Login1. Collaborative Engineering
1.1 Cooperation and Competition
Humans are interacting in their daily life in various ways, in private and business sectors, in small teams and big organization, for short time and long periods as well as inside one room and over long distances. All of these interactive relationships between humans leads to collaboration. Collaboration is based on common rules and can be realized as:
- cooperation
- competition
Cooperation is the collaboration of humans or human organizations with common targets. Individual interests are from lower importance in the cooperation domain than the common target. Cooperation is based on the principle of openness between the partners. Examples are a consortium of enterprises for the construction of a complex infrastructure like the Eurotunnel (http://www.eurotunnel.com) or the Great Belt bridge and tunnel (http://www.copenhagenpictures.dk/grt_blt.html) as well as a sport team or an airline alliance like the star-alliance (http://www.star-alliance.com).
Competition is the collaboration of humans or human organizations with different contrary targets. Individual interests are dominating and in conflict to the interests of other collaboration members. Competition is based on the principle of secretiveness between the partners. Examples are the competition of construction companies in the bidding process for an engineering project, a championship game in sports or the normal competition on the market between providers with comparable products and services.
1.2 Time and Location
Both kinds of collaboration are performed in a time and a location space. The collaboration at the same time and the same location is a natural collaboration using the natural interaction techniques of humans like speech, mimic, gesticulation or common handwork. The collaboration at a different time or/and different location demands technical support to overcome the separation in time and location. This kind of collaboration is called telecollaboration or more specific telecooperation and telecompetition. Collaboration can be classified by the time and location space:
- same time -> synchronous (concurrent) collaboration
- different time -> asynchronous collaboration
- same location -> central collaboration
- different location -> distributed collaboration
This lecture notes 'Web based Collaborative Engineering in Hydroscience' focus on the Web based collaboration by cooperation in distributed environments. The World Wide Web also supports modern competition in engineering on the global market. This leads to e-business and e-commerce concepts, solutions and applications. This domain of modern Web based application is out of the scope of this lecture note. A general introduction in these important and interesting fields can be found in the Internet (e.g. http://ecommerce.internet.com or http://www.zdnet.com/ebusiness).
1.3 Natural Resources in Engineering
Engineering is the application of science to the optimum conversion of the resources of nature to the uses of humankind (ENCYCLOPÆDIA BRITANNICA). Based on this definition civil and hydro-engineering is mainly based on three resources:
- material
- energy
- information
Handling and use of material and energy by tools is done since centuries. Information is predestined for handling in computer and computer networks such as the Internet. Storage, exchange, sharing and handling of information is a topic of applied computer science. Hydroinformatics is the discipline in water related engineering which deals with the modeling, management and use of information. Web based collaborative engineering is mainly based on information exchange and information sharing to support the management and performance of engineering projects in distributed environments.
1.4 Collaboration Objects
Information in a general computer oriented view is the combination of data, methods, semantics to describe, exchange and share human knowledge, experience, observation and feeling. In engineering projects four types of information related collaboration objects have to be managed to support the collaborative engineering:
- data
- software
- expertise
- documents
Data is the parametric part of information and mostly described by numbers and characters. Data is structured and grouped in data sets using hierarchical, relational and object oriented schemes and standardized or system oriented formats. Data base systems and data file systems are used in the computer environment for persistent storage and management of data. Semantic is partial added to the raw data by textual descriptions. These can be project/task oriented notations or standardized notations based on standardized language such as XML (eXtensible Markup Language).
Design, construction, analysis and operation of human infrastructure in the natural environment is performed by the application of software solutions. Hydroengineering projects are often based on the numerical simulation of water related natural and artificial systems. These software systems require a beneficial application, well proofed and prepared data and for the operation user expertise. Traditional software systems are designed for single user computer application. Application sharing and application service provider (ASP) open the world for theses systems. Modern software systems support network licenses, multi user operation and net based access from remote such as Web based user interfaces. This opens a new potential for joint modeling in distributed environments and to set up and apply net based information systems.
Modern simulation systems and related data mining require a high level of expertise. Set up, monitoring and control of the numerical simulation run require a deep understanding of the mathematical and physical background and assumptions as well as the numerical algorithms. The number and relationships of numerical and physical parameters, which deeply influence the simulation result, is high and determines the accuracy, convergence and stability of the simulation. This kind of expertise can be described as information presentations in regulations, parameter sets, norms, case studies and scenario descriptions and can be exchanged by consulting and supervision.
