Project for a class (Innovation in engineering )
a_aais
part_1.docI PROJECT 14
Executive summary
The corporate world has recognized the need for collaboration systems to drive employee productivity and efficiency, especially in projects that demand high level of teamwork. Education institutions have not been left behind in implementing groupware, specialized software purposely designed to enable team or group members to share and synchronize real-time information more easily. The collaboration activities involved in professor-student interactions provide a suitable platform to facilitate the design, development and testing of a groupware application, the Iproject app, which is intended to be pushed to companies other than just academic and research institutions involved in a lot of projects.
Organizations benefit a lot from successful collaboration because they are able to effectively capture disparate intelligence from their staff members. File sharing, voice and video communication, flexible information repository, and evaluation capabilities can help a company foster innovation, bolster employees’ productivity, save time, enhance operational efficiency and flexibility, and reduce costs associated with physical contact meetings. Consequently, high quality and timely projects are achieved resulting into improved customer loyalty. In addition, companies using collaboration software, such as the Iproject app to undertake their projects are likely to gain a competitive edge to beat their rivals in the marketplace.
The Iproject app runs on cutting-edge technology to provide unparalleled capabilities with respect to secure online platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing, evaluation, and communication. It effectively bridge geographical boundaries to enable teams to undertake their work collaboratively on a common cause – needs and interests.
Table of Contents
7 2.2 Innovation Purpose Statement
7 2.4 Goals, Objectives, Strategies, KPIs
11 2.5 9 Window Box (For Problem)
15 4.2 Idea Utility (Qualitative)
15 4.3 Complexity Rank (Quantitative)
16 5 The Critical to Quality (CTQ) factors and Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
17 6 Intellectual property associated with this app
17 7 Customer demographics (including segmentation areas)
18 8 References
1 Introduction
The proposed Iproject is a groupware app intended to allow students and professors in academic and research organizations cooperate with each other over the internet. It will break the geographical barrier that exist between professors and widely dispersed student population, thus it is crucial solution for tele-workers (people on-the-move) because they are enabled to virtually collaborate on group projects. The academic setting provides a design, development and testing platform, but the overall plan is to push the Iproject app to companies involved in a lot of projects.
The Iproject app will sufficiently resolve communication, coordination and collaboration challenges brought about by geographical barriers in an educational setting. In addition, it is a viable solution to facilitate professors’ responsibilities regarding overseeing students’ projects from the proposal to submission phase. The Iproject will enable professors to create groups and assign projects to them, and communicate interesting and important issues with the student community.
This app employs a set of technical elements, which includes:
· A Whatsapp-like platform where the group members can chat, share ideas and update each other.
· An email feature like Gmail to send draft, articles and anything between students and professors.
· A feature like Skype to allow students and professors conduct online meetings in case it is impossible to meet in person.
· Something similar to Google doc to enable the academic community put their work and allows other members to see what has been done.
· A “blackboard” where students can evaluate each other in the course of projects and allow the professor to look at the performance of each member.
These features will not only meet the collaboration needs for teams undertaking projects, but it also carries key competitiveness and innovativeness as it seeks to facilitate group memory through a knowledge-based information delivery and workflow. The chat, evaluation board, synchronized email, file sharing, and document repository are critical elements for generating improved workforce relationships in a manner analogous to physical contact.
2 Pre – Idea Thinking
2.1 Six Hats Process
The decision to choose a groupware project, here in referred to as the Iproject app was based on a highly rounded view of the need to boost collaboration among team members working on a project. The group applied a critical thinking model based on Edward De Bono’s six thinking hats and discussed by Kamal (2005), which included six directions including:
· Managing Blue: Here, the group identified the subject by involving views of different people (for example, colleagues and professors). The main idea was to create a collaboration application based on professor-student interactions setting, with the ultimate goal of designing and developing a groupware, the Iproject app for use in companies involved in a lot of projects. The app is to be modeled for an environment which the group members have an opportunity to sufficient evaluate whether it meets all the requirements for a groupware application. In this case, the group decided to use the professor-student setting, which they are already part of. Therefore, the development team is undertaking a project with academic group work and class interaction as the foundation.
· Information White: There is a lot of information at disposal for use in pursuing this project cause. It is evident that project management have continually evolved from individualistic development into collaborative management, especially with the advent of internet and collaboration tools such as email software, instant messaging, live voice and video chats, dense information repository, and file sharing (Coleman, 2005). In addition, the existing groupware applications acted as a reference as well as a driving force for this project as it provided important insights into required technologies and functionalities. These groupware applications include: IBM Lotus Notes, Atlassian Confluence, Novell Teaming, Adobe Acrobat, Airset, Clarizen, Google Apps, Writeboard, and Microsoft SharePoint (Coursey, 2010). Iproject app overcomes related to other groupware systems as it seeks to include all features required for collaboration on one platform.
