E-Business

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Credits
6
Types
Specialization compulsory (Service Engineering)
Requirements
This subject has not requirements, but it has got previous capacities
Department
OE
e-Business refers to the strategical use of information and communication technologies to perform the activities of an organization. The ultimate purpose of any company is to provide products and services to users and customers through different business models that can be supported by e-Commerce technologies. But e-Business is a wider concept that includes activities that cover all business processes from back-office to front-office incorporating the relationships between the company itself and most agents in the value chain such as suppliers, distributors, retailers and customers.

e-Business has been a source of innovation opportunities in relation with products, processes, customers and suppliers and has been responsible for a good share of the productivity increase in almost all industries in the last two decades.

At e-Business we will look at that phenomenology from a strategic perspective, giving students inputs and insights to have them able to analyze or build a successful e-Business strategy.

Teachers

Person in charge

  • Marcos Eguiguren Huerta ( )

Others

  • Ferran Sabate Garriga ( )

Weekly hours

Theory
0.7
Problems
0.6
Laboratory
1.2
Guided learning
0.5
Autonomous learning
5

Competences

Technical Competences of each Specialization

Service engineering

  • CEE5.2 - Capability to apply obtained knowledge in any kind of service systems, being familiar with some of them, and thorough knowledge of eCommerce systems and their extensions (eBusiness, eOrganization, eGovernment, etc.).

Generic Technical Competences

Generic

  • CG1 - Capability to apply the scientific method to study and analyse of phenomena and systems in any area of Computer Science, and in the conception, design and implementation of innovative and original solutions.

Transversal Competences

Entrepreneurship and innovation

  • CTR1 - Capacity for knowing and understanding a business organization and the science that rules its activity, capability to understand the labour rules and the relationships between planning, industrial and commercial strategies, quality and profit. Capacity for developping creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation trend.

Teamwork

  • CTR3 - Capacity of being able to work as a team member, either as a regular member or performing directive activities, in order to help the development of projects in a pragmatic manner and with sense of responsibility; capability to take into account the available resources.

Basic

  • CB7 - Ability to integrate knowledges and handle the complexity of making judgments based on information which, being incomplete or limited, includes considerations on social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgments.
  • CB8 - Capability to communicate their conclusions, and the knowledge and rationale underpinning these, to both skilled and unskilled public in a clear and unambiguous way.

Objectives

  1. Understanding the role of IT as a support for corporate strategy
    Related competences: CB7, CTR1,
  2. Developing a research project in the field of e-Business
    Related competences: CG1, CB8, CTR3,
  3. Analyzing the different types of e-Business tools and their impact on the business value chain
    Related competences: CEE5.2, CG1, CTR1,

Contents

  1. Information society. Organization of a company network. Ethical and social aspects.
    E- Business, an introduction to the subject and main concepts on a company's structure and organization. Ethical aspects. Designing the strategy of a company, mission, market, structure and value chain. The role of technology.
  2. Corporate information systems. Utility and strategic fit.
    Analyzing the value chain and extracting opportunities for e-business implementation. Corporate information systems. Utility and strategic fit. Types of CIS. Different perspectives: users and functional. Corporate information systems. The role of CIS departments. How to organize and manage the information.
  3. Guidelines for developing a research project in the field of e-business
    Guidelines for developing a research project in the field of e-business. Presenting the research project. Presentation of the main results of the research. Bibliographic research. Project session working together in the final version of the scientific paper. Official delivery and presentation of the research paper in front of the Jury.
  4. Information systems and their impact on the behavior of economic actors.
    The design of MIS and its impact on the behavior of economic actors. Systems and corporate culture. How to evaluate economic impact, P&L, investments and ROI.
  5. Strategic analysis of management systems in supply chain management (SCM)
    Supply chain management. Description, its strategic role and the way it affects the value chain. Case or situation analysis.
  6. Strategic analysis of management systems in customer relationship management (CRM)
    Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Description, strategic role and how it affects the value chain. Case and situation analysis.
  7. Strategic analysis of management systems in e-commerce business models
    Management systems for electronic sales (e-commerce). Description, strategic role and how it affects the value chain. Case and situation analysis.

