Unit 11 Strategic Information Systems Assignment Brief 2026
| Qualification | Pearson BTEC Levels 4 and 5 Higher Nationals in Computing |
| Unit Number | 11 |
| Unit Title | Strategic Information Systems |
| Unit code | L/618/7417 |
| Unit type | Optional |
| Unit level | 4 |
| Credit value | 15 |
Introduction
Information is the most valuable resource that an organisation possesses. The effective gathering, protection, analysis, processing and dissemination of information is vital to the success of any organisation. As globalisation increases and the 24-hour economy develops, organisations must ensure that their information systems are reliable, efficient and able to cope with rapid change.
This unit introduces students to how important information is to organisations. Students will examine how information systems can be used to support core business functions and how they enable organisations to be more productive and competitive in the global marketplace.
Students will analyse the information needs of an organisation at different levels and in different functional areas. It is important that computing professionals are able to understand how an organisation works and how it uses information so that they are able to design, implement, maintain and manage secure information systems to support its operations. The unit covers understanding organisations in terms of their information needs and the variances in different functional areas. Students will examine different information systems at the operational, tactical and strategic levels and will evaluate their effectiveness and role in terms of decision making and gaining competitive advantage.
On successful completion of this unit, students will have gained an insight into the types of systems and technologies available for effective information processing. They will have used critical analysis to examine the integrated role that each type of system and technology plays in contributing to the efficiency and competitiveness of organisations. As a result, students will develop skills such as communication literacy, critical thinking, analysis, reasoning and interpretation, which are crucial for gaining employment and developing academic competence.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit students will be able to:
LO1 Review the information requirements of organisations
LO2 Explore the types of information systems that are used within all levels of an organisation
LO3 Demonstrate the use of an information system to produce management information
LO4 Review the effectiveness of strategic information systems for global competitiveness
Essential Content
LO1 Review the information requirements of organisations
Functional area information requirements:
Functional area information requirements:Finance and accounts for payroll, pensions, supplier payments and invoicing etc., human resources, e.g. employee records, personnel data, appraisals, continuing professional development (CPD) etc., stock control, sales, marketing, research and development, production, distribution, IT, customer service and administration.
Information needs:
Information needs:How different functional areas use and process data effectively, the integration of data and information in an organisation.
Requirements analysis:
The inputs, outputs and processing activities; information distribution requirements, e.g. by location, department, individual/customer.
LO2 Explore the types of information systems that are used within all levels of an organisation
Information systems types:
Business information systems, decision support systems, management information systems, strategic/executive information systems, office information systems, transaction processing systems, expert systems, global information systems, data warehouse systems, enterprise systems, enterprise resource planning systems, integrated information systems.
Categories of information systems:
Operational, tactical and strategic information systems.
Information and data:
Information and data:Definition of information and data, sources of information, information requirements and the needs for information at different levels in an organisation; storing information and its importance with regard to security, accuracy and relevance; outputs, e.g. payroll, invoicing, ordering, bookings, stock control, personnel records, goods tracking, decision making, marketing, customer service.
LO3 Demonstrate the use of an information system to produce management information
Management information:
Planning reports to include data required, sources of data, type of output expected, formatting and layout of data.
Reports, e.g. sales report, college enrolment statistics, marketing analysis (brick v click), trends in the market, competition and market share.
Gathering information:
Defining requirements; establishing sources of information; defining other factors to be considered, e.g. constraints and access to information.
Selecting information:
Analysis of information in terms of validity, accuracy, currency and relevancy; identifying and rationalising meaningful information from data sets.
Quality risks inherent in data and how to mitigate or resolve these.
Uses:
Proficiency in terms of accessing quality information that can be used for decision making, problem solving, predictions, trending and forecasting.
Understanding tasks, e.g. use of GDPR data, how organisations and industry have policies and procedures relating to those tasks.
LO4 Review the effectiveness of strategic information systems for global competitiveness
Models for strategic information systems:
Porter’s Competitive Advantage and Wiseman’s Strategic Planning Process.
Competitive advantage:
How competitive advantage be measured and attributed to the implementation of a strategic information system.
Gaining competitive advantage:
Delivering a differentiated product or service; delivering a product or service at a lower cost; specific segmentation of the market, e.g. targeted marketing to specific target audiences; innovative product or service design and implementation.
Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria
| Pass | Merit | Distinction |
| LO1 Review the information requirements of organisations |
D1 Evaluate the inputs, outputs and processing activities of a selected organisation. |
|
| P1 Discuss the information needs and requirements for the functional departments of an organisation.
P2 Produce an input/output (I/O) diagram to represent the data and information requirements of a functional department. |
M1 Compare different processing activities that occur within functional departments within an organisation. | |
| LO2 Explore the types of information systems that are used within all levels of an organisation |
D2 Differentiate between the function and purpose of information systems at different levels within an organisation. |
|
| P3 Describe the function of different information systems.
P4 Discuss the information needs required at differing levels within an organisation. |
M2 Analyse the effectiveness of information systems at the operational, tactical and strategic levels within an organisation. | |
| LO3 Demonstrate the use of an information system to produce management information | ||
| P5 Plan the design of a range of management reports for a given scenario.
P6 Produce a range of management reports using an information system for a given scenario. |
M3 Analyse how a range of reports can be used by an organisation for effective decision making and forecasting. | D3. Determine the constraints that an organisation can face when gathering data and information, and the importance of having data that is current, valid and accurate. |
| Pass | Merit | Distinction |
| LO4 Review the effectiveness of strategic information systems for global competitiveness | ||
| P7 Identify different models that can be applied to strategic information systems. | M4 Justify the ways in which an organisation can obtain competitive advantage in a global market. | D4 Evaluate how strategic information systems can contribute to the competitiveness of organisations. |
Recommended Resources
Textbooks
Bradford, M. (2014) Modern ERP. Select, Implement, and Use Today’s Advanced Business Systems. Lulu.com.
Peppard, J., Ward J. (2016) The Strategic Management of Information Systems: Building a Digital Strategy. 4th edn. John Wiley & Sons.
Stair, R. Reynolds, G. (2017) Fundamentals of Information Systems. 9th edn. Course Technology.
Whiteley, D. (2013) An Introduction to Information Systems. Palgrave Macmillan.
Journals
Information Systems Journal (Online)
The Journal of Strategic Information Systems (Online)
Links
This unit links to the following related units:
Unit 4 Database Design and Development
Unit 41: Database Management Systems.
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