CERI Hot Topic Seminar –
The virtual business
Gary Frostick
BSc(Hons) CEng CITP MBCS
Senior Solutions Architect
Xonitek Systems/Index Computer Systems
1
Introduction – Virtual Teams
2
Benefits, Risks & Weaknesses
3
Strategy and Recommendations
4
Conclusions
Collaboration across international
boundaries?
Issues raised are relevant to any virtual
business/virtual team scenario – not just
international issues.
What is a Virtual Team?
A virtual team is a group of individuals
who work across time, location and
organisational boundaries.
Why Virtual Teams?
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Customer/Supplier Projects
Multi-Supplier Projects
Multiple Locations
Teleworkers
Cross-Department Internal Projects
Service Teams
Action Teams (Contingency Planning)
Why Virtual Teams?
• Geographically dispersed teams allow
organisations to hire and retain the best people
regardless of location.
• Organisations becoming more geographically
dispersed due to availability/cost of labour/facilities.
• Allow organisations to build customer/supplier (or
inter-supplier) relationships over long-term projects
to achieve common goals.
• Greater use of sub-contractors/facilities
management/third party logistics.
Strengths of Virtual Teams
• Pool Expertise
• Avoids Limitations of Resource
• Supplier/Customers Relationships can become
Partnerships
• Flexibility
Weaknesses of Virtual Teams
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Leadership
Ownership
Visibility
Time Differences
Language Barriers
Cultural Differences
Division of Work
Trust
Isolation
Consensual decision making can be slower/more difficult
Strategy
So can virtual teams be effective?
Recommendations
• Include Face-to Face Time
- At start of project
- Project reviews (If possible)
• Keep Project Information Visible
- Common Systems
- Use IT Supported Co-operative Systems
- Appropriate Information Availability/Security
• Recognise Communication Delays
- Time Zones
- Working Days
- Agreed Response Times
Recommendations 2
• Keep Team Members Visible
- Common Calendar
- Project Plan
- Etc
• Communication
- Document Conversation
- Language Barrier
- Augment Text Only Communications
- Don’t Rely on e-mail!!!
- Back-up Communication Methods
• Establish Ground Rules (Working Methodology)
- Trust
Recommendations 3
• Project Reviews (Team Assessment)
• Recognise People
- Achievements
- Potential Conflicts
• Learn from Experience
Conclusions
• Virtual teams can be very effective but limitations
must be recognised.
• Technology makes virtual teams possible, but is not
a perfect substitution for human interaction.
• Virtual teams can be used in some scenarios to
improve inter-organisation relationships and can
add competitive advantage.
Questions