Activities

Activity Evaluation act


Forming groups and introducing the e-Business subject

The students will interact with other colleagues in order to know each other and to form groups of three people that will remain stable during the course and that will be in charge of developing a research paper on e-Business and it impact on the value chain of corporations
Objectives: 2
Contents:
Theory
1.5h
Problems
1h
Laboratory
0h
Guided learning
0h
Autonomous learning
5h

Designing the strategy of a company. Ethical issues, the role of technology

Describe the process of creating the strategy, analyze the areas in which ethics are more important. Mix strategy and value chain and see where technology can add more value
  • Theory: Ethics, business strategy and value chain
  • Guided learning: Teamwork to define the scope of the research to be done
  • Autonomous learning: Reading an article on the concept and importance of value chain
Objectives: 1 3
Contents:
Theory
1.5h
Problems
0h
Laboratory
0h
Guided learning
1h
Autonomous learning
5h

Analyzing the value chain and identifying opportunities for conducting e-business strategies

Based on a laboratory session where we will work on a business case in which an e-business solution has been used to optimize corporate value
  • Laboratory: Analyzingt a business case and getting conclusions
  • Autonomous learning: Discuss the findings of the case and find similar situations that have occurred in other companies
Objectives: 1 3
Contents:
Theory
0h
Problems
0h
Laboratory
3.6h
Guided learning
0h
Autonomous learning
5h

Corporate information systems. Utility and strategic fit

Corporate information systems. Utility and strategic fit. The role of CIS departments. How to organize and manage the information.
  • Theory: Corporate information systems. Utility and strategic fit. The role of CIS departments. How to organize and manage the information.
  • Problems: Teamwork to clearly define the scope of the research paper
  • Laboratory: Analyzing the business case of the MIS department of company "X"
  • Autonomous learning: Reading the conferences numbers three and five of the book "Empresa 3.0" listed in "Bibliography"
Objectives: 1
Contents:
Theory
1.5h
Problems
2h
Laboratory
3h
Guided learning
0h
Autonomous learning
10h

Guidelines for developing a research project in the field of e-business. Presenting the research project

It describes the steps to take to launch a research project to be published later and the groups will present the first draft of his own project

Week: 7
Type: lab exam
Theory
0h
Problems
0h
Laboratory
3h
Guided learning
0h
Autonomous learning
10h

The design of MIS and its impact on the behavior of economic actors. Systems and corporate culture.

Looking at key elements for designing information systems from a corporate non technological perspective. looking at the impact on the behavior of people and culture.
  • Theory: MIS design. Systems and corporate culture
  • Problems: Incorporating cultural dimension to the research project
  • Laboratory: Analyzing the case of implementing a business intelligence tool to build BSC and its contribution to the business value chain
  • Autonomous learning: Reading chapters 1, 2, 3 and four "Sistemas de Información Gerencial", bibliography
Objectives: 1 2
Contents:
Theory
1.5h
Problems
1.5h
Laboratory
3h
Guided learning
0h
Autonomous learning
10h

Supply chain management. Description and role. How to evaluate economic impact of IT investments.

We will work on the concepts and contributions to the value chain of the SCM. We will also see its most strategic corporate role. We will also dig into the ways to analyze profitability of investments in technology.
  • Theory: Digging into SCM, concept and strategic scope. Ways to analyze economic profitability for IT investments.
  • Problems: Provide guidelines to incorporate economic dimension to the research and prepare to fulfill the guided activity
  • Guided learning: Working in groups to define how to incorporate the economic dimension, cost - benefit into the research
  • Autonomous learning: Read chapters 9 and 14 of the book "Sistemas de Información Gerencial" in Bibliography
Objectives: 1 3
Contents:
Theory
2h
Problems
1h
Laboratory
0h
Guided learning
2h
Autonomous learning
10h

Customer relationship management. Description, its strategic role and the way it affects the value chain.

Digging into CRM role and its strategic fit in the organization
  • Theory: Concept and strategic use of CRM in organizations. Examples and cases
  • Guided learning: Working in teams, preparing the first presentation of the research results
  • Autonomous learning: Read chapters 11, 12 and 13 of the book "SIG" from Bibliography
Objectives: 1 3
Contents:
Theory
2h
Problems
0h
Laboratory
0h
Guided learning
2h
Autonomous learning
5h

Presenting the first results of the research activity

Presentation in front of the teacher of the first conclussions and outputs of the research and procedures for each of them
Objectives: 2 3
Week: 13
Type: lab exam
Theory
0h
Problems
0h
Laboratory
3h
Guided learning
0h
Autonomous learning
5h

