Financial information systems (FIS) are the neural network of business organizations. They record the financial impact of every business transactions and translate the consolidated impact into actionable information on cash-flow, revenue, profitability, and taxation for executives, shareholders, and external stakeholders.
Today, with businesses generating up to one million transactions each day, FIS are the cornerstone of effective and accurate financial reporting on the strategic level but also for day-to-day operations. Additionally, FIS are an important element in ensuring regulatory compliance. Modern FIS allow you to investigate, audit, and optimize business processes using financial information.
Understanding the fundamentals of FIS, the relationship of FIS and business processes, and being able to analyze FIS using data analysis techniques help you to become an invaluable addition to any business organization.
The domain of financial information systems (FIS) is complex and changes quickly with an increasing rate of innovations on the horizon. The main objective of this course is to provide you with strong fundamentals that help you to navigate through this complex world.
Upon successful completion of the course, you will be able to:
The chances are high that you will be working with FIS throughout your career. This course enables you to establish a competitive advantage in the global marketplace.
Please review the SCU undergraduate bulletin for prerequisites. Exceptions need approval by the program office. They will contact me if needed.
Required: Understanding ERP Systems: Integrated Business Processes with ERP Systems by Simhar R. Magal and Jeffrey Word, Wiley, 2012. ISBN: 978-0-470-47844-8.
Optional: SAP ERP FICO: SAP ERP Financial Accounting and Controlling: Configuration and Use Management by A. Okungbowa, apress, 2015. ISBN: 978-1484207178. (This book is available online through the SCU library and serves as a reference to the master data and processes in SAP ERP FICO. This book is not required.)
All other readings and course materials will be available in Camino.
I am committed to your learning success. Please feel free to contact me with any questions regarding this course. If I am not able to help you myself, I will forward your request to someone who can.
Class meetings are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 1:00 PM to 2:05 PM in Bannan Engineering, ENGR 325 (Third floor). No class meeting on May 28, 2018 (Memorial Day).
Each class during the week has a theme:
“What it boils down to is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration.” (Thomas Edison)
Your mastery of the learning objectives will be examined through exams, homework, and a team project.
The following table links the learning objectives of this class with the assignments and shows the maximum number of points that you can achieve of each assignment in the final grade.
| Learning Objective | Assignment | Max. Points |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze business problems using FIS | 4 Take Home Exams + Final Exam | 40 |
| Demonstrate a moderate level of comfort in working with SAP ERP and data analysis techniques. | 4 Homework Assignments | 30 |
| Evaluate FIS technology for integrated business processes. | 5 Deliverables for Team Project | 30 |
| Total | 100 |
The final grade distribution is as follows.
| Points | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 100-94 | A |
| >94-90 | A- |
| >90-87 | B+ |
| >87-84 | B |
| >84-80 | B- |
| >80-77 | C+ |
| >77-74 | C |
| >74-70 | C- |
| >70-67 | D+ |
| >67-64 | D |
| >64-60 | D- |
| >60 | F |
My grading criteria are as follows:
I reserve the right to change the grading to accommodate special circumstances and opportunities. Any changes, however, will be discussed and announced in class and on Camino.
In the exams you will demonstrate your ability to analyze business problems from an FIS perspective. Throughout the quarter, you will complete five (5) exams:
PLEASE NOTE:
For Exam 1 to 4, I will not accept late submission for the exams without prior notice or without a doctor’s note. I am aware that sometimes life goes crazy but please notify me in advance and we will work it out.
| Exam | Due | Max. Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | April, 16 2018 (1:00 PM) | 5 |
| 2 | April, 23, 2018 (1:00 PM) | 5 |
| 3 | April, 30, 2018 (1:00 PM) | 5 |
| 4 | May, 7, 2018 (1:00 PM) | 5 |
| 5 | May, 16, 2018 (In Class) | 20 |
| Total | 40 |
Four (4) homework assignments help you to acquire a moderate level of comfort in working with SAP ERP and data analytics. You will face increasingly difficult problems as we progress in the quarter.
