Real-time technologies and efficient collaboration Alexandre Eisenchteter – twitter TTI/V ANGUARD P ARIS 2011

2 Collaboration occurs when a group of autonomous stakeholders of a problem domain engage in an interactive process, using shared rules, norms, and structures, to act or decide on issues related to that domain Toward a Comprehensive Theory of Collaboration D. J. Wood & B. Gray Journal of behavioral Science

3 3 What makes an efficient collaboration

4 4 energy energy energy

5 5 Manage the energy! Time Energy

6 6 Energy zones Time Energy Dead Zone Sustainable Zone High energy Zone

7 7 Collaboration and energy zones Time Energy

8 8 Collaboration can fail caused by weak energy management

9 9 Collaboration w/o action Time Energy

10 Unsustainable collaboration Time Energy

11 Weak collaboration Time Energy

12 An efficient collaboration Time Energy

13 In real life Physical Meetings Distant collaboration

14 Energy is linked with interactions frequency Energy = f(interaction)

15 Interaction and collaboration Time Interaction frequency

16 Interaction and collaboration Time Interaction frequency Interactions occur in a short period of time Interactions occur at different times No interaction

17 Synchronous VS asynchronous Time Interaction frequency Dead Zone Asynchronous interactions Synchronous interactions

18 An efficient collaboration Time Interaction frequency

19 Rule # 1 An efficient collaboration is the right mix of synchronous and asynchronous interactions

20 Asynchronous collaboration tools Postal mail Fax File server Groups Wiki Blogs Forums Q&A base

21 Synchronous collaboration tools File sharing Desktop sharing Instant massaging Audio video chat White-board Co-authoring Mind-mapping

22 Synchronous collaboration tools File sharing Desktop sharing Instant massaging Audio video chat White-board Co-authoring Mind-mapping Web meeting

23 Mapping tools against synchronism Highly synchronous Synchronism Asynchronous Postal mail Fax Blogs File server Wiki Q&A base Groups Forums File sharing Desktop sharing Instant massaging White-board Co-authoring Mind-mapping Audio video chat Face to Face

24 Using a tool outside the sweet spot Highly synchronous Synchronicity Asynchronous Postal mail Fax Blogs File server Wiki Q&A base Groups Forums File sharing Desktop sharing Instant massaging White-board Co-authoring Mind-mapping Audio video chat Face to face

25 Use the right tool at the right time == Efficient distant collaboration Easy?

26 Some collaboration process Planning Scheduling Tracking information Problem solving Document creation Data gathering Data distribution Inspired by: Bolstad, C. A., & Endsley, M. R. (2003). Tools for supporting team collaboration.

27 Process and distant tools Face to face Synch. tools Asynch. tools Inspired by: Bolstad, C. A., & Endsley, M. R. (2003). Tools for supporting team collaboration.

28 We need domain specific tools that structure the distant collaboration

29 Example : schedule a meeting Face to face Synch. tools Asynch. tools

30 Doodle: efficient asynchronous meeting scheduling

31 Example : create a document Face to face Synch. tools Asynch. tools

32 Etherpad: efficient co-authoring

33 Rule # 2 An efficient collaboration use domain or process specific tools to deliver value

34 U.C.Engine helps you to build real time collaboration applications

35 U.C.Engine Open Source components Back-end components – A publish / subscribe server with persistence The core is a publish/subscribe server with persistence written in Erlang. It exposes a RESTful HTTP API with JSON as its primary exchange format and can store the events in a database. – Libraries (Node, RoR, …)

36 U.C.Engine Open Source components Front-end components – Widgets Widgets are the easy way to add front-end features and tools to U.C.Engine applications. ucewidget.js provides a factory method to create widget classes. – Libraries (JS)

37 Title widget tool bar content view 1 tool bar content view 2 tool bar content view 1

38 U.C.Engine make it easy to build such tools Basic widget set Meeting facilitation Conversation File sharing Communication set Videochat VOIP Desktop sharing Efficient meeting set Agenda Timer Action plan Automated report Basecamp plugin Game storming set Post-it session Brain writing KJ analysis Prioritization Specific reports E-learning set Question & answer Quizz Conference set Twitter conversation Twitter picture Conversation moderation Survey Agile set Backlog management Task board Specific reports Business decision set Cause & effect matrix Value mapping SWOT RACI matrix Prioritization Custom structured tools …

39 U.C.Engine “efficient meeting” demonstration and test platform

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41 Collaboration template Meeting Start Meeting End Part IPart IIPart IIIPart IV Meeting management and communication tools Tool 1 Part V Tool 2Tool 3

42

43 U.C.Engine “brain-writing” demonstration

44

45 0 0

46 0 5

47 A great idea #1 This is a description of a great idea. 0 5

48 0 5

49 Another great idea #2 This is a description of another great idea by someone else in the team. 0 5

50 Another great idea #2 This is a description of the same idea by someone in the team but extended with some more insights by the rest of the team. 0 5

52 Efficient distant collaboration & tools #1. The right mix of synchronous and asynchronous tool #2. Availability of process specific tools #3. An extensible collaboration platform

53 The end! But before we leave, you may have questions or suggestions

54 Draft slides

55 Real-time collaboration is needed when distant individuals need to interact at the same time to produce high value outputs

56 Meeting == Real-time collaboration

57 Rich collaboration & structured tools Collaboration tools vary in terms of the degree to which they allow for structured communications (of a very specific predetermined nature) or unstructured communications (allowing a wide variety of information types to be exchanged). Structured Tool 1 Raw input Structured output

58 For distributed teams Distant Meetings Distant collaboration