Business Driven Information Systems: An Overview

Business Driven Information Systems is crafted to empower students with the comprehension of how IT can fortify an organization. It prioritizes business initiatives, showcasing how technology aligns with and supports these crucial objectives. The Baltzan approach emphasizes that technology choices should be dictated by business necessities.

Core Concept: Business Initiatives First

The fundamental concept underpinning Business Driven Information Systems is the prioritization of business initiatives. Instead of beginning with technology, the text emphasizes understanding business needs, challenges, and goals. This approach ensures that technology investments are strategically aligned with overarching business objectives. This concept is the core belief that every discussion first addresses the business needs and then addresses the technology that supports those needs, thus, business initiatives should drive technology choices. By understanding these initiatives first, students gain insights into how technology serves as a catalyst for organizational success.

The Baltzan Approach

The Baltzan approach, central to this framework, prioritizes business needs as the driving force behind technology adoption. This methodology ensures that technology investments directly support and enhance organizational objectives and strategies. This philosophy is what sets this book apart.

Business Needs Drive Technology Choices

At the heart of the Baltzan approach lies the principle that technology choices should be strategically aligned with business requirements. Rather than adopting technology for its own sake, organizations should first identify their business needs and then select technologies that effectively address those needs. This ensures that technology investments deliver tangible value and contribute directly to achieving strategic goals. Prioritizing business objectives ensures a focused and effective technology implementation. Every discussion first addresses the business needs.

Editions and Availability

Business Driven Information Systems is available in multiple editions, ranging from the 4th to the 9th. Formats include textbook, eBook, and loose-leaf versions, catering to diverse learning preferences and accessibility needs for students.

Multiple Editions: 4th to 9th Editions

The Business Driven Information Systems textbook has seen several iterations, evolving from the 4th to the 9th edition. Each new edition incorporates updated discussions, concepts, and real-world examples to keep pace with the rapidly changing landscape of information technology and business strategies. The continuous revisions ensure that students are exposed to the most current practices and technologies. These editions reflect the ongoing developments in enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, and business intelligence. Each edition aims to give students the ability to understand how information technology can be a point of strength for an organization.

Formats: Textbook, eBook, and Loose Leaf

Business Driven Information Systems is accessible in multiple formats to cater to diverse student preferences and learning styles. Students can opt for the traditional textbook for a tactile reading experience. The eBook version offers portability and digital convenience, accessible on various devices. The loose-leaf edition provides flexibility, allowing students to include only relevant chapters in a binder. Each format retains the same content, ensuring that students receive a state-of-the-art discussion, regardless of their chosen medium. This adaptability ensures students can engage with the material effectively, promoting a deeper understanding of how technology strengthens organizations.

Key Concepts in Business Driven Information Systems

Business Driven Information Systems introduces core concepts like ERP, CRM, and BI. It emphasizes understanding how these systems support business initiatives and provide organizational strength, enabling students to achieve excellence in their respective majors.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Enterprise Resource Planning systems are core information systems that support business operations. ERP solutions integrate various business functions, creating a centralized platform for managing resources and information. Within the context of Business Driven Information Systems, ERP is presented as a critical component that aligns with business initiatives. It provides a foundation for students to understand how technology can be a point of strength for an organization, enabling them to achieve excellence in business, regardless of their major. ERP systems exemplify the principle that business needs should drive technology choices.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Customer Relationship Management systems represent another core area in Business Driven Information Systems. CRM solutions support business operations by focusing on customer interactions and data. These systems are integral to understanding how information technology can enhance an organization’s strength. Emphasizing business initiatives first, CRM showcases how technology supports these initiatives second. This approach underscores the premise that business needs should drive technology choices. CRM, in the context of Baltzan’s approach, demonstrates how technology aligns with business goals and enables students to achieve excellence in various business domains.

Business Intelligence (BI)

Business Intelligence constitutes a critical domain within Business Driven Information Systems. BI solutions empower businesses through data analysis and strategic insights. As emphasized in Baltzan’s approach, BI exemplifies how technology bolsters business initiatives. BI systems are designed to give students the ability to understand how information technology can be a point of strength for an organization. This underscores the book’s core belief: technology should align with business goals. BI supports decision-making, strategic planning, and operational efficiency, showcasing how technology can be leveraged to achieve excellence in business, regardless of a student’s major.

Authors: Baltzan and Phillips

Paige Baltzan and Amy Phillips are the authors of Business Driven Information Systems. Their collaborative work emphasizes aligning business initiatives with technology. They provide a foundation enabling students to achieve business excellence, irrespective of their major.

Paige Baltzan’s Academic Role

Paige Baltzan is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Business Information and Analytics at the Daniels College of Business, University of Denver. She is a co-author of Business Driven Information Systems, contributing her academic insights and practical knowledge to the text. Her role encompasses teaching and research, focusing on bridging the gap between business needs and technological solutions, ensuring students grasp the vital connection for organizational strength and success in today’s dynamic business environment.

Target Audience

Business Driven Information Systems is designed for students in business and information systems programs. It equips them with the knowledge to understand how technology can be a strategic asset for organizations.

Students in Business and Information Systems

Business Driven Information Systems primarily targets students pursuing degrees in business and information systems. The text aims to provide them with a foundational understanding of how technology can be leveraged to achieve organizational goals and objectives. The book helps students understand how IT can be a point of strength for an organization. It prepares them to excel in various business roles, regardless of their specific major, by emphasizing the alignment of technology with business initiatives and strategic decision-making.

Core Principle

The core principle emphasizes technology as a strategic asset. Business Driven Information Systems posits that information technology should serve as a source of organizational strength, enabling businesses to achieve their objectives.

Technology as a Source of Organizational Strength

The Baltzan and Phillips approach centers on the idea that technology should be a source of strength for organizations. This means that technology is not merely a supporting element but a strategic asset that enables businesses to achieve their goals. Business Driven Information Systems highlights how to leverage technology to enhance operations, improve decision-making, gain a competitive advantage, and foster innovation. The textbook empowers students to understand how technology can be a point of strength for an organization.

Unique Approach

Business Driven Information Systems adopts a unique approach by initially discussing various business initiatives. Subsequently, the text explores how technology supports these initiatives. This premise is that technology choices should be driven by business initiatives.

Discussion of Business Initiatives Before Technology

A core tenet of Business Driven Information Systems is the prioritization of business strategies over technological implementations. The text consistently introduces business needs and objectives before delving into the technological solutions that enable them. This approach underscores the idea that technology should serve as a tool to fulfill pre-existing business goals, rather than dictating the direction of the organization. By emphasizing business initiatives first, the text ensures that students understand the strategic context in which technology operates, fostering a deeper understanding of its value and application within a business setting.

Accessibility and Resources

To facilitate learning, resources like solutions manuals and test banks are available. These provide support for both instructors and students, enhancing the learning experience. They aid in comprehension and assessment.

Solutions Manuals and Test Banks

To enhance the educational experience, ancillary resources such as solutions manuals and test banks are often provided alongside Business Driven Information Systems. Solutions manuals offer detailed answers to the exercises and case studies within the textbook, enabling students to check their understanding and reinforce their learning. Test banks, on the other hand, supply instructors with a comprehensive set of questions for assessments. These resources aid in evaluating student comprehension of core concepts. Both tools are valuable for effective teaching and learning, promoting a deeper engagement with the material. They support both instructors and students.