Introduction

Hey there! I’m currently studying BSc (Hons) Software Engineering at Bournemouth University, and I wanted to share a bit about one of the coolest parts of our course: Computing in Business (CiB). It’s a big deal in our Department, partnered with J.P. Morgan, who plays the role of clients for our assignment. They even throw in a mini-competition, though our grades don’t depend on it.

BU Course Overview

CiB is divided into these units: Intro to Reliable Computing Systems (this changes depending on your pathway) and Computing & Society, which are fully CiB-based, and Data Management, which is half CiB and half exam.

Our group on exhibition day!

Lead up to CiB

Before CiB kicks off, we start prepping early in the semester. We got sorted into groups of up to eight—mine had a mix of Computing, Cyber Security, and Business Computing students. We had a few meetings to get to know each other and plan ahead with the materials we’d need for CiB.

CiB Experience

Tuesday 7th May

CiB officially started with a fancy launch event and a talk from J.P. Morgan. Then we dove into interviews with different stakeholders to figure out what we needed for our Incident Response System.

Wednesday 8th May

We spent the day finalising interview questions and nailing down our system requirements. It was all about dividing up tasks and making sure we hit deadlines, especially for Computing & Society and Data Management. Some of us tackled the Sustainability Report (C&S) and Database (DM)—I loved diving into databases, so that was my jam. Others worked on the system interface, risk assessment, and business report.

Thursday 9th May

Everyone focused on their specific tasks, making sure everything was coming together smoothly.

Friday 10th May

We were in full swing, putting finishing touches on the Sustainability Report, SQL stuff, ERD diagrams, risk assessment, business report, and system interface.

Monday 13th May

With the Sustainability Report and Database done, we turned our attention to polishing the system interface and finalising the risk assessment and business report. I ended up taking on a bit more of a management role to keep everything organised.

Tuesday 14th May

We were in crunch mode, adding final touches to the risk assessment and business report, and documenting our system interface. I also started piecing together a PowerPoint for our video presentation.

Wednesday 15th May

The risk assessment got wrapped up, freeing up some team members to help finalise the business report. Meanwhile, we were putting the finishing touches on the system interface and getting ready to edit our video for submission.

Thursday 16th May

Everything was done and dusted—final tweaks were made, and we prepped our exhibition stand, printing out our best work to showcase.

Friday 17th May

Exhibition day was here! We set up our table with printed materials and laptops showcasing our system. Feedback was mixed, but we got some great comments overall. Winning the J.P. Morgan competition wasn’t our focus—getting a solid grade was what we aimed for.

Find out more

Computing & Informatics department