· Emotions Red: Collaboration, coordination and communication issues with regard to group projects were cited as challenges that need to be addressed. Members presented their justification to have these challenges addressed leading to the decision to pursue the Iproject app.
· Discernment Black: Adequate resourcing is a key success factor, thus the team had a tough time strategizing on funding and timing to avoid premature failure. The technical capability to undertake this project was also identified as a key factor in achieving success; therefore the team ensured that it had the necessary skills and knowledge to develop the project.
· Optimistic Yellow: Despite the difficulties identified during black hat thinking, the Iproject app was identified as a viable solution to enable companies undertaking many projects to deliver them in a collaborative and coherent manner.
· Creativity Green: The creativity process led to the decision to develop the Iproject app designed to resolve collaboration challenges encountered during group projects.
2.2 Innovation Purpose Statement
To clearly know the direction the group was headed to and boost the team’s innovativeness, an Innovation Purpose Statement was developed. For the purpose of this project, the Innovation Purpose Statement is: Design and develop an innovative groupware app to help companies succeed with unparalleled collaboration.
2.3 IF Spreadsheet
The choice for the Iproject app was based on a number of variables, including what can be done to implement synchronized: calendaring, scheduling, discussions, referencing, emailing, chatting, uniform evaluation, file sharing, information repository, and unified reporting in the course of a group project. The process involved seeking the consequent product for each precedent variable at hand. For example, if a group member wishes to email colleagues, then an email platform should be implemented. After evaluating all the variables to identify the consequent for every “if” applied on each variable, a groupware app, in this case the Iproject was found to be the best solution to provide a synchronized platform that addresses collaboration, coordination and communication challenges with respect to group projects.
2.4 Goals, Objectives, Strategies, KPIs
The goal of this project is to deliver a powerful tool to allow people collaborate and communicate in an effective and efficient manner regardless of geographical locations while working on group projects.
To achieve this goal, the following objectives must be adequately met:
OBJ1: Develop the Iproject prototype that imitates professor-student interactions in the course of a project.
OBJ2: Develop the Iproject app that will be adequately interactive with a Whatsapp-like feature, email feature like Gmail, a feature like Skype, something similar to Google doc, and a “blackboard” where students can evaluate one another.
OBJ3: Develop test cases to evaluate the user experience during interactions with the Iproject app. More specifically, the features highlighted under OBJ2 will be assessed to determine the usefulness and functionality of the app.
OBJ4: Implement the app for actual use.
OBJ5: Develop a report borrowing from the documentation done from project’s feasibility, proposal, design, development, implementation and plans for maintenance and support, while including all IT artifacts involved or expected to be included in future.
OBJ6: Design and develop change management toolkit for user training.
The strategy is to use a university academic setting for design, development and testing of the groupware app, but with future plans of pushing the app to companies that are involved in a lot of projects. The academic setting is characterized by group works, thus it is a suitable environment to act as the foundation for this app.
The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to guarantee success by measuring progress towards the project goal are summarized in Table 1 below.
|
Performance metric |
KPIs |
Desired outcomes |
|
|
|
|
|
Time |
· Adherence · Schedule |
· Accurate estimation · Avoided delays in release of deliverables · Committed delivery |
|
Cost |
· Adherence to cost budget |
· Delivery o committed budget · Accurate estimation · Prevention of buffers |
|
Quality |
· Fault-slip through · Functionality |
· Delivery of complete scope · Delivery of error-free app – identifies errors before releasing deliverables · Delivery of full functionality · Meeting both user and business requirements · High usability to support user interactions |
|
Risk |
· Risk mitigation |
· Contingency plans that adequately mitigate against risks and other issues arising · Quick resolution to critical issues encountered · Effortless resolution to discovered software issues |
|
Documentation |
· Reporting
|
· Adequate reporting covering all IT and non-IT artifacts
|
|
Change management |
· Training |
· Sufficient documentation to aid in knowledge transfer, support and maintenance · User acceptance |
|
Top enhancers |
· Project driver (responsible for steering technical elements) |
· Presence of tech savvy personnel to provide performance and progress reviews, especially on technical and business specific matters. |
|
Innovation |
· Improvements and enhancements |
· Added functionalities unmatched by other similar software · Some degree of competitiveness in the app · Creativity and innovative culture built into the software · Overcoming challenges evident in other similar software |
|
Scheduling |
· Breakdown of tasks · Assignment of duties and responsibilities |
· Effective per task breakdown · Completion of all tasks, both critical and non-critical · Good forecasting to ensure that all tasks are completed on time, and eventually the entire project is delivered on time · Adequate staffing to meet all components of the schedule |
2.5 9 Window Box (For Problem)
What is the problem? In this case, the problem is the perceived obstacle (challenges to team collaboration, communication and coordination) that is perplexing and demands a solution (groupware). The solution lies in development of the Iproject app to provide a collaborative working environment. It is apparent that collaboration challenges experienced in group projects hinder employee productivity and efficient in terms of release of deliverables.
Essential information with regard to the problem is first identified. Then, the problem is appropriately represented, followed by clarification of rules and regulations. Lastly, efficient representation results into quick and effective solutions to the problem. The Iproject app will satisfactorily solve the identified problem. Three major steps are involved, namely: The initial phase, which described the original situation; obstacles, described the restrictions making it difficult to realize the desired goal; and the goal state, which is the solution to the original problem.
The 9 window box technique allowed the team to identify the actual problem that required a remedy. The optimal solution was selected based on the highest degree to which the expected results are met or exceeded after an analysis of their performance. As a matter of fact the solution occupying the rightmost top box (shaded in green) is the best solution for the group project collaboration, coordination and collaboration problem. Figure 1 shows the results of the 9 window box.
3 NOVATE Ideation Thinking
3.1 Do Brain Drain
Brain drain is a term analogous to migratory phenomenon of intellectual elite, whereby developing countries suffer loss of their well-educated persons to somewhere else with better offers. For ideation thinking in coming up with this project, reverse brain drain is used whereby individual contributed towards giving the Iproject app life. The group members provided their knowledge, skills and other resources they have gained over time to help realize the Iproject app. The Iproject is a groupware project that sparked from small group members’ ideas growing up and joined up to realize well-connected minds to undertake the development and implementation from efforts within the team
3.2 Use NOVATE Process
The team understands the need to solve the problem while at the same time developing an innovative app. Therefore, it was deemed necessary to go beyond simply problem solving to cover innovation truly. This ensured that the app is not just like any other groupware application out there, and that the app is not just a “mediocre” or “stagnate” product. Factors that were considered in coming up with the Iproject app include: Proactive to avoid instances of acting in a reactive way, offensive approach, new opportunities, based on desired change other than on stability, and leadership strategy to beat rivals in the groupware industry.
The performance standards of existing groupware applications were evaluated, and most of them had a collaboration platform that made use of external apps like Google docs to cater for huge file sharing since they lacked such a feature. Therefore, the team came up with ideas to bring the entire collaboration features on one app. Through continual change ideas, the idea of an innovative app was realized resulting into the Iproject app with higher performance. The novate process involved 6 interconnected steps with a backward and forward flow between the steps. The steps are: Recognize, the team identified collaboration, coordination and communication challenges in group projects; discover, previous design solutions and ideas to resolve the problem were explored, pattern, similarities were matched; and, novate, where the team solidified the idea to pursue Iproject to integrate the already existing solutions into a unified one. The other 2 steps are to implement, where the team will create the app with all the desired functionalities, and linked connections, where the path will be repeated exploring the implemented “extra” capabilities.
Chesbrough (2013) claims that a project that does not involve a novate process is like searching for a precious mineral such as goal without a compass of map. The team documented a well-designed innovation process to develop a groupware app that can provide superior capabilities than the existing ones.
3.3 Use IDEA Cards
The team used IDEA cards to achieve an innovative Iproject app for use in group projects to resolve collaboration challenges. The major card types entailed: reduce drawbacks, increase benefits, resources required, optimal solution, effectiveness, faster results, and capability of the solution.
The following steps were used:
1) Identification of the problem. The team provided answers to: What is the problem? What causes the problem? What is the impact of the problem?
2) Creation of a cause-and-effect chain. The team went forward and backward to view the impact and the cause as many times as possible to gain sense into the whole group projects’ collaboration solution and cause. The goal was to create the desired result along the created cause and effect chain. For example, one of the goals was to create a live chat feature and the solution was to develop a Skype-like feature.
