If your organization is serious about reducing costs and improving customer service, proper systems integration is essential. Penn State can help you achieve your goals through its unique and comprehensive Systems Integration Series - a multicourse certificate program exploring current issues, trends, and technologies in both intrabusiness and interbusiness enterprise systems integration. Penn State is a recognized leader in IT education. As a participant in this program, you'll benefit from cutting-edge thinking coming out of the University's newly formed Enterprise Integration Consortium. Expert instructor Brian H. Cameron and guest speakers from the IT industry will supply insight and direction regarding the current issues and technologies in enterprise systems integration. Participants can learn about:

- Key drivers for enterprise systems integration

- Planning and implementing systems integration projects

- Current and emerging systems integration technologies

- Developing an enterprise framework for technology evaluation and selection

- Current trends and issues in business-to-business systems integration You must complete four of the six offered courses for the certificate.

This course provides the foundation needed to transform financial and accounting language and concepts into decision-making tools that the aspiring IT leader can use successfully every day. Course participants will return to their jobs ready to apply the fundamentals of business case development to assess the financial viability of projects, effectively present new ideas, and gain support needed for successful implementations. Participants in this course will learn how to:

- Develop and communicate effective business cases

- Incorporate financial concepts and policies into business cases and project justifications

- Evaluate projects from a business case standpoint

- Communicate effectively with financial executives and decision makers

- Use financial language and accounting concepts to convince others to buy into decisions

This course provides the foundation needed to plan and implement successful systems integration projects. Course participants will return to their jobs ready to apply the fundamentals project planning, process analysis, workflow modeling and the use of six sigma tools and methodologies in systems integration projects. Participants in this course will learn how to:

- Understand key drivers for enterprise systems integration

- Define requirements for systems integration projects

- Understand project management methodologies as they apply to systems integration projects

- Evaluate systems integration tools and methodologies

In today's changing business environment, project and program leaders must deliver under great pressure. Project and program management skills such as the abilities to manage tight budgets and deadlines, organize resources, and control change throughout projects are of vital importance. IT projects present some unique challenges because IT projects are often more visionary than traditional projects and often start with only vague ideas of what the stakeholders want to accomplish. In this course, you learn how to successfully plan, manage and deliver technical projects and programs Participants in this course will learn how to:

- Produce project and program plans with high rates of success

- Apply leadership skills needed to deliver projects on time and on budget

- Manage complex projects and programs by applying appropriate tools and techniques

- Identify stakeholders and effectively market projects within the organization

- Implement recruitment and retention strategies for project team success

This course provides the foundation needed to evaluate and select enterprise systems integration technologies and solutions needed for a successful systems integration project. The course participants will leave the course with an understanding of the key technologies and trends in enterprise systems integration. Participants in this course will learn how to:

- Understand key factors in a systems integration architecture plan

- Explore and assess leading systems integration technologies

- Gain hands-on exposure to popular systems integration tools

- Develop a plan for technology evaluation and adoption

In today’s rapidly changing business environment, organizations are under pressure to effect fast systems implementation and effectively manage change. Technology change, in particular, presents unique change management issues that impact the entire organization. The IT leader, especially, plays a significant role as an organizational change agent In this course, you will develop an understanding of the role the IT professional plays in supporting, communicating, and leading technological change. You also gain the critical knowledge and skills needed to implement systems successfully within your organization and to effectively manage change. Participants in this course will learn how to:

- Select an implementation team

- Identify customer satisfiers

- Allocate responsibility/authority for business practices

- Identify symptoms of process dysfunction

- Develop a new business process

This course provides the foundation needed to understand the issues, trends, and technologies utilized when integrating information systems with those of your business partners. Course participants will leave the course with an understanding of the need, challenges, and strategies for systems integration as it relates to integration a company’s business partner and companies in the supply chain. Participants in this course will learn how to:

- Understand key drivers for B2B systems integration

- Develop a “big picture” strategy for B2B systems integration

- Develop a justification for B2B systems integration