CSM1810 - SOFTWARE MANAGEMENT AND THE SOFTWARE INDUSTRY

Module Identifier	CSM1810
Module Title	SOFTWARE MANAGEMENT AND THE SOFTWARE INDUSTRY
Academic Year	2001/2002
Co-ordinator	Mr Christopher Loftus
Semester	Available all semesters
Pre-Requisite	CSM1710
Course delivery	Contact Hours	34 Hours plus around 45 hours of self study and practical work
Assessment	Course work	A single piece of course workbased on the student's own research	100%
Further details	http://www.aber.ac.uk/compsci/ModuleInfo/CSM1810

General description

To contribute to the IT policy of an organisation or to participate in the management of an IT supplier, the computer professional must understand how the software industry works - the role of the different types of company, procurement practices, contractual practice, handling of intellectual property rights, and so on. These are the ideas presented in this module.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module, students should:

understand the structure of the software industry, including the nature and functions of major groups of players;

understand the software acquisition process, seen both from the supplier and the customer side, and including both packaged and bespoke software;

be able to participate in a major software acquisition in an informed way;

understand the nature of the commercial decisions that are faced by both suppliers and customers;

appreciate relevant legal issues.

Syllabus

Structure of the Software Industry
Software suppliers, software developers, systems houses and user organisations. Typical organisational and financial structures. Evaluating the soundness of a potential supplier; key parameters. Typical weaknesses.

Acquisition Procedures
Building a tender list. Selecting a short list. Choosing the winner. Public procurement and the legislative framework. Standard acquisition procedures. Bespoke procurement v. package procurement.

Contracts
Different types of contract: fixed price, time and materials, consultancy. Limits on freedom of contract: liability, unfair terms.

Intellectual Property Rights
Different types of intellectual property. Protection of IPRs in software and in material distributed over the Internet. European and US practice.

Regulatory Requirements
General statutes and regulations relating to liability for defective software. The regulatory regimes governing software in specific industries. The pharmaceutical industry as a case study.

Professionalism and Ethics
What is a profession? The structure of professions. Professional codes of conduct and codes of practice. Ethics in general and different approaches. Professional codes of conduct in the light of these.

Aims

The aim of this module is to give students an understanding of how the software industry works.

Reading Lists

Books
** Should Be Purchased
M F Bott, J A Coleman, J Eaton and D Rowland. (2001) Professional Issues in Software Engineering. 3rd. Pitman 0748409513