Computers are used to support collaboration among members of a business team. The specific application is the augmentation of meetings. The motivation, approach, and empirical results are presented

Petersen, Don

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

N 9 2 - 1 2 5 0 2
Group Decision Support Systems
Don Petersen, Collaborative Technology Corporation
Abstract
This talk will look at using conmputers to support collaboration among
members of a business team. The specific application is the
augmentation of meetings. The motivation, approach, and empirical
results will be presented.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19920003284 2020-03-17T13:51:21+00:00Z
"What matters most today is the ability to think together, not alone."
Harvard Business Review
Thinking Across Boundaries
November-December, 1990
Collaborative Technologies Corporation
Premise
• Most business work involves a large amount of group work
* Most group work involves problem solving
Collaborative Technologies Corporation
What is the task of group work in business teams?
• Problem solving
•» Surface and share ideas
*» Surface assumptions
• Evaluate, prioritize, and allocate
• Document the process and the results
Collaborative Technologies Corporation
Why business teams at this time?
• Flatter and less bureaucratic organizations
• Cross functional teams
• Pace of change
• Competition
• Quality improvement programs
Collaborative Technologies Corporation
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
• Established by the U.S. Congress three years ago
• In 1990, 167,000 different companies requested information
m
 Comprehensive, top to bottom assessment of a company
• People
• Processes
• Principles
*» A shared commitment
*» Continuous improvement
• Continuing attention to the customer
Collaborative Technologies Corporation
Why software to support business teams at this time?
• Emphasis on teams within industry
• Global communications
• Availability of enabling technology
• Clearly demonstrated need and solution
** Hot research topic
Collaborative Technologies Corporation
What are the major areas of Groupware?
• Cooperation
• Email
• Notes programs and bulletin boards
• Collaboration
• VisionQuest from CTC
•• Coordination
• Cooperation from NCR
Collaborative Technologies Corporation
Meeting Room Layout
workstations
printer
projector
i i
Collaborative Technologies Corporation
VisionQuest supports the decision processes of
• Exploration
• Distillation and synthesis
• Evaluation
• Prioritization
• Allocation of scarce resources
• Documentation
Meetings can be held without regard to time or place
Collaborative Technologies Corporation
Empirical Data
Implementing Electronic Meeting Systems at IBM:
Lessons Learned and Success Factors
Grohowski, McGoff, Vogel, Martz, Nunamaker
• Number of person-hours per session declined 56%
*» Total number of person-hours declined 62%
• Calendar time for a project was reduced
• Number of meetings necessary to complete project declined
• Automated group hour equals 2.61 manual group hours
Collaborative Technologies Corporation
Typical reactions from participants
• "Wow, we accomplished a lot!"
• "Wow, we were surprised about what other people were
thinking!"
• "We just never would have thought about that!"
** "Gee, it is nice to have a complete record of meeting events to
carry with us."
• "Unbelievable how fast the time passed!"
• "It's wonderful how this helped us understand how we
arrived at a decision."
Collaborative Technologies Corporation


Group decision support systems

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

NASA Technical Reports Server