Next, we discuss some computer-supported alternatives for distributed collaboration. We end by presenting and discussing three Web-based collaboration alternatives. The Need For Collaboration Across Space and Time To be competitive, organizations constantly need to bring together the right mixes of people who, together, have the appropriate set of knowledge, skills, information, and authority to solve problems quickly and easily. Unfortunately, traditional task forces, like traditional organizational structures, have been proven to be ineffective in solving problems quickly. Organizations need flexible teams that can be assembled quickly and can solve problems effectively and efficiently.
Time is of the essence.
Employees may, at times, find themselves on multiple teams, and the life of a team may be very short. In addition, team members must have easy, flexible access to other team members, meeting contexts, and information. To be truly useful for a virtual team, these tools must be suited for distributed group member use. In fact, most times the members of the virtual team will not use the tools from their offices but from remote, ever changing locations, most likely via a notebook PC and a modem. Traditional tools for distributed use come close, but are not ideal for use by a virtual team.