Project teams today move faster and work under more pressure than ever before. Reengineering may produce breakthrough change, but the speed of change is a critical success factor for many companies.

To expedite information sharing and to accelerate decision making, teams are using new tools – tools that are changing our definition of the workplace. These knowledge management tools include:

• Online whiteboards
• Web-based file and document sharing (like Windows Explorer for the Web)
• Discussion groups and Bulletin Boards
• Internet presentations
• Document collaboration
• Distance learning for education and training
• Chat and instant messaging

These tools fall under the general heading of collaboration tools or knowledge management software. This tutorial presents an overview of what these tools are and how they are being used.

Whiteboard tools allow multiple users to view a shared screen over the internet, and mark or draw on that screen with near instantaneous viewing by everyone sharing the whiteboard. These tools also let you cut and paste images or graphics from other applications like MS Word, Powerpoint, or a flowcharting tool, and immediately share that image with everyone in the group. Other members can then annotate or draw on the tool while you have an audio conference to discuss the work.

Teams are using these applications to quickly share ideas and information in real-time to enhance the effectiveness of conference calls. Prior to the availability of whiteboard applications over the Internet, teams were forced to fax or email information to each participant prior to or during the meeting.

Web-based file sharing applications enable teams to organize and share files and documents. These web-based applications do not require any special software on the user’s PC other than a standard internet browser. Team members can upload and download files from any location, allowing teams that are not located in the same physical location to share and organize their information in a central place that is still accessible to everyone on the team. Some applications are designed for business use and allow different security levels by user name, by file, and by folder.

Project teams and consultants are using these tools to streamline access to files and documents without having to use email attachments. Files are not lost, and teams can organize the folder structures to match their work output.

Bulletin boards allow the posting of information for groups to easily access by category of type. Bulletin boards or discussion groups are applications that reside on a web site that allow a threaded discussion on a topic. Group members can reply to the posting, and in doing so automatically post their reply and send email to all group members. These applications are very effective for managing discussions on topics within a team.

Project teams can use bulletin boards for interactive issue resolution, idea generation, meeting announcements, meeting notes, document reviews and general discussions about key elements of their project.

For example, Dave is the project lead for ACME Chemical’s customer service initiative. Dave posts a topic on a discussion group related to change management ideas for their project. Jennifer replies to Dave’s posting with her comments, and her response is placed immediately below the original topic. Tom, another team member, can choose to reply to Dave’s original posting, or to reply to Jennifer’s comments. After 24 hours Dave can return to the discussion page and read the comments from all of the team members. This tool allowed collaboration on Dave’s change management ideas, without requiring a meeting between the project team. Everyone’s input was factored into Dave’s final decision, and each member of the team could view the replies from other team members. As a result, everyone is part of the process and able to contribute.

Internet presentations allow a single presenter to broadcast to hundreds or thousands of meeting participants. The broadcasts can include voice and graphics. Depending on the application, participants may or may not need software for their PC above a standard browser. The capabilities of these applications are growing rapidly. Infoworkspace Ó from General Dynamics, for example, allows the presenter to view a graphical representation of the audience with each participant represented by a dot. In this graphical representation, the presenter can see by the color of each dot the feelings of the audience. Participants can click on their screen indicators that change the dot color. The indicators can include:

• You’re going too fast (red)
• You’re going too slow (green)
• I am not understanding (yellow)
• I have a question (blue)

Based on a complete representation of these colors in the auditorium display graphic, the presenter can decide how to pace the program, and when to add more clarification to particular sections. Participants can also chat between themselves and ask questions of the presenter.

Document collaboration software allows a group of individuals to collaborate on the writing and development of a single document. In some applications, the document is viewed in a text browser, and allows simultaneous editing by all users, with real time updates to all user screens.

Project teams can use this type of application for creating design documents, project plans, issue tracking, and for documenting meeting notes in real time.

Distance learning tools are comprehensive applications that support the delivery of training and educational courses over the web. Students can participate in live presentations, access course material, course calendars, view courses on their own schedule, take tests and conduct the other administrative activities necessary for running multiple courses for a student population.

Project applications include the ability to train large groups of employees on new business process, tools and technology.

Chat and instant messaging tools allow real-time interaction including text chat and voice over IP. These applications are useful for teams to collaborate without using the telephone. Multiple members can simultaneously participate in chat sessions.

Project teams can use these tools for idea sharing, quick discussions of design issues, conference meetings that do not incur telephone network charges and any other team interaction. These tools can be used in conjunction with white board applications to support interactive conference meetings over the web with pictures and real time presentations of text and images.

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