Abstract
The provision of computer support for collaborative work is a central concern for Information Systems (IS) research and practice. In this paper we present the details of an information flow study undertaken in the household division of a large European design and manufacturing company (Delta). The goal of the study was to elicit user requirements for a computer system to facilitate the collaborative work of new product design teams. These requirements form the basis for the design and development of a Web-based LIRÉ (Living Repository) prototype system, the functionalities, features, and rationale of which are discussed. We also present the results of the evaluation of LIRÉ by the users at Delta and our observations on enhancing the sophistication and usefulness of this class of system. A production version based on the prototype but using commercially available software is currently in use by the New Product Development group at Delta.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ackerman MS, Malone TW. Answer garden: A tool for growing organizational memory. In: Proceedings of the Conference on Office Information Systems, Cambridge, MA. New York: ACM, 1990:31–39.
Anderson RJ. Representations and requirements: The value of ethnography in system design. Human-Computer Interaction, vol. 9, Hillsdale, NY: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1994, 151–182.
Anderson RJ. Work, ethnography, and system design. In: Kent A, Williams JG. eds. The Encyclopedia of Microcomputing, Vol. 20. New York: Marcel Dekker, 1997, 159–183.
Appelt W. WWW based collaboration with the BSCW system. In: Proceedings of SOFSEM'99, Springer Lecture Notes in Computer Science 1725, 1999:66–78.
Autonomy. http://www.autonomy.com, Dec. 2000.
Bannon L, Bodker S. Constructing common information spaces. Working paper, University of Limerick, 1999.
Barnatt C. Challenging Reality: In Search of the Future Organization. Chichester: Wiley, 1997.
Barua AC, Sophie Lee H, Whiston AB. The calculus of reengineering. Information Systems Research 1996;7(4):409–428.
Basu A, Blanning RW. A formal approach to workflow analysis. Information Systems Research, 2000;11(1):17–36.
Bloomberg J, Suchman L, Trigg RH. Reflections on a work-oriented design project. In: Bowker GC, Leighstar S, Turner W, Gasser L, eds.: Social Sciences, Technical Systems, and Cooperative Work: Beyond the Great Divide. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1997:189–216.
Bucciarelli LL. Reflective practice in engineering design. Design Studies 1984;5(3):185–190.
Bucciarelli LL. An ethnographic perspective on engineering design. Design Studies 1998;9(1):159–168.
Buzan T, Buzan B. The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximise Your Brain's Untapped Potential. Dutton: Penguin, 1993.
Ciborra CU. Improvisation and information technology in organizations. In: Proceedings of the Seventeenth International Conference on Information Systems, Cleveland, Ohio, 1996:369–380.
Conklin J. Design rationale and maintainability. In: Shriver B, ed. Proceedings of 22nd Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, Vol. II. IEEE Computer Society, Kailna-Kona, Hawaii, 1989:533–539.
Davis FD, Bagozzi RP, Warshaw PR. User acceptance of computer technology:Acomparison of two theoretical models.Management Science 1989; 35(8):982–1003.
Documentum. http://www.documetum.com, Dec. 2000.
Hammer M, Champy J. Reengineering the Corporation: The Manifesto for Business Revolution. New York: Harper Business, 1993.
Harper RR, Hughes JJ, Shapiro DZ. Harmonious working and CSCW: Computer technology and air traffic control. In: Bowers JM, Benford SD, eds. Studies in Computer Supported Cooperative Work. Theory, Practice and Design. Amsterdam: North Holland, 1991:225–234.
Heath C, Luff P. Collaboration and control: Crisis management and multimedia technology in London Underground Control Rooms. Computer Supported CooperativeWork (CSCW). An International Journal 1996a;1(1–2):69–94.
Heath C, Luff P. Convergent activities: Line control and passenger information on the London underground. In: Engeström Y, Middleton D, eds. Cognition and Communication atWork. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996b:96–129.
Hindmarsh J, Fraser M, Heath C, Benford S, Greenhalgh C. Fragmented interaction: Establishing mutual orientation in virtual environments. In: Proceedings of CSCW98, Seattle, Washington, 1998:217–226.
Hughes JA, Shapiro DZ, Sharrock WW, Anderson R. The automation of air traffic control.Working Paper, Lancaster Sociotechnical Group, Department of Sociology, Lancaster University, October 1988.
Johnson P. Supporting exploratory CSCW with the EGRET framework. In: Turner J, Kraut R, eds. CSCW'92. Proceedings of the Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, Toronto, Canada. New York: ACM Press, 1992:298–305.
Kaplan SM, Tolone WJ, Bogia, DP, Bignoli C. Flexible, active support for collaborative work with conversation builder. In: Turner J, Kraut R, eds. CSCW'92. Proceedings of the Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, Toronto, Canada. New York: ACM Press, 1992:378–385.
Malone TW, Lai HY, Fry C. Experiments with oval: A radically tailorable tool for cooperative work. In: Turner J, Kraut R, eds. CSCW'92. Proceedings of the Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, Toronto. New York: ACM Press, 1992:289–297.
Live Link©. http://www.opentext.com, Dec. 2000.
Lotus. http://www.lotus.com, Dec. 2000.
Plowman L, Rogers Y, Ramage M. What are workplace studies for? In: Marmolin H, Sundblad Y, Schmidt K, eds. ECSCW'95. Proceedings of the Fourth European Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1995:309–324
Schmidt K, Simone C. Coordination mechanisms: Towards a conceptual foundation of CSCW systems design. Computer Supported Cooperative Work. The Journal of Collaborative Computing 1996;5(2–3):155–200.
Schmidt K. Of maps and scripts: The status of formal constructs in cooperative work. In: Proceedings of GROUP97, Phoenix, Arizona, 1997:138–147.
Schmidt K. The critical role ofworkplace studies in CSCW. In: Luff P, Hindmacsh J, Heath C, eds.Workplace Studies: RecoveringWork Practice and Informing Design. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998a:1–12.
Schmidt K. Cooperative design: The prospects for CSCW in design. Decision Sciences and Technology 1998b;6(2):5–18. (Special issue on computer-supported cooperative work).
Shapiro S. The Limits of ethnography: Combining Social Sciences for CSCW. In: Proceedings of the Conference on Computer-Supported CooperativeWork Conference, New York: ACM Press, 1994:417–429.
Sharrock W, Anderson B. Organizational innovation and the articulation of the design space. In: Moran TP, Carroll JM, eds. Design Rationale: Concepts, Techniques, and Use. Marwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1996:429–451.
Subrahmanian E, Jellum E. Information flow analysis for information technology support in total plant engineering, internal company report, ABB, Norway, 1998.
Subrahmanian E, Konda S, Dutoit A, Reich Y, Cunningham D, Patrich R, Thomas M, Westerberg A. The N-dim approach to creating design support systems. In: Proceedings of ASME Design Technical Conference, 1997:1–11.
Suchman LA. Systematics of office work: Office studies for knowledge-based systems. Digest. In: Office Automation Conference, San Francisco, 1982:409–412.
Suchman LA. Office procedures as practical action: Models of work and system design. ACM Transactions on Office Information Systems 1983;1(4):320–328.
Suchman LA. Plans and Situated Actions: The Problem of Human-Machine Communication. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Davis, J.G., Subrahmanian, E., Konda, S. et al. Creating Shared Information Spaces to Support Collaborative Design Work. Information Systems Frontiers 3, 377–392 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011469727367
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011469727367