Faculty
Lars Frank, Associate professor

Course Coordinator
Lars Frank, Associate professor

Basic knowledge in data modeling. That is the students should know how to make an ER-diagram and a relational model.

The functions of a company’s value or supply chains should be integrated, i.e. the functions should operate on consistent data. In the old days, the functions of the value chain operated on their own data, and therefore, the systems were not integrated. Nowadays, databases make it possible for different functions to operate on common data, and therefore it should be easy to make integrated systems. ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems are examples of how to integrate the functions of the value chain by using a common database. However, in practice companies have often integration problems because they often have more than one legacy system. These different legacy systems often focus on differen functions in the value chain, but it is also possible that distributed companies or companies that have bought other companies may have different legacy systems that are used to solve the same functions.

The content of this course can be divided in theory and practical cases with exercises. The cases correspond to integrating heterogeneous modules in ERP systems as e.g. traditional sale, e-commerce, procurement, accounting, CRM (Costumer Relations Management), HRM (Human Resource Management), production, inventory management, logistics, and other functions in the value chain. In addition, the cases also focus on different lines of industry such as B2C, B2B, financial services, insurance, health care, transportation companies, production companies etc.
The theoretical part of the course focus on the following issues:

· Description of the modules of an ERP systems that are going to be integrated.

· Workflow theory that is a tool to describe coccurrent functional interaction between IT systems themselves and between IT systems and humans.

· SOA services and other inernet techniques that may be used to integrate distributed systems.

· The technical problems of system integration may be described by the concept of ACID (Atomicity, Consistancy, Isolation, Durability) properties. Heterogeneous systems do not have the traditional ACID (Atomicity, Consistancy, Isolation, Durability) properties and therefore, they cannot be consistent. That is you cannot trust the values of the data you read in the database. By describing the problems that may occur when a system does not have ACID properties it is possible to solve or reduce the consistency problems.

· Databases and applications with relaxed ACID properties can normally solve the problems of the missing ACID properties. That is, data should from a user point of view function as if the traditional ACID properties have been implemented. That is nothing can go wrong if the user trust the data that the user read or update in the database.

· There are no general solution to designing relaxed ACID properties for a system because the best solution is always application dependend. Therefore, analyzing and describing the business functions, ERP modules, and legacy systems of a company are an important part of this course.

Teaching methods: Lectures integrated with exercises and discussion of the solutions. It is expected that each student is responcible of a lecture that presents the theori from one of the chapters in the required readings. The student lectures may last up to 20 minits and may also use exercises folowed by discussions.

Student groups of 3-5 persons are responcible for a presentation of their work with the mini project. The presentation may last up to 20 minits.

Background theory that only are used indirecly in the maxi project is often made self study.

Supervising the project groups and discussion of the solutions are also part of the teaching methods.

The course qualifies the students as the business representative in integration projects.

Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:

· Describe the interaction between humens and IT systems by using workflow diagrams.

· Describe a complex system integration case of their own choice by using workflow diagrams.

· Identify and describe consistency and/or anomaly problems in integrating different IT systems.

· Analyze, evaluate and describe how to upgrate or migrate to another IT system.

Miniproject, Recommended group size is 4.

(Max. 10 A4-pages per individual project. Max. 15 A4-pages for groups of 2-5 students)

The exam form is oral individual examination (20 min) based on the miniproject. All types of exam aids are allowed at the exam exept internet access.
The class will have an internal censor.

Recommended literature: