critically appraise the implications of the way in which Enterprise-Wide Systems affect people, processes, structures and operational management, and be able to identify and define potential problems and solutions.

4.    identify and explain the major objectives, critical success factors and characteristics of Enterprise-Wide Systems and their implementation.

Word Count 2000 maximum (as specified by the BIMO Coursework length protocol)

A Critical Literature Review
You are required to carry a critical review of peer-reviewed academic articles choosing one of the following areas:

•    Enterprise wide Systems and Supply Chain Management;
•    Business Intelligence and Supply Chain Management;
•    Business Process Management and Supply Chain Integration;
•    Competitive Intelligence and Supply Chain Management;
•    Adopting an Information Strategy;
•    Information Management and Change Management (Business Transformation).
•    Information Management and Supply Chain Management.

This task requires the selection of a minimum of five (5) articles taken from at least three (3) different journals and different editions where the same journal is selected.  The length of these articles should be a minimum of ten (10) pages, excluding the references or diagrams.  Shorter journals can still be used to support your position or arguments but cannot be included as one of the five core articles.

Within the area of your choice, you will need to focus your Review.  For example, Business Intelligence and SCM could have a focus on Supplier Relationship Management or on role of BI in procurement.

Students who wish to choose another technology related area and develop a topic from this are welcome to BUT they must get approval from the module leader to ensure the topic relates to the learning outcomes.

See below page 7 for detailed guidance to conduct a critical review.
Word Count
The length of paper should be between 1500 and 2000 words, exceeding this limit will be penalised, see below, it will be difficult to achieve good marks if below this limit.

Marking Schema
Introduction;            20%
•    An overview of the topic chosen and the articles chosen, justification, relevance, coherence.
Critical Review;            30%
•    Summary of research findings,
•    Relevance of Conclusions.
Critical Analysis;        40%
•    Gaps in research,
•    Strengths of the papers,
•    Weaknesses of the papers,
•    Value of arguments/findings,
•    Where should future research focus?
General            10%
•    Full bibliographic details for each of the core articles
•    Referencing [this is separate to the bibliographic details of the core articles]
•    Structure and Presentation – including use of UK English
•    Word Count omission/over limit    minus ___ marks

Word Count
The length of paper should be between 1500 and 2000 words.
No statement of word length    Deduct 2 marks  (an estimate of the word length will be made and if it is over the limit further deductions will be made as below)
1-100 excess words    Deduct 1 mark
101 or more excess words    Deduct 1 mark per 50 words started after the first excess 100
Seriously incorrect statement of word length    Deduct 5 marks and other penalties as above appropriate to the estimated word length.

FORMAT STYLE LAYOUT
Layout Style
The assignment should be presented as a paper of between 1500 and 2000 words in length, excluding appendices and reference list. It should be of a professional academic journal standard and have the following elements:
•    Front Title Page: with Paper Title, Task, Full Name, Student Number, and Word Count.
•    Core Literature Review: see also earlier instructions for content and layout;
•    Reference List: giving details of any sources, in Harvard format, you have used in your research (do not separate the types of sources, and include full details for ALL sources).
•    Appendices: as required – containing any relevant supplementary material supporting your paper. Note: Appendices do not attract marks and are rarely used in academic papers.
Format to be used:
•    The paper should be presented in Tahoma or Verdana font, 12 pitch.
•    Footnotes should be avoided they are not suitable for referencing.
•    A digital copy of this assessment must be submitted, detailed instructions of how to perform this task will be given on BB and in class.
Notes
‘Text book’ style information may be necessary, but there are no marks for text book quotes, only for your interpretation (and referencing) of such items in the specific context of this case.  Marks are given for ability to complete the requirements indicated in the stated Task and the insights you provide, and an appropriate argument with the necessary support and evidence used as proof of your research and analysis.

Westminster Business School: Department of Business Information Management & Operations

Electronic Submission of Coursework
Unless explicitly stated otherwise in writing by the module leader, all coursework on this module is submitted via Blackboard only. It will automatically be scanned through a text matching system (designed to check for possible plagiarism).
YOU MUST include your name and student ID on the first page of your assignment.
To submit your assignment:
•    Log on to Blackboard at http://learning.westminster.ac.uk;
•    Go to the relevant module Blackboard site;
•    Click on the ‘Submit Coursework’ link in the navigation menu on the left-hand side, or as advised by the module teaching team;
•    Click on the link for the relevant assignment;
•    Follow the instructions.
•    You will be given details by the module teaching team about how and when you will receive your marks and feedback on your work.

REMEMBER:
It is a requirement that you submit your work in this way. All coursework must be submitted by 13.00 (1pm) on the due date. If you submit your coursework late but within 24 hours or one working day of the specified deadline, 10% of the overall marks available for that element of assessment will be deducted, as a penalty for late submission, except for work which is marked in the range 50 – 59%, in which case the mark will be capped at the pass mark (50%). If you submit your coursework more than 24 hours or more than one working day after the specified deadline you will be given a mark of zero for the work in question. The University’s mitigating circumstances procedures relating to the non-submission or late submission of coursework apply to all coursework.

4BIT7E4  Business Process Integration with SAP
COURSEWORK MARK SHEET

STUDENT    ……                    ID     …..

Introduction: Choice of suitable articles;    20%    %
An overview of the topic chosen and the articles chosen, justification, relevance, coherence

Critical Review;    30%    %

•    Summary of research findings

•    Relevance of Conclusions

Critical Analysis;    40%    %

•    Gaps in research
•    Strengths of the paper
•    Weaknesses of the paper
•    Value of arguments/findings
•    Where should future research focus?

General    10%     %
•    Full bibliographic details for each of the articles
•    Referencing
•    Structure and Presentation – including use of UK English
•    Word Count omission/over limit    minus ___ marks

DATE    …..        MARKER    …..

WHAT IS A CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW
The literature review should not merely state what has been published but a critique should be carried out.  Controversies or disagreements among academics should be spotted and the student should endeavour to take a stand that is logically argued out.  Gaps in knowledge, ideas not fully tested and areas for further research can also be spotted from study of existing literature.  Used in this way, academic underpinning from literature review can provide question, a research hypothesis or problem to be investigated.  Academic underpinning can at so enlighten your investigation, support your methods (including measuring instruments) and provide criteria for evaluating your findings.

Reviewing the Literature
The literature review is very important as a means of establishing what is already known about the topic you are researching, what gaps there are, and what sorts of theoretical frameworks and concepts are currently being used by researchers in the area.  Your search and review of the literature should also enable you to refine, and maybe reformulate, the questions that you posed at the outset, and perhaps to identify new ones that can be incorporated.  While it is important not to be overawed by the literature, it is also essential to ensure, as far as possible, what is already known.

The process of searching the relevant literature is a means to an end.  That end is more than a comprehensive and extensive listing of already published theoretical work and research that is pertinent to your topic or research methodology.  These sources need to be related to one another and analysed and evaluated in a critical way (note that’ critical’ does not imply only negativity but rather an evaluation of both strengths and limitations). On any issue of significance views being expressed you will find contrasting seemingly, conflicting evidence being cited and different theoretical perspectives being called in to play.  Invariably, it is just these existing contrasts, conflicts and differences which prompt the questions which researchers seek to answer.

One key feature of a critical literature review is to attempt to impose an order on these differences to identify the main protagonist and how they relate to one another and to show which research evidence contributes to which arguments, and why. A further important part of the review process is the scrutiny of the research methodology employed and the form of analysis of the data collected.  Do different positions on an issue derive from the nature of the evidence on which they are based and the ways in which that evidence was gathered? Are the conclusions justified on the basis of the evidence available?

These articles must have been published since 1990 in a peer-reviewed journal,  check via the Publisher of the Journals website to ensure that the article/s are peer reviewed.  Online journals are acceptable but consultancy whitepapers are not (see www.scholar.google.com).  Articles may include case study examples or surveys, or may be purely theoretical

In summary, your Literature Review should be:
•    relevant: to one or more of the research papers each can be seen topics being considered; each text discussed to bear in some significant way upon these questions/hypotheses;
•    coherent: the discussion of the different texts makes clear their relationships to each other;
•    forward looking: indicating any gaps in the literature areas for further and/or potential exploration;
•    analytical and critically reflective: not just a listing and description.

It is important that students do NOT write an essay and the review MUST cover the following in a suitable manner:

1.    The parameters of the research and the inclusion criteria;
2.    The key questions to be pursued;
3.    The keywords to be used (including any modifications during the search period);
4.    Which sources were searched;
5.    The record for each item covered should include:
•    a description of the research design, methods and purpose (including any missing evidence) and an assessment of its likely reliability
•    a summary of the research findings (the crux of this approach) of the research
6.    The relevant research should be grouped by question and by type of research (with, for example, survey-based projects grouped and considered together) and the answers to the questions should then be offered;
7.    Final Considerations:
•    What gaps remain?
•    Which questions have not been answered or have only been partially answered?
•    Where should future research be looking?
ACHIEVING YOUR POTENTIAL
To achieve a Pass with a mark of 50% to 59%, you must:
Paper Structure
•    Write a clear literature review;
•    Demonstrate in writing a basic understanding of the topic;
•    Include in your paper appropriately selected and arranged reference material;
•    Quotes and reference sources to an accepted standard.
Paper Content
•    Presents a suitable literature review;
•    A good range of sources;
•    An analysis of the literature reviewed.
To achieve a mark of 60- to 69%, you must:
Satisfy the above plus:
Paper Structure
•    Write a clear literature review with evidence of analysis;
•    Demonstrate a depth of understanding of the topic;
•    Critically analyse and evaluate relevant source material.
Paper Content
•    Answer the question set, identify issues and propose or develop solutions;
•    Well structured with all the expected elements;
•    A critical and well structured review.
To achieve a mark of 70% to 79%, you must:
Satisfy the above plus:
Paper Structure
•    Bring all of the elements of the answer together into a coherent and critical whole;
•    Show clear evidence of insight into the topic, to support and act as justification;
•    Considered and supported for further research opportunities.
Paper Content
•    Active and critical analysis
•    Justified and innovative examples projecting the research into the future.
To achieve a mark over 80%, you must
Satisfy the above plus:
Paper Structure
•    All of the elements must form an appropriately and well presented coherent and critical whole.
Paper Content
•    Show real insight into the issues, with clear evidence of analytical thinking. e.g. originality in thinking or an innovative approach or proposed solution.