PLEASE NOTE:
I will not accept late submission for the homework without prior notice or without a doctor’s note. I am aware that sometimes life goes crazy but please notify me in advance and we will work it out.
| Homework | Due | Max. Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | April, 18 2018 (1:00 PM) | 5 |
| 2 | May, 2 2018 (1:00 PM) | 5 |
| 3 | May, 18 2018 (1:00 PM) | 5 |
| 4 | June, 11 2018 (11:59 PM) | 15 |
| Total | 30 |
The objective of this project is to assess your ability to evaluate FIS technology for integrated business processes. Furthermore, the team project allows you to develop a deep understanding of the FIS industry and its technological developments.
The following table provides an overview of the deliverables for the team project.
| Project Phase | Due | Max. Points |
|---|---|---|
| Problem Statement | April, 13 2018 (1:00 PM) | 4 |
| Literature & Data | April, 27 2018 (1:00 PM) | 4 |
| Report Draft and Storyboard | May, 11 2018 (1:00 PM) | 6 |
| Peer Review & In-class Presentation | May, 30 2018 (1:00 PM) | 6 |
| Polished Report & Video or Podcast | June, 13 2018 (11:59 PM) | 10 |
| Total | 30 |
Please choose a topic for your team project from the following list:
Each of the topics is just a start. You will use the problem statement to develop a precise topic that is related to FIS. If you want to work on another topic, please contact me as soon as possible.
The problem statement should outline your project and develop a precise area of interest. Think about the following questions:
I will evaluate your project statement based on the following criteria.
| Criteria | Metrics | Max. Points |
|---|---|---|
| Content | Understandability (0.5), Completeness (0.5) | 1 |
| Persuasiveness | Clarity (0.5), Argumentation (0.5) | 1 |
| Evidence | Sources (1) | 1 |
| Style | Professionality (0.5), Originality (0.5) | 1 |
| Total | 4 |
Your arguments are only as strong as your evidence. You will collect at least 20 resources on your area of interest. Think about the following issues:
The result of this phase is an annotated list of literature. The list should contain the following elements:
I will evaluate your literature and data phase based on the following criteria.
| Criteria | Metrics | Max. Points |
|---|---|---|
| Research Strategy | Clarity (0.5), Efficiency (0.5) | 1 |
| Quality of Evidence | Clarity (0.5), Quality (0.5), Reflection (2) | 3 |
| Total | 4 |
The report draft summarizes your preliminary findings in written form. The storyboard organizes your video or podcast in sequence. Think about the following issues:
The result of this phase is a written report of at least 3,000 words but no more than 5,000 words. The storyboard should account for at least 15 minutes of video or podcast (Roughly 1 minute per sequence).
I will evaluate this phase based on the following criteria:
| Criteria | Metrics | Max. Points |
|---|---|---|
| Organization | Structure of report (1) | 1 |
| Finding 1 | Persuasiveness (1) | 1 |
| Finding 2 | Persuasiveness (1) | 1 |
| Finding 3 | Persuasiveness (1) | 1 |
| Storyboard | Structure (1), Originality (1) | 2 |
| Total | 6 |
Peer review is a critical component in developing high-quality work products. Think about the following issues:
Please note that peer review component is an individual deliverable and will be individually graded.
I will evaluate your peer review using the following criteria:
| Criteria | Metrics | Max. Points |
|---|---|---|
| Depth | Level of detail (1) | 1 |
| Critic | Assessment of weaknesses (1) | 1 |
| Specificity | Specific recommendations for improvement (1), Implementability of recommendations (1) | 2 |
| Total | 4 |
The in-class presentation should summarize your findings in no more than 10 minutes.
