Department of Accounting and Auditing
BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS — SEMESTER PROJECT GUIDE 2026
2BIS 102 • 2AIS 102
Date: 07 July 2026
Dear Student
This project is designed to sharpen your research skills, strengthen your soft skills, and deepen your
understanding of how digital transformation and innovation — powered by artificial intelligence,
automation and other emerging technologies — are reshaping business and public sector
development today. For many of you this will be your first full research project, so this guide does not
just describe the theme — it walks you, step by step, through how to turn that theme into your own
topic. You will work in a group to investigate how these technologies can be applied responsibly and
strategically to a real business, accounting, economic or governance problem. Alongside this, the
project will build your proficiency in MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel and MS Project — skills that
employers across every sector now expect.
This project should assist you in developing the following:
● Terminology: develop a clear understanding of key terms relating to artificial intelligence,
automation, cybersecurity, blockchain, cloud computing and other emerging technologies,
and explain them accurately in a business, accounting or public-sector context.
● Skill Development: gain practical experience using MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel and MS
Project to produce professional documents, presentations and project plans.
● Advanced Information Systems Concepts: learn how intelligent, automated systems are
designed and governed, and how they influence decision-making, service delivery and
organisational structure.
● Research Skills: carry out a small-scale, team-based mini-research project, from topic
formulation through to presentation of findings.
● Behavioural and Organisational Issues: identify managerial and organisational challenges
that arise when adopting new technologies, and propose practical, workable responses.
● International Issues: recognise how differences in infrastructure, regulation and culture
shape the adoption of these technologies across countries and regions.
● Social and Ethical Issues: understand the ethical, legal and privacy implications of data-
driven decision-making — including algorithmic bias, job displacement and data protection.
PROJECT THEME
Have you ever queued for hours at Home Affairs or a clinic, while your banking app processes a
payment in two seconds? Or watched a spaza shop owner track credit sales in an exercise book,
while big retailers use artificial intelligence to predict exactly what you'll buy next? That gap —
between what technology can already do, and how many South African businesses, government
offices and communities still operate — is exactly what this project asks you to explore.
In simple terms: digital transformation means using technology to change the way an organisation
works, so that it serves people better, faster and more fairly. Innovation means finding a new or
improved way of solving a problem. Put together, this project asks you to look closely at a real
organisation or sector, identify something in its existing system that is not working as well as it could,
and investigate how a technology from our theme — artificial intelligence, automation, cloud
computing, blockchain, mobile and e-commerce platforms, or another emerging technology — could
help fix it.
“DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND INNOVATION: HARNESSING ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE, AUTOMATION AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR
RESILIENT, SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS AND PUBLIC SECTOR DEVELOPMENT”
Why this theme? In more formal terms, this theme brings together two closely related ideas. The first is
digital transformation and innovation — the broad, strategic process by which organisations rethink
how they create value, serve customers or citizens, and compete in a changing world. The second is
the specific set of technologies driving that process today — artificial intelligence, automation, and
other emerging tools. Chapters 6–8, 13 and 14 of your prescribed textbook (data communication, the
internet, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and emerging trends) all point to the same underlying
story: businesses, accounting firms, government departments and NGOs are being reshaped by
intelligent, connected technology. This project asks you to explore that story — and what it means for
sustainable business and public sector development — in a field you know: Economics, Business
Management, Information Systems, Accounting, or Public Administration.
The 2026 project therefore explores how digital transformation initiatives, powered by artificial
intelligence, automation, cloud computing, blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT), and immersive
technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, can be harnessed to build smarter, more
innovative, more resilient and more sustainable businesses and public institutions. You will examine
how these technologies reshape decision-making, service delivery, financial management and
governance, while staying alert to the ethical, social and regulatory questions they raise.
Key Aspects (use these as a starting point for your own topic):
Together, the six pillars below represent different faces of one bigger process — digital transformation:
using AI, automation and emerging technology to innovate how businesses and public institutions
create value and serve people.
1. Intelligent Automation, Innovation & Decision-Making
○ How AI, machine learning and expert systems support forecasting, pricing, credit-risk
assessment and other business decisions.
○ How robotic process automation (RPA) is reducing cost and human error in repetitive
tasks such as bookkeeping, auditing and claims processing.
2. Connected Infrastructure & Data-Driven Organisations
○ How data communication networks, the internet, intranets and extranets enable real-
time information-sharing between departments, branches and stakeholders.
○ How reliable digital infrastructure supports remote work, e-learning and service
delivery in under-resourced areas.
3. Digital Commerce, FinTech & Financial Inclusion
○ How e-commerce platforms, mobile money and digital wallets extend market access
and financial services to previously excluded individuals and small businesses.
○ How digital payment systems, web marketing and search engine optimisation create
competitive advantage.
4. Trust, Security & Governance in the Digital Age
○ Cybersecurity risks, data-privacy regulation (e.g. South Africa's POPI Act) and the
ethical use of data in an increasingly connected organisation.
○ How blockchain and distributed ledger technology can increase transparency in supply
chains, procurement and record-keeping.
