Improving Integrated Project Team Interaction Through Virtual (3D) Collaboration
Grace M. Bochenek, James M. Ragusa · Engineering Management Journal · 2004
:To shrink the cost and protracted length of total system and product development life cycles (DLCs), many organizations (including the U.S. military) have moved away from serial to concurrent collaboration through the use of cross-functional, integrated project/product teams (IPTs). In addition and more recently, a growing number of commercial organizations are using life-size three-dimensional (3D) virtual collaborative environments (VCEs). These information systems-based, project-orientated enabling technologies provide individuals and IPTs with views almost as realistic as full-scale physical prototypes, and offer the capability to rapidly change perspectives to view the outside, inside, top, and underside of large and small synthetic product models. In this article we identify some VCE advantages, application areas, and success factors and research issues for those planning on venturing into and using VCEs. We also provide a basis and answer to a central research question asked: Do 3D VCEs provide an improved environment for IPT interaction and results? The answer is: Yes, they do!