Requirements for software-support in concurrent engineering teams

Team work is the customary type of labour organisation used in the framework of Concurrent Engineering (CE). It requires a suitable design of the supporting software. As a first step a model of Concurrent Engineering Team Effectiveness (CETEM) has been developed on the basis of a meta-analysis. Within the scope of an empirical study - which was actually meant to test this new model - guidelines for software-support in Concurrent Engineering Teams were derived. The study was designed as participative observation and continuous process mapping of ten different teams. Sixty-seven measurements were being conducted in team meetings in order to show a correlation between the described variables. Correlation and cluster analyses were utilised. On a superordinated management level project contents and objectives as well as their temporal and logical context should be mapped with the help of a workflow-system. On a more operational level in the team itself, degrees of freedom regarding temporal and logical sequence of activities can be accepted. Nevertheless, detailed planning concerning the contents of activities should take place with the assistance of groupware- or database-solutions.