5. Emerging & Immersive Technologies
○ Practical applications of cloud computing, Software as a Service (SaaS), the Internet of
Things, virtual and augmented reality, and quantum computing in business, education
or government.
○ The costs, benefits and adoption barriers of these technologies for small and medium
enterprises.
6. Smart, Sustainable & Resilient Business and Public Sector Development
○ How the responsible use of AI and emerging technologies can support the UN
Sustainable Development Goals — e.g. decent work, industry innovation, and reduced
inequality.
○ Strategies for scaling successful digital initiatives while remaining mindful of skills
gaps, infrastructure limits and job-displacement risks.
FROM THEME TO TOPIC: FINDING YOUR RESEARCH GAP
Turning a broad theme into your own specific, researchable topic is usually the hardest part of a first
research project. It is also the most important research skill this project teaches you — one you will
use again in every research task for the rest of your studies. Here is the method we want every group to
follow.
Step 1 — Pick a sector or organisation. Choose a type of organisation you find interesting or already
know something about — for example a small business, a spaza shop, a school, a clinic, a taxi rank, a
municipal office, a bank, a farm, or an NGO.
Step 2 — Describe the existing system. Think about how that organisation currently does things. Is it
paper-based? Manual? Slow? Not connected to the internet? Using outdated software? This is the
‘existing system’ you will study.
Step 3 — Find the gap. Ask yourself: what is going wrong, missing, slow, unfair, risky, or excluding
people in that existing system? This gap — the problem — is the heart of your research question. A
strong topic always starts from a real gap, not just from a technology you find exciting.
Step 4 — Connect the gap to a technology. Look back at the six pillars above. Which one — AI,
automation, connectivity, digital commerce, cybersecurity/blockchain, or an emerging technology —
could realistically help close that gap?
Step 5 — Write your topic. Combine the gap and the technology into one clear sentence, using the
formula below.
[Technology] + [what it could do] + [the gap / problem] + [in this context or location]
Step 6 — Check your topic. Before you bring your three candidate topics to your lecturer for approval,
check: Is it specific enough to complete in one semester? Does it fit your field of study? Will you be
able to find at least 05 credible, traceable sources on it (peer-reviewed articles, textbooks, or
reputable reports)? Avoid vague topics like ‘AI in business’ — aim for something as specific as the
worked examples below.
Worked examples (illustrative)
These are teaching examples only, built to show you how the method works — they are not existing
published studies, and you should not cite them as sources. Use them as a model, then research and
develop your own topic properly once it is approved.
Business Management
Existing system: Many small township retailers still track stock and credit sales in an exercise book or
from memory.
Gap: There is no easy way to predict which products are about to run out, leading to lost sales, wasted
stock, or unhappy customers.
Possible topic: Investigating how AI-based demand forecasting tools could help reduce stockouts and
waste in small township retail businesses.
Accounting
Existing system: Many small businesses and accounting practices still reconcile invoices, receipts
and expenses manually at month-end.
Gap: Manual reconciliation is slow, prone to human error, and delays financial reporting and decision-
making.
Possible topic: Assessing the adoption of robotic process automation (RPA) for invoice reconciliation
among small accounting practices.
Economics
Existing system: Many informal traders operate on a cash-only basis, with no digital record of their
sales.
Gap: Without a digital transaction history, informal traders struggle to access credit, loans, or formal
financial services.
Possible topic: Exploring how digital payment adoption could improve financial inclusion for informal
traders in [your area].
Public Administration
Existing system: Citizens often queue in person at Home Affairs or municipal offices for basic
documents and services.
Gap: Long queues and travel costs place a heavier burden on rural or low-income citizens, and slow
down service delivery generally.
Possible topic: Assessing the potential of digital or mobile government platforms to improve service
delivery at [a named municipal office].
Information Systems
Existing system: Many small organisations store sensitive customer or staff data in shared
spreadsheets or unprotected folders.
Gap: This creates a high risk of data breaches and non-compliance with South Africa's Protection of
Personal Information Act (POPIA).
Possible topic: Evaluating cybersecurity practices and POPIA compliance among small digital
businesses in [your area].
Remember: your group must propose at least three candidate topics developed this way for your
lecturer's approval before research begins — see ‘Topic Formulation and Approval’ below.
WHAT IS EXPECTED FROM YOU
● Minutes: regular group meetings are required, with minutes recorded in Microsoft Word using a
formal, standard format.
● Reports: compile a formal report on group interactions — attendance, contributions, issues
and conflict resolution — using Microsoft Word reporting templates.
● Gantt Chart: provide a Gantt chart showing the planning and milestones of your work, from
preparation through to final presentation (MS Project or Excel).
● Final Document: investigate how digital transformation, AI, automation or another emerging
technology can be applied to a real business, accounting, economic or public-sector problem,
within the theme “Digital Transformation and Innovation.” Use the gap-finding method above to
gather and curate information relevant to your field of study, and formulate a specific, focused
topic linked to the theme.
● PowerPoint Presentation: prepare a concise, visually engaging slide deck summarising the
key aspects of your project — maximum 10 slides, 10-minute presentation, clear and focused.
● Declaration: sign and submit a declaration form confirming the active participation of all group
members.
