B. Information Technology (IS) CISB434: Decision Support Systems Chapter 6: Collaborative Technologies & Group Support Systems

Learning Objectives Describe the basic concepts and pro-cesses of groupwork, communication, and collaboration Explain how computer systems facili-tate communication and collaboration in an enterprise Explain the concepts and importance of the time/place framework

Learning Objectives Explain the underlying principles and capabilities of groupware Group Support Systems (GSS) Describe indirect support for decision making, especially in synchronous envi-ronments

Learning Objectives Understand the concept of GDSS and describe how to structure an electronic meeting in a decision room Describe the three settings of GDSS Describe specifically how a GDSS uses parallelism and anonymity Explain how GDSS lead to process/task gains and losses

Learning Objectives Examine how the Web enables collaborative computing and group support of virtual meetings Describe the role of emerging technologies in supporting collaboration Define creativity and how it can be facilitated by computers

Collaborative Technologies & Group Support Systems Basic Concepts of Groupwork

Concepts of Groupwork Definition Any work being performed by more than one person

Concepts of Groupwork Characteristics of Groupwork A group performs a task sometimes decision making, sometimes not Group members may be located in different places Group members may work at different times Group members may work for the same or different organization A group can be permanent or tempo-rary A group can be at one managerial level or can span several levels

Concepts of Groupwork Characteristics of Groupwork There can be synergy - leading to process and task gains - or conflict in groupwork There can be gains and/or losses in productivity from groupwork The task may have to be accomplished very quickly It is impossible or too expensive for all team members to meet in one place especially for emergency purposes Some of the needed data, information, or knowledge may be located in many sources some may be external to the organization

Concepts of Groupwork Characteristics of Groupwork The expertise of non-team members may be needed Groups perform many tasks but groups of managers and analysts con-centrate on decision making The decisions made by a group are easier to implement if supported by all - or at least most - members

Concepts of Groupwork Group Decision-Making Process The decision situation is important, it is advisable to make it in a group usually in a meeting Meeting A joint activity engaged in by a group of people typically of equal or nearly equal status

Concepts of Groupwork Group Decision-Making Process The outcome of a meeting depends partly on the participants knowledge opinions judgements support to the outcome

Concepts of Groupwork Group Decision-Making Process The outcome of a meeting depends on the composition of the group the decision making process the group uses Differences in opinions are settled by the ranking person present or, through negotiation or arbitration

Concepts of Groupwork Group Decision-Making Process The members of a group can be in one place, meeting face-to-face, or a virtual team, in which case they are in different places while in a meeting Virtual Team A team whose members are in different places while in a meeting together

Concepts of Groupwork Benefits & Dysfunctions The process of group decision-making can create benefits and dysfunctions Process gains In GSS, improvements in the effectiveness of the activities of a meeting Process losses In GSS, degradation in the effectiveness of the activities of a meeting

Concepts of Groupwork Benefits & Dysfunctions Groupthink In a meeting, continual reinforcement of an idea by group members

Concepts of Groupwork Improving the Meeting Process Nominal group technique (NGT) A simple brainstorming process for non-electronic meetings Delphi method A qualitative forecasting methodology using anonymous questionnaires Effective for technological forecasting and for forecasting involving sensitive issues

Collaborative Technologies & Group Support Systems Computerized Support of Groupworking

Computerized Support Overview Web supports of intra- and inter-organizational collaborative decision-making through collaboration tools access to data, information, knowledge from inside and outside the organization

Computerized Support Overview Intranets sustain intra-organizational networked decision support Extranets link people and teams from different organizations together

Collaborative Technologies & Group Support Systems Concepts of Time/Place Framework

Computerized Support Time/Place Framework Synchronous (real-time) Occurring at the same time Asynchronous Occurring at different times

Computerized Support Time/Place Framework The time and place combination can be viewed as a four-cell matrix same time/same place same time/different place different time/same place different time/different place any time, any place

Computerized Support Time/Place Framework

Computerized Support Time/Place Framework What computers can and cannot do Modern Web-based information technolo-gies provide an inexpensive, fast, capable, and reliable means of supporting commu-nications But computerized communication methods do not transmit most of our nonverbal cues

Collaborative Technologies & Group Support Systems Underlying Principles & Capabilities of Groupware

Group Decision-Making Tools Groupware Tools Computerized technologies and methods that aim to support the work of people working in groups

Group Decision-Making Tools Groupware Tools Synchronous products Web conferencing Instant messaging (IM) Voice over IP (VoIP) Asynchronous products E-mail Wikilogs Online workspaces

Group Decision-Making Tools Virtual Meeting Systems Online meetings whose members are in different locations even in different countries