Reviewing the concept of e-commerce. Guidelines for bibliographic research

In two separate phases, we will deepen in the concept of e-commerce, its contribution to the value chain and later we will give some guidelines for research and get bibliographic support to the research work that's being conducted
  • Theory: E-commerce concept and applications. Guidelines for bibliographic research
  • Problems: Incorporating bibliographic findings to the investigacion work
  • Guided learning: Writing the bibliography and footnotes on the research paper
  • Autonomous learning: Reading chapter 10 of the book “SIG” at Bibliography
Objectives: 2 3
Contents:
Theory
2.6h
Problems
1.3h
Laboratory
0h
Guided learning
2h
Autonomous learning
10h

Using Web Technologies to exploit commercial information in web pages and preparing the final presentation

We will work together to see how we can use technology to exploit the detailed information provided by the internet world. In addition, we will prepare the presentation of the final research paper.
  • Problems: Supervised classroom teamwork to prepare for the formal presentation of the research paper
  • Laboratory: Analyze a real case of usage of information technology on commercial websites using Big Data
  • Guided learning: Work on the final draft of the research project and its public presentation
  • Autonomous learning: Time for individual study toto strengthen the foundations of the results of the research
Objectives: 1 2
Contents:
Theory
0h
Problems
4h
Laboratory
3h
Guided learning
2h
Autonomous learning
10h

Final presentation of the research document, as a scientific paper, in front of a jury

Final presentation of the research document, as a scientific paper, in front of a jury
Objectives: 1 2 3
Week: 18
Type: lab exam
Theory
0h
Problems
0h
Laboratory
3h
Guided learning
0h
Autonomous learning
5h

Teaching methodology

During the lectures, classes will be complemented, depending on the subject, with examples of real e-business developments that enable students to gain practical ideas for the research work to be done in the problems and laboratory sessions and off classes.

Case studies will also form a fundamental part of this block.

In some cases, theory lectures will include short lectures of entrepreneurs or managers to provide real guidance on how he / she addressed the main issue the session is about.

Non theory sessions and off class workload will be devoted to state-of-the-art research on the field of e-business. The methodologies used range from group dynamics and brain storming to interviewing real entrepreneurs and doing bibliography and market research.

Evaluation methodology

The assessment is based on student presentations of their research paper in front of a jury comprising course faculty members and - optionally - another member of the teaching staff or guest professional. 

Throughout the course there are three evaluative milestones:
- The presentation of the research project,
- The presentation of the initial results of the research,
- The presentation and analysis of the resulting paper.
The presentation simulates a professional and academical setting. Accordingly, the following aspects will also be assessed: dress, formal and well-structured communication, quality of the academical research and reliability of the sources, quality and adequacy of the conclusions, etc. 

In order to be able to publicly defend the paper, students must have attended at least 70% of the classes and teams must have delivered on time the activities that have been planned. The plan is the result of teamwork, which will be reflected in the grade given to the group as a whole. Each member of the group will be responsible for a part of the project and will be graded individually on his or her contribution. 

This approach is designed to foster teamwork in a quality research environment, in which members share responsibility for attaining a common objective.

Bibliography

Basic:

  • Sistemas de información gerencial : administración de la empresa digital - Laudon, Kenneth C; Laudon, Jane Pric; Núñez Ramos, Antonio, Pearson Educación, 2007. ISBN: 9789702611912
    http://cataleg.upc.edu/record=b1370244~S1*cat
  • E-business managerial aspects, solutions and case studies - Cruz-Cunha, Maria Manuela; Varajao, Joao, Business Science Reference, cop. 2011. ISBN: 9781609604639
    http://cataleg.upc.edu/record=b1419288~S1*cat
  • How to write and publish a scientific paper - DAY, Robert A., Cambridge University Press, 2006.
  • Empresa 3.0 : políticas y valores corporativos en una cultura empresarial sostenible - Eguiguren Huerta, Marcos; Barroso García, Esteban, Pirámide, cop. 2011. ISBN: 978-84-368-2476-6
    http://cataleg.upc.edu/record=b1388078~S1*cat

Complementary:

  • Cómo escribir para publicar en revistas académicas - MURRAY, Rowena, Ediciones Deusto , 2006.
  • E-Business strategies for virtual organizations - Burn, Janice, Butterworth-Heinemann , 2001. ISBN: 0750649437
    http://cataleg.upc.edu/record=b1419287~S1*cat

Previous capacities

It would be good if students had a basic knowledge of a company's organization and structure.

It would also be desirable that students, either because they have taken other related subjects in the past or from personal experience, knew the basics of topics like CRM or SCM since here we will use them to build a research project and the definitions in the classroom will be quite basic, just as a reminder.