INDIVIDUAL SUMMATIVE ASSIGNMENT – 2
In the form of an individual report, this assignment requires you to investigate the managerial and organisational issues involved in the introduction and operation of digital information systems for profit, not-for-profit, or public-sector.
Critically analyse the opportunities and risks for contemporary organisations.
Cover one or more of the following characteristics:
Interoperability: The ability of machines, devices, sensors, and people to connect and communicate with each other via the Internet of Things (IoT) or the Internet of People (IoP)
Information transparency: The ability of information systems to create a virtual copy of the physical world by enriching digital plant models with sensor data. This requires the aggregation of raw sensor data to higher-value context information.
Technical assist: The ability of assistance systems to support humans by aggregating and visualising information comprehensibly for making informed decisions and solving urgent problems on short notice.
Decentralised decisions: The ability of digital systems to make decisions on their own and to perform their tasks as autonomously as possible. Only in the case of exceptions, interferences, or conflicting goals, are tasks delegated to a higher level.
You should identify a company, or group of collaborating companies, that have recently implemented or plan to implement a solution involving digital information systems, internet of things and/or internet of services technologies to improve existing or create new value-adding processes.
You can find suitable examples on websites such as www.informationweek.com and www.rfidjournal.com.
Your report should cover the following areas:
1. Technology description, in which you identify where and how the technologies will be used. (20 marks)
2. Needs-based business process; a description and diagram(s) describing the most significant business processes involved in your selected case to show how systems and people will interact and participate in the process.
(30 marks)
3. Benefits and costs, in which you make a short business case for the implementation of digital information systems in the chosen organisation
(25 marks)
4. Implementation guidelines, in which you take into account technical and organisational limitations for example by mapping the possible interactions among technologies and people.
(25 marks)
Your report should draw on theory, tools and frameworks covered in this module, although evidence of relevant wider reading will be rewarded. The emphasis of your report should be on the application of theory to practice.
You may not have sufficient information on the companies and technologies involved and it is fine to make some assumptions, as long as these are clearly stated and justified.
Where diagrams are used these should normally be included in the main body of your work. If they are located in the appendix they will not have a role in the assessment – examiners are under no obligation to read appendices.
Overall word limit: 3,000 words
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
Your completed assignment must be uploaded to DUO
no later 27 April 2018.
A penalty will be applied for work uploaded after 12:00 midday as detailed in the Programme Handbook. You must leave sufficient time to fully complete the upload process before the deadline and check that you have received a receipt.
An IDENTICAL paper copy should be placed in the post box outside the Undergraduate Office in the Business School no later than 15:00 (3 pm). Work will not be marked unless this identical paper copy is received.
Assignments should be typed, using 1.5 spacing and an easy-to-read 12-point font. You should use double-sided printing, and ensure that assignments are securely bound. Written assignments and dissertations/business projects must not exceed the word count indicated in the module handbook/assessment brief.
The word count should:
Include all the text, including title, preface, introduction, in-text citations, quotations, footnotes and any other items not specifically excluded below.
Exclude diagrams, tables (including tables/lists of contents and figures), equations, executive summary/abstract, acknowledgements, declaration, bibliography/list of references and appendices. However, it is not appropriate to use diagrams or tables merely as a way of circumventing the word limit. If a student uses a table or figure as a means of presenting his/her own words, then this is included in the word count.
Examiners will stop reading once the word limit has been reached, and work beyond this point will not be assessed. Checks of word counts will be carried out on submitted work, including any assignments or dissertations/business projects that appear to be clearly over-length. Checks may take place manually and/or with the aid of the word count provided via an electronic submission. Where a student has intentionally misrepresented their word count, the School may treat this as an offence under Section IV of the General Regulations of the University. Extreme cases may be viewed as dishonest practice under Section IV, 5 (a) (x) of the General Regulations.
Very occasionally it may be appropriate to present, in an appendix, material which does not properly belong in the main body of the assessment but which some students wish to provide for the sake of completeness. Any appendices will not have a role in the assessment – examiners are under no obligation to read appendices and they do not form part of the word count. Material that students wish to be assessed should always be included in the main body of the text.
Guidance on referencing can be found in the programme handbook and on DUO.
MARKING GUIDELINES
Performance in the summative assessment for this module is judged against the following criteria:
• Relevance to question(s)
• Organisation, structure and presentation
• Depth of understanding
• Analysis and discussion
• Use of sources and referencing
• Overall conclusions
PLAGIARISM AND COLLUSION
Students suspected of plagiarism, either of published work or the work of other students, or of collusion will be dealt with according to School and University guidelines.
