555344S Management Information Systems

Management Information Systems is given in two languages. The lectures are given in Finnish. The course
can be also taken in English with following study methods; either make a book based exam or make the
following pair work. I recommend the pair work, but you freely select.

Pair work for international students

You can select your pair by yourselves.

In order to pass the course in this study method, you will report a following work in one report. This one
report gives answers for all 4 tasks. However, we will have two meetings where I also follow your learning,
you are able to raise questions and get feedback. We will have also a short starting meeting.

Course work includes 4 tasks.

1. Go into Management Information Systems (MIS) and describe your own understanding about what
Management Information Systems may mean in a company. Use different references when forming
your own view to this topic. As an end result, represent also a mind map of MIS entirety. (This is
around 4-5 pages plus the mind map(s))
2. Figure out the latest trends related to Management Information Systems. Use books, articles,
blogs, other Internet sources etc. to figure out these trends. (~around 5 pages)
3. Select one subpart of MIS and describe it more detailed level. Reflect the selected topic against the
tasks 1 and 2. You can select for example one of the following topic (a-e) or select something that
interest you more (please represent your topic for the teacher in advance) (~around 5 pages):
a. How social media is affecting for management and management information systems?
b. What the Business Intelligence actually means and what are the actual applications/forms
that is used to realizing current BI solutions?
c. Make SWOT analysis for using cloud computing and SAAS solutions in MIS. What are the
strengths of these technologies for a company, what are the weaknesses, which kind of
opportunities and threats those technologies are creating, etc.
d. Which kind of data analysis methods should be developed in order to better utilize data in
management?
e. Evaluate ERP systems. Can these provide support for all levels of decision making? Use for
example SAP system as a reference in your analysis.
4. Make a conclusions. Discuss the topic (that you selected in task 3) and its meaning in realizing good
managerial ways of working. Reflect also your own learning during this assignment. (1-2 pages)

Working schedule:

 Short guidance for this assignment on Tuesday 12.2 at 9.00 in my office TF319-2.
You can start the work immediately.

 Meeting 21.3 at 9.00-11.00. Please let me know immediately if this time is not ok for you!
We will have a discussion where we will cover the topics of tasks 1 and 2. On this meeting you will
also tell the teacher the topic of your later work (task 3).

 The final deadline for the work is 21.4 when you need to return the report. Deliver the final report
via Urkund http://www.oulu.fi/urkundsystem/student .

 Final feedback meeting on 24.4 at 9.00-10.30.

 Please let me know immediately if you have some problems any of the meeting days!

Reporting format:

If you know DIEM’s guidance for report formatting please use it. If not, please follow the next
requirements.

Your report needs to have a cover letter that tells the course number, students’ name and numbers, and
gives a name for your work.

Use similar styling throughout the report. In normal, main text, use font Times New Roman 12pt or similar.
Use line spacing 1. Use normal, moderate paper settings (margins). You can select freely how to style your
headings.

Use Harvard style when using references. Note that you need to mark the references used properly. Make
the list of references at the end of the report. Try to avoid copying figures and tables directly from other
sources.

You will return the final report via Urkund for evaluation. http://www.oulu.fi/urkundsystem/student

You can freely select how you want to represent the issues in your report. The most important thing is that
you answer the 4 tasks that I have given to you.

You can always contact the course teacher:

Hanna Kropsu-Vehkaperä

hanna.kropsu-vehkapera@oulu.fi or TF319-2