I will evaluate your presentation using the following criteria:
| Criteria | Metrics | Max. Points |
|---|---|---|
| Progress | Improvements since the last deliverable (1) | 1 |
| Professionality | Style (0.5), Structure (0.5) | 1 |
| Total | 2 |
The final report and video or podcast must be online by the deadline. I will evaluate the final deliverable based on the following criteria.
| Criteria | Metrics | Max. Points |
|---|---|---|
| Progress | Improvements in Problem Statement (1), Improvements in Literature and Data (1), Improvements in Findings (1) | 3 |
| Peer Review | Improvement based on peer review (1), Documentation of how peer review was used (1) | 2 |
| Video or Podcast | Content (1), Effectiveness (1) | 2 |
| Professionality | Style (1), Structure (1), Polishing (1) | 3 |
| Total | 10 |
I firmly believe that mastery of data science requires constant practice. You will ace this course if you:
| Week | Class Meeting | Topic | Exam (Points) | Homework (Points) | Team Project (Points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April, 4 (Wed) | Introduction | - | - | - |
| 1 | April, 6 (Fri) | Business Process Integration | - | - | - |
| 2 | April, 9 (Mon) | Enterprise Systems | - | - | - |
| 2 | April, 11 (Wed) | FIS Architecture | - | - | - |
| 2 | April, 13 (Fri) | Data Management | - | - | TP1 (4) |
| 3 | April, 16 (Mon) | Accounting | EX1 CHP 1+2 (5) | - | - |
| 3 | April, 18 (Wed) | Financial Documents | - | HW1 (5) | - |
| 3 | April, 20 (Fri) | Forensic Accounting Process | - | - | - |
| 4 | April, 23 (Mon) | Procurement | EX2-CHP 3 (5) | - | - |
| 4 | April, 25 (Wed) | Master Data and Documents | - | - | - |
| 4 | April, 27 (Fri) | Procurement Analytics | - | - | TP2 (4) |
| 5 | April, 30 (Mon) | Fulfillment | EX3-CHP 4 (5) | - | - |
| 5 | May, 2 (Wed) | Business Partner Data | - | HW2 (5) | - |
| 5 | May, 4 (Fri) | Fulfillment Processes | - | - | - |
| 6 | May, 7 (Mon) | Inventory | EX4-CHP 5 (5) | - | - |
| 6 | May, 9 (Wed) | Inventory Master Data | - | - | - |
| 6 | May, 11 (Fri) | Inventory Processes | - | - | TP3 (6) |
| 7 | May, 14 (Mon) | Review | - | - | - |
| 7 | May, 16 (Wed) | Exam | EX5-COMP (20) | - | - |
| 7 | May, 18 (Fri) | Introduction to FIS Analytics | - | HW3 (5) | - |
| 8 | May, 21 (Mon) | FIS Analytics Case Study 1 | - | - | - |
| 8 | May, 23 (Wed) | FIS Analytics Case Study 1 | - | - | - |
| 8 | May, 25 (Fri) | FIS Analytics Case Study 1 | - | - | - |
| 9 | May, 30 (Wed) | Team presentations | - | - | TP4 (6) |
| 9 | June, 1 (Fri) | Team presentations | - | - | - |
| 10 | June, 4 (Mon) | FIS Analytics Case Study 2 | - | - | - |
| 10 | June, 6 (Wed) | FIS Analytics Case Study 2 | - | - | - |
| 10 | June, 8 (Fri) | FIS Analytics Case Study 2 | - | - | - |
| 11 | June, 11 (Mon) | - | - | HW4 (15) | - |
| 11 | June, 13 (Wed) | - | - | - | TP5 (10) |
| - | - | Total = 100 points | 40 | 30 | 30 |
I reserve the right to change the schedule to accommodate special circumstances and opportunities. Any changes, however, will be discussed and announced in class and on Camino.
The Academic Integrity pledge is an expression of the University’s commitment to fostering an understanding of and commitment to a culture of integrity at Santa Clara University. The Academic Integrity pledge, which applies to all students, states:
“I am committed to being a person of integrity. I pledge, as a member of the Santa Clara University community, to abide by and uphold the standards of academic integrity contained in the Student Conduct Code.”
You are expected to uphold the principles of this pledge for all work in this class. For more information about Santa Clara University’s academic integrity pledge and resources about ensuring academic integrity in your work, see www.scu.edu/academic-integrity.
