on the web at http://www.magazinerack.com/computer.html
Link to top 100 computer vendors at
http://www.internetvalley.com/top100am_vendors.html#alphabet
Advertising Age
http://adage.com
US Department of Commerce E-Commerce:
http://www.census.gov/mrts/www/ecomm.html
American Apparel and Footwear Association: http://www.apparelandfootwear.org/
National Retail Federation: http://www.nrf.org/
Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Solutions: http://www.vics.org/
GS1 for product identification and standards information: http://www.gs1.org/
TC(2)2 Research Center: http://www.tc2.com/
Magazines
Link to list of computer magazines: http://www.computerhope.com/mag.htm

Computer Shopper, Ziff-Davis Publishing Company

Information Week, CMP Publications Inc.
MacUser. Monthly, Ziff-Davis Publishing.
MacWorld. Monthly, IDG Communications.
PC Computing. Monthly, Ziff-Davis Publishing.
PC Magazine. Biweekly, Ziff-Davis Publishing.
PC World. Monthly, IDG Communications
Suggested Readings:

Beekman, George and Eugene J. Rathswohl, Computer Confluence: Exploring

Tomorrows Technology, Course Technology, 2008
McLeod Jr., Raymond, and George P. Schell, Management Information Systems, 10th ed.,
Prentice Hall, 2007.