1. / Market Basket Virtual Student Collaboration Model
Beezr PM - TEAM
/ Market Basket Virtual Student Collaboration Model
Project Management in Virtual Teams
Course Material
Please contact me for any open questions and comments!
– Christian Steinreiber

2. Goal and Agenda
Goal
Overview of the specific characteristics for the management in geographically distributed project teams
Agenda
What is a geographically distributed project team?
Opportunities and challenges of distributed project teams
Key success factors for the project management in distributed teams
Learn more

3. What is a Distributed Team?
Geographically Distributed or Dispersed Team (GDT) refers to a group of individuals who work across space, but also often across time and organizational boundaries.
The use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) constitutes all or a significant portion of the interaction between the team members. Therefore, GDT are called Virtual Teams.

4. The Bright and Dark Sides of Distribution of Team Members
Opportunities
Challenges
Participation in globalized markets and corporate activities
Access to diverse skills, experience and market knowledge
“Follow the sun” working (24h instead of 8h per day)
Using improved communication technologies
Cost advantages (?)
Different cultures
Different languages
Different time zones
Fewer personal meetings
Difficulties establishing team spirit and trust
Good teamwork is more difficult to achieve
Limitations of standard PM approaches
How to Manage Virtual Teams
Magazine: Summer 2009Research Feature July 01, 2009  Reading Time: 16 min 
Frank Siebdrat, Martin Hoegl and Holger Ernst
Geographically dispersed teams can offer huge benefits – efficiency, cost savings, and the ability to choose team members with the best skills, regardless of their location. To make the team work well, choose the right team players, and ensure that you have strong communication technologies. Unite your team around a team charter, and communicate objectives clearly and frequently.
Give frequent, fair, and appropriate feedback to everyone, and make sure you're always available to your team members. Even if your team can't meet in person frequently, try to occasionally visit all of your remote team members so they know that they're valued.

5. Success factors for managing distributed teams virtually
Project manager/team
Be aware of project specific challenges when selecting the project manager/team.
Culture
Be aware of cultural differences.
Goals and roles
Project goals and roles must be clear for all team members from the very beginning.
Trust
Early trust building is very important.
Leadership
Prefer f2f meetings, encourage frequent communication, ensure visibility of activities.
Coordination
Be aware of team cohesion, project structure, time differences.
Control
Different tools to assess performance. IT
Selection of adequate communication tools.
Zugschwert, MIT, Patzak/Rattay

6. Learn more Wikipedia “Virtual Team”
Beezr Course material on virtual collaboration tools
DeRosa, Darleen, Lepsinger, Richard (2010), Virtual Team Success: A Practical Guide for Working and Leading from a Distance. Hoboken (New Jersey): John Wiley & Sons,
Duarte, Deborah L., Snyder, Nancy Tennant (2006), Mastering Virtual Teams: Strategies, Tools, and Techniques That Succeed, 3rd edition. Hoboken (New Jersey): John Wiley & Sons
McCabe, Laurie, Hurwitz, Judith, Kaufman, Marcia (2009), Collaboration for Dummies: IBM Limited Edition. Hoboken (New Jersey): John Wiley & Sons