In particular, I expect that you give credit to any material (including but not limited to journal articles, web article, blog posts, images, data sets, libraries, APIs, and any media) that you have used for completing any assignment in this class. Being able to give credit by referencing sources consistently and correctly is evidence of mastery of a topic. It shows that you are able to construct original arguments that are backed with verifiable evidence. Failing to give credit is a sign of an inadequate learning progress. It shows that you have not understood the topic well enough to formulate your own arguments in relation to already existing ideas.
During your work in this class, you will use, modify, or extend digital content that you have found online. You will also use libraries, APIs, code snippets, and data sets that have been created by others. In every piece of work (presentations, assignments, etc.), you must acknowledge work, source code, data sets, and any other content that was not produced by you. Acknowledgements must be easily identifiable, inseparable from your content, and must not violate licenses.
Failure to provide appropriate acknowledgements will result in an F grade for that assignment. Repeated failure to provide appropriate acknowledgements will result in an F grade for the entire course.
During the first class, we will discuss this digital content policy. After this class, I will strictly enforce this policy. If you have doubts, contact me.
I will support you in your learning in this class and beyond to the best of my abilities. If I am not able to help you myself, I will identify someone who can. I will evaluate your contribution solely based on the standards set by this syllabus. Changes to the syllabus will be highlighted, discussed during class sessions, and will be published on Camino.
By enrolling in this class, you agree to the requirements stated in this syllabus. You will operate with integrity in your dealings with me and your fellow students. You will engage the learning materials with appropriate attention and dedication and maintain their engagement when challenged by difficult learning activities. You will contribute to the learning of others and you will perform to standards set by this syllabus.
Mutual respect is the foundation of this course. No one will be criticized for being wrong. Appropriate conduct includes honesty, self-respect, respect for others, and compliance with university policies and standards. Computers in the classroom should be used only for completing course-related work and for taking notes; cell phones must be turned off or muted.
Please let me know via email during the first two weeks of the course if you have any conflicts between a course element (class meeting, assignment) and another vital commitment (another course, work, university-related extracurricular activities, religious commitments). At my discretion, I will you provide with alternative means to complete the course element.
I am aware that many of you have multiple commitments. You should attend at least 80 percent of all scheduled class meetings. If you miss more than 20 percent of scheduled classes, you will receive reduction by one letter grade.
If you have a disability for which accommodations may be required in this class, please contact Disabilities Resources (Benson Hall 216, 408-554-4109) as soon as possible to discuss your needs and register for accommodations with the University. If you have medical needs related to pregnancy, you may also be eligible for accommodations. If you have already arranged accommodations through Disabilities Resources, please discuss them with me during my office hours as soon as possible.
While I am happy to assist you, I am unable to provide accommodations until I have received verification from Disabilities Resources. If you are in doubt of whether you are eligible for accommodations, I encourage you to contact Disabilities Resources (Benson Hall 216, 408-554-4109). The Disabilities Resources office would be grateful for advance notice of at least two weeks.
In alignment with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and with the California Education Code, Section 66281.7, Santa Clara University provides reasonable accommodations to students who are pregnant, have recently experienced childbirth, and/or have medically needs related to childbirth. Pregnant and parenting students can often arrange accommodations by working directly with their instructors, supervisors, or departments. Alternatively, a pregnant or parenting student experiencing related medical conditions may request accommodations through Disabilities Resources (Benson Hall 216, 408-554-4109).
Santa Clara University upholds a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination, harassment and sexual misconduct. If you (or someone you know) have experienced discrimination or harassment, including sexual assault, domestic/dating violence, or stalking, I encourage you to tell someone promptly. For more information, please consult the University’s Gender-Based Discrimination and Sexual Misconduct Policy at http://bit.ly/2ce1hBb or contact the University’s EEO and Title IX Coordinator, Belinda Guthrie, at 408-554-3043, bguthrie@scu.edu. Reports may be submitted online through https://www.scu.edu/osl/report/ or anonymously through Ethicspoint https://www.scu.edu/hr/quick-links/ethicspoint/