Group Decision-Making Tools Real-Time Collaboration Tools Real-time collaboration (RTC) tools help companies bridge time and space to make decisions and collaborate on projects

Group Decision-Making Tools Real-Time Collaboration Tools RTC tools are used in Distance training Product demonstrations Customer support E-commerce Sales applications

Group Decision-Making Tools Real-Time Collaboration Tools Electronic teleconferencing Teleconferencing The use of electronic communication that allows two or more people at different locations to have a simultaneous conference

Group Decision-Making Tools Real-Time Collaboration Tools Electronic teleconferencing Video teleconferencing Videoconferencing Virtual meeting in which participants in one location can see participants at other locations on a large screen or a desktop computer

Group Decision-Making Tools Real-Time Collaboration Tools Electronic teleconferencing Data conferencing Virtual meeting in which geographically dispersed groups work on documents together and exchange computer files during videoconferences

Group Decision-Making Tools Real-Time Collaboration Tools Electronic teleconferencing Data conferencing Web conferencing is conducted on the Internet for as few as two and as many as thousands of people allowing users to simultaneously view some-thing on their computer screens Interaction takes place via messaging or a simultaneous phone teleconference

Group Decision-Making Tools Real-Time Collaboration Tools Interactive whiteboards Screen sharing Software that enables group members even in different locations to work on the same document shown on the PC screen of each participant Instant video

Collaborative Technologies & Group Support Systems Support in Synchronous Environments

Group Decision-Making Tools Support of Asynchronous Comm. E-mail Short message service (SMS) wireless messages Blogs Wikis

Group Decision-Making Tools Support of Asynchronous Comm. Online (electronic) workspace Online screens that allow people to share documents, files, project plans, calendars, etc., in the same online place, though not necessarily at the same time

Group Decision-Making Tools Integrated Groupware Suites A software suite is created when several products are integrated into one system Integrating several technologies can save time and money for users

Group Decision-Making Tools Integrated Groupware Suites Electronic brainstorming A computer-supported methodology of idea generation by association This group process uses analogy and synergy

Group Decision-Making Tools Integrated Groupware Suites Lotus Notes/Domino and Lotusphere Microsoft Netmeeting and Live Meeting Groove Networks WeBex Meeting Center and PlaceWare Conference Center

Group Decision-Making Tools Integrated Groupware Suites

Group Decision-Making Tools Group Decision Support System An interactive computer-based system that facilitates the solution of semi-structured and unstructured problems by a group of decision makers

Group Decision-Making Tools Group Support System An information system that supports the work of groups communication decision making generally working on unstructured or semi- structured problems

Group Decision-Making Tools Electronic Meeting Systems An IT-based environment that supports group meetings groupware which may be distributed geographically and temporally

Group Decision-Making Tools GDSS To GSS How GDSS (or GSS) improves group-work Parallelism In a group-support system, a process gain in which everyone in a group can work simulta-neously in brainstorming, voting, ranking, etc.

Group Decision-Making Tools GDSS To GSS GDSS (or GSS) Supports parallel processing of information and idea generation (parallelism) Enables the participation of larger groups with more complete information, know-ledge and skills Permits the group to use structured or un-structured techniques and methods

Group Decision-Making Tools GDSS To GSS GDSS (or GSS) Offers rapid, easy access to external infor-mation Allows parallel computer discussions Helps participants frame the big picture Anonymity allows shy people to contribute to the meeting helps prevent aggressive individuals from driv-ing a meeting

Group Decision-Making Tools GDSS To GSS GDSS (or GSS) Provides for multiple ways to participate in instant, anonymous voting Enables several users to interact simul-taneously Records all information presented at a meeting

Group Decision-Making Tools Facilities for GDSS Decision room An arrangement for a group support system in which PCs are available to some or all participants The objective is to enhance groupwork Multiuse facilities Internet/intranet-based systems

Group Decision-Making Tools Facilities for GDSS Which GSS Facility to Use? In decision rooms and multiuse facilities a trained facilitator is necessary to coordinate and facilitate the meetings Internet/intranet-based systems are most frequently used because they avoid the high cost of constructing a facility finding an experienced facilitator and the need to have participants connect from other locations at any time

Products & Tools for GDSS/GSS & Successful Implementation Organizing a GSS session Face-to-face, same time/same place electronic meetings generally follow a common progression The group leader meets with the facilitator to plan the meeting select software tools and develop an agenda

Products & Tools for GDSS/GSS & Successful Implementation Organizing a GSS session The participants meet in the decision room, the leader poses a question or problem to the group The participants type their ideas or com-ments i.e., brainstorm the results are displayed publicly