3) First problem-solving effort. Every card used had a strategy, what should be done; basis, how elements can produce desired results; and, the question, how the team can combine different elements to create a new product. Step 2’s cause and effect chain were used to model the ideas. The strategy (to develop the Iproject app) and the basis (how the Whatsapp-like, Skype-like, Google docs-like, Gmail-like, and blackboard-like features) were found to be enough to effectively and efficiently solve the collaboration problem.
4) Validation of the solution: The specific problem (collaboration challenges experienced during group projects) was modeled leading to the discovery of a specific solution (the Iproject app).
3.4 Affinitive Ideas
The team presented all product ideas (through brainstorming) in terms of desired features in the app. Then, the ideas were sorted into groups of similar themes. The results were an Iproject app with Whatsapp-like, Skype-like, Google docs-like, Gmail-like, and blackboard-like features.
e. Conduct Green Hat Session
The team focused on creativity and innovation process, while exploring solutions, alternatives, possibilities and new ideas culminating into the decision to develop the Iproject app to overcome collaboration challenges identified to be experienced during group projects.
4 Post – Thinking Idea
4.1 SCORE Template
Table 1 below shows the SCORE template for use in design and development of this app.
|
Criteria |
Score (1-10) |
Weight |
|
Cost |
2 |
20% |
|
Quality |
3 |
40% |
|
Risk or uncertainty |
1 |
10% |
|
Innovation |
1 |
10% |
|
Scheduling |
2 |
20% |
|
Change management |
1 |
10 |
|
|
100% |
4.2 Idea Utility (Qualitative)
The Iproject app’s idea utility is embodied in the perceived value in resolving collaboration, communication and coordination challenges in group projects.
4.3 Complexity Rank (Quantitative)
The expected complexity in the Iproject app implementation mainly lies on technical elements. The technical implementation of this app is approximately 10%; therefore, the project is highly feasible. Compared to other scores, the complexity rank is not significant enough to stall the project.
4.4 Sort Ideas
For this project, the main idea is collaboration challenges in group projects. A list of ideas existed with regard to finding a solution to this challenge. The ideas included solutions such as: File sharing, voice and video communication, flexible information repository, and evaluation platform. The ideas were then connected in terms of common themes to draw a conclusion. New ideas were added, including innovative and positive changes and the Iproject app was found to be the optimal solution to the challenge.
5 The Critical to Quality (CTQ) factors and Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
The Critical To Quality (CTQ) factors entail the Iproject app’s quality in terms of its capability to meet the user needs satisfactorily. The CTQ factors include:
· Reliability: An element of resiliency and free from application failures. Reduced downtime and errors to enhance user productivity and bolster performance.
· Security: The app should be secure to eliminate potential security and privacy breaches in the course of collaboration and communications.
· Efficiency: Ensure high app performance when in running mode, high execution speed during performance, and enhanced response time.
· Change management, maintainability and support: An attribute related to adaptability, transferability and portability to ensure multiple modeling to suit different operation and user environments and circumstances.
For this project, the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is achieved by designing, developing and testing the Iproject app based on a professor-student setting, whereby students engaged in group projects with professor as the supervisor can work collaboratively in an efficient and effective manner. This setting adequately mimics company employees working on group projects. Therefore, the academic setting is a sufficient basis for establishing the MVP with respect to the Iproject app since it provides a platform to test the product with minimal effort and resources.
6 Intellectual property associated with this app
The team holds the rights of ownership in this app in two dimensions, namely:
· Patent: The team holds a 20 year exclusive right to make, use and sell the Iproject app.
· Copyright: This IP right protects the object code, source code, and unique UI elements. Specific rights include: copying the software, modify or create derivatives of the software, and distributing copies by license or sale.
7 Customer demographics (including segmentation areas)
This app targets companies that are involved in many projects that demand group collaboration. Therefore, the demographic segmentation for the Iproject app is characterized by employed people. More precisely, the target is employed people working on group projects in economically stable companies who will be attracted to this app.
8 References
Chesbrough, H. (2013). Open Business Models: How To Thrive In The New Innovation Landscape. Harvard Business Press.
Coleman, D. (2005). Strategies for successful enterprise collaboration: Balancing people, process, and technology [Whitepaper]. Akami. Retrieved from http://collaborativeshift.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Akamai-white-paper-Collaboration.pdf
Coursey, D. (2010, January 20). IBM intros Notes apps for BlackBerry, iPhone, Android. PC World. Retrieved from https://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/333002/ibm_intros_notes_apps_blackberry_iphone_android/
Kamal, S.B. (2005). No idea? Evaluating the effectiveness of creativity training. Journal of European Industrial Training, 29(2), pp. 104-111.
