How an Idea in IT Takes Form
The typical start for the process of collaboration in IT is with one individual who is on-site, off-site, or offshore. An employee may generate an idea and share it with peers. From there, teams form around the idea and launch a project, creating the need to share and disseminate information quickly. Teams working together on related projects then might form a group or division. At the division level, effective organization through the categorization of content is of paramount importance. When the project finally reaches the enterprise level, leaders need the capability to assess high-level summaries and key documents to effectively disseminate information across the organization.
If the right applications are used effectively, central management communications and administrative information should successfully flow between divisions, teams, and individuals. Using a central portal can facilitate new ideas and project information flow from individuals and teams to divisions and the enterprise.
Using Technology to Answer the Challenge
In dealing with the factors that may inhibit success, it is clear that technology can help increase productivity on an individual and team basis. A hybrid of customized applications derived from systems such as Microsoft SharePoint Services let project teams create portal sites for information sharing and document collaboration.
Project management portals let users locate distributed information quickly and efficiently, as well as connect to and work with others more productively. The sites facilitate team participation in discussions, shared document collaboration, and surveys. In the portal Data Inc. (the company we work for; see www .datainc.biz) implemented, site content is readily accessible from both a web browser and through clients that support web services when dealing with inherently complex IT development projects. The document collaboration present in the system allows for easy check-in/check-out and document version control. This system is also integrated with other project management tools, such as Microsoft Project Server, facilitating better team collaboration and information centralization. In our case, the system has streamlined the management of work, collection of business intelligence, and improved overall productivity, ultimately streamlining and formalizing standards, processes, controls, and documentation pertaining to application development.
Overall, developing a project management portal based around Microsoft SharePoint Services helped us streamline:
- Integration management
- Scope management
- Time management
- Cost management
- Quality management
- Communications management
The Collaboration Topology
Figure 1 is a logical representation of how a project management system (such as the one used by Data Inc.) can be utilized for collaboration across an organization.
Each element present in the collaboration topology work in concert, addressing organization-wide enterprise collaboration requirements. This specific enterprise-wide collaboration consists of:
- Project sites. For each project, a site is created consisting of a document repository and meeting workspaces. The combination allows for the organization of project initiatives, documentation, and deliverables that the team is working on.
- Division portals. From there, a division portal is created to provide a global picture of projects undertaken, whether in progress or completed. This provides a snapshot of work-level information, including outstanding/projected tasks and critical documentation for senior management.
- Organization site portal. In concert with the project and division sites, a general site is created specifically for project resources that disseminate information about the overall organization including projects, employee benefits, and company policy.