BSYS101: Business Systems & Drivers
15 credits
All organisations need to remain relevant to deliver value to their markets, customers or public and this means a process of keeping abreast of how to continually deliver products and services that are at least as good as they can get elsewhere, if not better.
Computer systems are essential components of a business's armoury, and help to deliver their produsts and services to the market. Understanding what a computer system needs to do means being aware of the commercial drivers for that system - being commercially aware.
Being commercially aware means understanding what your organisation exists to do, and the context it operates within. It means having a good understanding of your organisation, how it works, who its customers are, how it adds value to them and what influences your success and the overall performance of the organisation.
Every organisation is subject to internal and external factors that mean reacting to change and developing strategies to respond to them are a key activity for managers. This course will help you to address the ongoing process of adapting and responding to the external environment while adjusting to what happens inside your organisation. You will consider how in today’s complex organisations it is not acceptable to “do your own thing” without understanding the consequences elsewhere. It is not simply a matter of understanding your role, but how you fit into the big picture. Commercial awareness is not simply about acquiring a body of knowledge but rather a continuous dynamic process of recognising what affects your business now, and how it could be affected in the future. This means understanding customers and stakeholders, the work of colleagues, partners and competitors and how your role relates to them.
This module will explore how common commercial computer systems, particularly web-based services, can contribute to the various commercial drivers experienced by a company.
Skills Contributions
Source
developed from Open University short course BG020: Commercial Awareness