Design of Design - Summary of Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Telecollaboration
Why Telecollaboration?

• Specialization
• Super-specialization of skills now requires much collaboration, but any particular type of specialized skill isn't available at every place. 
• Home
• Specialized skills and telecollaboration technology allows people to live in one place and work in another place. 
• Around the Clock
• Time change between countries on this planet allows for people to be working constantly during their day shifts in different parts of the world. Hence, someone is available at all times.
• Cost
• Highly skilled workers are available at low costs via outsourcing.
• Politics
• The government helps international businesses work in a full telecommunication collaborative environment to create engineering designs such as the Airbus 380.

Been There, Done That -- Distributed Development of the IBM System/360 Computer Family, 1961-1965

• The IBM computers were developed across three countries in four different locations.
• Each component of the computer was developed in places where there was specialized skills and experience for that device/hardware.
• Many innovative design have taken place with the idea of telecollaboration including the I/O devices.
• To achieve the set goals, thousands of phone calls and documents were exchanged, as well as face-to-face meetings took place.
• Distribution development effort was given importance by the same forces as usual:
• Distributed technology specializations
• Immovable talent pools
• Interdivisional politics and distribution of work
• Distributed development of a unified product is a lot of work. Also there are many barriers such as, time zones differences, cultures differences, etc.

Making Telecollaboration Work

• Telecommunications technology continues to explode.
• Face-to-Face Time Is Crucial!
• The most successful telecollaborations have been achieved with extensive face-to-face time. 
• Talks about IBM paying to take their employees to another location 60 miles away via bus, so employees can physically go and discuss the development of project/product.
• People instinctively know the value of face time.
• Clean Interfaces
• Clean interfaces are hard to make, changes always occur, hence everyone must know about the changes made, and how they are controlled.
• Clean interfaces make little error design, hence paying off later for the costly labor.
• Designing becomes fun with a clean interface.

Technologies for Telecollaboration

• People predict that telecommunication technology will become the main form of communication in the future. 
• Low Tech Often Suffices
• The Document.
• The most potent form of telecollaboration technology is the document shared, where people share formal drawing that demand studying, critiquing, and interacting among people.
• Word is the modern day equivalent of red-marked drafts since it keeps track of changes that have made, and also color codes changes to show who made what changes.
• The Telephone.
• Telephone is next to the document in the level of importance. Instant messaging and email are poor forms of communication.
• Telephone-Plus-Shared-Document.
• This method is more powerful than either alone. People can share documents as well as explain to each other misunderstandings that may have taken place, or explain something more specifically that might not be detailed in the document.
• Videoconferencing
• "Game-changing" tool for telecollaboration!
• With improved technology, videoconferencing has many advantages:
• Better field of view.
• Better sharing of documents and presentations.
• More resolution.
• Better depth cues.
• When is Videoconferencing Most Valuable?
• Allows people to exchange body language and facial expression.
• High-Tech Videoconferencing.
• With high level of technology used while videoconferencing, individuals can share 3D models and images, as well as create the maximum-realism of the product.
• Telecollaboration Technology -- Pulled or Pushed?
• Most of the tools and system spring from a technical idea rather than analysis of need or patterns.

I have spent one hour on this assignment.