SUGGESTED TOPICS
The topics below show the gap-to-topic method already applied. Use them as inspiration, and use the
same method to build an entirely new topic of your own — the final topic must still be approved by
the lecturer before research begins.
1. AI-Powered Decision Support for Small Business Growth (Business Management / Economics)
Gap: Many small and medium enterprises currently rely on guesswork rather than data when
forecasting demand, pricing products, or assessing risk.
Focus: How AI-driven analytics and expert systems can help SMEs make these decisions more
effectively.
2. Smart Auditing: Automation and Data Analytics in the Modern Audit (Accounting)
Gap: Traditional audits are often slow, sample-based, and reliant on manual checking, which can miss
anomalies.
Focus: How robotic process automation, AI-based anomaly detection and continuous-auditing tools
are reshaping the day-to-day work of accountants and auditors.
3. E-Government and Digital Public Service Delivery (Public Administration)
Gap: Many municipal and government processes still rely on in-person queues and paper forms,
causing delays and excluding people who cannot easily travel.
Focus: How online portals, data networks and automation can improve service delivery and reduce
administrative delay.
4. Cybersecurity and Data Privacy in a Hyperconnected Organisation (Information Systems)
Gap: Many organisations collect large amounts of customer or citizen data without adequate
protection, risking breaches and non-compliance with POPIA.
Focus: The ethical, legal and technical challenges organisations face in protecting customer or citizen
data from cyber threats.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR GROUP PROJECTS
Presentation Format
Group presentations will be formal PowerPoint presentations. Slides should summarise the key
aspects of the project with clear visuals and concise text.
Dress Code and Professionalism
Presentation attire contributes to the overall group evaluation. Please adhere to a professional dress
code during the presentation.
Group Formation and Roles
Each group must appoint a group leader and a secretary. The secretary is responsible for taking
meeting minutes, documenting discussions and distributing them to the group. The group leader must
submit a report after every meeting detailing the group's progress, individual contributions and
behaviour.
Topic Formulation and Approval
During the initial stages, each group must propose at least three candidate topics for approval,
developed using the gap-to-topic method above. Topics must align with the project theme and be
relevant to the course objectives. Research cannot commence until the lecturer has approved the
chosen topic — only approved topics are permitted.
Group Stability
Once groups have been formed and topics approved, no member may leave the group or join another
group without the lecturer's explicit permission, or a valid, approved reason.
Time Management and Submissions
All project milestones have designated time frames. Failure to meet these deadlines will result in a
deduction of marks for the group. Weekly submissions are mandatory and contribute to the overall
assessment of the project.
DOCUMENT LAYOUT
Introduction
○ State the research question.
○ Explain the importance of the question.
○ Discuss the issues involved.
○ Explain the value of resolving these issues.
○ Outline the implications and consequences of addressing these issues.
Review of the Literature
○ Identify previous research relevant to the question.
○ Summarise and explain how each source deals with the subject and its findings.
○ State the relevance of each source to your research question.
○ Discuss what you learned from each source and how it contributes to answering your
research question.
Methodology
○ Detail the project design, research approach, data collection methods, instruments,
and analysis techniques.
○ Explain how information was obtained and the processes used.
Discussion
○ Provide your answer to the research question.
○ Elaborate on how each reviewed source helps answer the question.
○ Identify remaining questions about the topic.
Conclusion
○ Summarise the conclusions drawn from the literature review.
○ Discuss how each source contributed to your conclusions.
○ Explain the implications and potential consequences of your conclusions.
○ Highlight the social significance of these implications.
Documentation
○ Include a References section with full, accurate publication details for every source
used, in APA format.
○ A minimum of 05 credible sources is required (peer-reviewed articles, textbooks, or
reputable industry/government reports); failure to meet this minimum will result in a
lower evaluation.
○ Every source must be genuine and traceable — do not cite or invent sources that
cannot be verified. Fabricated references will be treated as an academic integrity
violation.
Submission Instructions
○ Submit your final document electronically for a Turnitin similarity check before printing.
○ Screenshot and print the Turnitin report, and file it with the rest of the document.
○ Bring your complete hard-copy research document (everything included) to the
presentation for scoring.
MARK ALLOCATION
(As per the module's assessment plan.)
Component Weight
Theory (Test & Quiz) 10%
Practical (SAM assessments) 40%
Project & Presentation 50%
Formative Assessment subtotal 50% of final mark
Summative Assessment (Theory & Practical) 50% of final mark
Total 100%
At the end of the project there will be awards for the best-performing group. Each group will be
assigned a tutor/mentor to supervise its progress.
Kindly consult the contact details below, or MIS tutors at the MIS Lab, D-Block, 1st Floor, for any
enquiries.
Kind Regards,
Ms Nomusa Mdletshe
Lecturer, Department of Accounting and Auditing (Management Information Systems)
mdletsheng@[Link] | Tel: +27 (0)35 902 6187 | Office 122, D-Block, 1st Floor
For consultations you may also contact the module interns:
S Sikhakhane — Sikhakhanes@[Link] — 073 464 6113 – Office 122 | SW Nxele —
NxeleSW@[Link] — 079 933 3382 – Office 120