Products & Tools for GDSS/GSS & Successful Implementation Organizing a GSS session The facilitator, using idea organization soft-ware, searches for common themes, topics, and ideas and organizes them into rough categories the results are publicly displayed

Products & Tools for GDSS/GSS & Successful Implementation Organizing a GSS session The leader starts a discussion, the partici-pants prioritize the ideas The top 5 or 10 topics are sent to idea-generation software following a discussion the process can be repeated or a final vote can be taken

Products & Tools for GDSS/GSS & Successful Implementation

Products & Tools for GDSS/GSS & Successful Implementation GSS success factors Organizational commitment An executive sponsor An operating sponsor User involvement and training A user-seductive interface

Products & Tools for GDSS/GSS & Successful Implementation GSS success factors Crafting a collaborative culture Three steps toward creating a work envi-ronment that supports collaboration Know what you want Determine resource constraints Determine what technologies can be used to overcome resource constraints

Products & Tools for GDSS/GSS & Successful Implementation Implementation issues for online collaboration To connect business partners, an organization needs an effective collaborative environment provided by groupware suites Need to connect collaborative tools with file management products on an organization's intranet Automatic language translation Need protocols for easy integration of different applications and to standardize communication

Emerging Collaboration Tools From VoIP to Wikis Voice over IP (VoIP) Internet telephony Communication systems that transmit voice calls over Internet Protocol-based networks

Emerging Collaboration Tools From VoIP to Wikis Benefits of VoIP for business Allows CIOs to explore different deploy-ment options for company’s communica-tions needs Lowers total cost of ownership Lowers operational costs Reduces hardware requirements on the server side for certain applications

Emerging Collaboration Tools From VoIP to Wikis Benefits of VoIP for business Provides a holistic approach to security Helps streamline workflows Enables optimized conferencing tools to replace business travel

Emerging Collaboration Tools From VoIP to Wikis Benefits of VoIP for users Eliminates unwanted interruptions and un-productive actions by intelligently filtering communications Speed up decision making by providing access to real-time presence information Initiates ad hoc conferencing/collaboration sessions Enables participation in conferencing sessions quickly and easily via a variety of mobile devices

Emerging Collaboration Tools From VoIP to Wikis Collaborative workflow Wiki A piece of server software available in a Web site that allows users to freely create and edit Web page content using any Web browser Wikilog A blog that allows everyone to participate as a peer any one may add, delete, or change content

Emerging Collaboration Tools From VoIP to Wikis Collaboration hubs The central point of control for an e-market a single c-hub representing one e-market owner can host multiple collaboration spaces, c-spaces in which trading partners use c-enablers to exchange data with the c-hub

Emerging Collaboration Tools From VoIP to Wikis Collaborative networks In a collaborative network, partners at any point in the network can interact with each other, bypassing traditional partners

Emerging Collaboration Tools From VoIP to Wikis Corporate (enterprise) portal A gateway for entering a corporate Web site enabling communication, collaboration, and access to company information

Collaborative Efforts Design, Planning & Project Mngt. Collaborative design and product deve-lopment During product development, engineering and design drawings can be shared over a secure network among the contract firm, testing facility, marketing firm, and downstream manufac-turing and service companies

Collaborative Efforts Design, Planning & Project Mngt. Collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment (CPFR) Project in which suppliers and retailers collaborate in their planning and demand forecasting to optimize the flow of materials along the supply chain

Collaborative Efforts Design, Planning & Project Mngt. Vendor-managed inventory (VMI) The practice of retailers making suppliers responsible for determi-ning when to order and how much to order

Collaborative Efforts Design, Planning & Project Mngt.

Collaborative Efforts Design, Planning & Project Mngt. Project management Developing large-scale projects requires collaboration of a large number of units and individuals inside and outside an organization Effective and efficient communication and collaboration is a must

Creativity & Idea Generation Personality-related creativity traits include: Inventiveness Independence Individuality Enthusiasm Flexibility

Creativity & Idea Generation Creativity can be learned and improved Some specific creativity measures in brainstorming quantitative (number of ideas) qualitative (quality of ideas)

Creativity & Idea Generation Stimulation by other creative people in the environment can push a group forward Stimulation can come directly from exciting ideas developed as a consequence of association among creative people Stimulation may even come from friction among employees

Creativity & Idea Generation Computerized Support Idea generation through electronic brainstorming The process by which people generate ideas, usually supported by software e.g. developing alternative solutions to a problem

Creativity & Idea Generation Computerized Support With collaborative computing-support tools, the individuals do all the thinking, the software system encourages them to proceed

Creativity & Idea Generation Computerized Support Creativity-enhancing software Computer programs that exhibit creative behavior Electronic idea generation for problem solving Software that facilitates human creativity

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