Real-time technologies and efficient collaboration

Alexandre EisenchteterCOO @af83 – twitter : @ineation

TTI/VANGUARD PARIS 2011

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Collaboration occurs when a group of autonomous stakeholdersof 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 CollaborationD. J. Wood & B. Gray Journal of behavioral Science - 1991

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What makes an efficient collaboration

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energyenergy

energyenergy

energyenergy

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Manage the energy!

Time

Energy

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Energy zones

Time

Energy

Dead Zone

Sustainable Zone

High energy Zone

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Collaboration and energy zones

Time

Energy

88

Collaboration can fail caused by weak energy management

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Collaboration w/o action

Time

Energy

1010

Unsustainable collaboration

Time

Energy

1111

Weak collaboration

Time

Energy

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An efficient collaboration

Time

Energy

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In real life

Physical Meetings

Distant collaboration

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Energy is linked with interactions frequency

Energy = f(interaction)

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Interaction and collaboration

Time

Interactionfrequency

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Interaction and collaboration

Time

Interactionfrequency

Interactions occur in a short period of time

Interactions occur at different times

No interaction

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Synchronous VS asynchronous

Time

Interactionfrequency

Dead Zone

Asynchronous interactions

Synchronous interactions

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An efficient collaboration

Time

Interactionfrequency

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Rule # 1An efficient collaboration is the

right mix of synchronous and asynchronous interactions

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Asynchronous collaboration tools

Postal mailFax

E-mailFile server

GroupsWikiBlogs

ForumsQ&A base

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Synchronous collaboration tools

File sharingDesktop sharing

Instant massagingAudio video chat

White-boardCo-authoring

Mind-mapping

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Synchronous collaboration tools

File sharingDesktop sharing

Instant massagingAudio video chat

White-board

Co-authoringMind-mapping

Web meeting

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Mapping tools against synchronism

Highly synchronous

Synchronism

Asynchronous

Postal mail

Fax

Blogs

File server

Wiki

Q&A base

Groups

Forums

E-mail

File sharing

Desktop sharing

Instant massaging

White-board

Co-authoring

Mind-mapping

Audio video chat

Face to

Face

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Using a tool outside the sweet spot

Highly synchronous

Synchronicity

Asynchronous

Postal mail

Fax

Blogs

File server

Wiki

Q&A base

Groups

Forums

E-mail E-mail E-mail E-mail

File sharing

Desktop sharing

Instant massaging

White-board

Co-authoring

Mind-mapping

Audio video chat

Face to

face

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Use the right tool at the right time

==Efficient distant collaboration

Easy?

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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.

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Process and distant tools

Inspired by: Bolstad, C. A., & Endsley, M. R. (2003). Tools for supporting team collaboration.

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We need domain specific tools that structure the distant

collaboration

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Example : schedule a meeting

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Doodle: efficient asynchronous meeting scheduling

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Example : create a document

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Etherpad: efficient co-authoring

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Rule # 2An efficient collaboration use

domain or process specific toolsto deliver value

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U.C.Engine helps you to buildreal time collaboration applications

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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, …)

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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)

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<article class="ui-widget uce-widget uce-widgetName uce-collapsed"> <header> <h1>Title widget</h1> </header>

<section class="uce-zoomed"> <!-- view 1 --> <article> <aside> tool bar </aside> content view 1 </article>

<!-- view 2 --> <article> <aside> tool bar </aside> content view 2 </article> </section>

<section class="uce-unzoomed"> <!-- view 1 --> <article> <aside> tool bar </aside> content view 1 </article>

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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• …

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

platform

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Collaboration template

MeetingStart

MeetingEnd

Part I Part II Part III Part IV

Meeting management and communication tools

Tool 1

Part V

Tool 2 Tool 3

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4343

U.C.Engine “brain-writing” demonstration

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0

0

4646

0

5

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A great idea #1

This is a description of a great idea.

0

5

4848

0

5

4949

Another great idea #2

This is a description of another great idea by someone else in the team.

0

5

5050

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

5151

10

50

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Efficient distant collaboration & tools

#1. The right mix of synchronous and asynchronous tool

#2. Availability of process specific tools

#3. An extensible collaboration platform

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

Follow-me@ineation @ucengine

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Draft slides

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Real-time collaboration is needed when distant

individuals need to interact at the same time to produce high

value outputs

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Meeting ==

Real-time collaboration

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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).

StructuredTool 1

Raw input

Structuredoutput

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For distributed teams

Distant Meetings

Distant collaboration