Information is of abstract manner and part of the human perception of the world. To exchange and share information humans use information presentations such as speech, text, graphics, audio and video. Information be presented by suitable structured documents such as reports, drawings and books. In engineering projects concepts, designs, performed work, conclusions and decisions have to be documented in a comprehensible way. Documents are mostly part of a project work flow including several versions and revision control. These documents form the basis of information exchange and information sharing during a project and on the long term to support the life cycle and operation of the related artificial infrastructure in the natural environment. Traditional paper based documents has been transferred to electronic documents (office package, CAD systems). Modern hyper-linked multi-media documents open a new world of documentation and require a new form level of abilities and skills from both sides - the author and the reader.
1.5 Collaboration in Virtual Work Spaces
Projects in civil and hydro-engineering are characterized by the temporal collaboration of experts from different disciplines, from different institutions and from different locations. Target of Web based collaborative engineering is to overcome the spatial distribution of experts involved in a common engineering project. Core idea is to set up virtual work spaces - the transmission of a real common working room (e.g. office) in the computer network (e.g. virtual office). In parallel to reality the involved experts enter the virtual work spaces by a 'virtual door': the access to a web services. To ensure security in virtual work spaces three levels of access can be introduced:
- private
- protected
- public
Private work spaces are related to one or two persons for their personal work. Other persons have no access to this work space. Simple examples is a 'login' on a Unix workstation. Protected work spaces are the transmission of seminar and work group rooms from reality in the net. Access is limited to a specified group of collaboration members. Simple example is a password protected access to an internal Web server. Public work spaces are unprotected and open for everyone. There is no level of secretiveness. Simple examples are newsgroups and chat rooms in the Internet.
Net based work spaces can be used on several levels inside institutions, between specified partners and in a open environment. Modern Internet technology supports these level by the distinguished of three terms and corresponding network configurations:
- Internet
- Extranet
- Intranet
Internet is the well known world area network (WAN) with open access and information transfer. Intranet are local area networks (LAN) for a selected number of participants at one location. The Extranet combines the distribution and openness of the Internet and the local network structure and seclusion of the Intranet. Virtual LAN technology supports the set up of an Extranet in the Internet (distributed computer are getting the same IP-address family). Access control to an Intranet is realized by network software such as firewall systems. This field of modern ICT is still under development and will be improved soon (also by the integration with satellite and mobile phone techniques).
The performance of an engineering project by partners at different locations requires to set up a common protected work space in an Extranet. In respect to the limited resources of universities it might be suitable to use the Internet as backbone and to compensate this by extending functionality for access control and work space protection.
1.6 Working Processes in Engineering
The performance of engineering projects on complex artificial infrastructure in the natural environment by a heterogeneous group of experts theoretically in cooperation but in reality also partial in competition is based on a complex working process. Project management demands a flexible working process modeling and controlling which considers all relevant topics. Contrary to projects in practice courses in education are much more simpler in the number and structure of involved persons, in the duration, in the complexity of the engineering task and most important: there is no economical background. Nevertheless there is always a need for working process planning, monitoring and control (esp. in distributed project/course environments). The detailed description of process modeling and management in engineering project is beyond this lecture notes. But however some terms will be introduced to encourage course participation to think about the topic in advances and during the education course and to use work plans, time tables and task distribution to manage the team work.
Actors are persons who are involved in a project and are able to start, execute and stop activities. A group is composed by a number of actors with common interest. Working in a group is a mixture of collaboration and personal activity, there could be different and sometimes contradictory targets in the group and by the involved actors. Groups are flexible organization structures, which are not necessarily operating as one unit in an external view.
A team is composed by a number of actors to set up in an external view a consistence new unit based on collaboration and less competition. There are discussion and decision/agreement finding process inside the team to find a common target and strategy. This leads to a corresponding work plan to manage the team work. The team is responsible as a whole for its activity.
The interaction and work distribution inside teams is defined by roles, work packages and tasks. Roles define areas of responsibility and corresponding liabilities and are assigned to team members as actors. One actor can assume several roles. Examples for roles are team leader, data provider, numerical modeler and reporter/publisher. The global target of the team collaboration is specified in work packages, broken down in tasks. Work package leadership and task responsibility is assigned to the actors in relation to their roles. The work plan describes the content and relations of the work packages and the tasks, the chronology of the performance and the responsible actors. Time schedules (time table) offer a time oriented view on the work plan and can be also use for coordination inside the teams. Work plan and time schedule can be used for process monitoring and current status presentation. Simple example is the use of a status variable (planed, specified, in work, done, validated) for each task and event.
Collaboration in teams require a high level of interaction agreements inside the teams to avoid misunderstanding, double work, deadlocks and gabs. Typical examples for such interaction agreements are rules for information exchange and information sharing:
- obligation to inform (e.g. send an email)
- obligation to read information (e.g. have a look in mailboxes)
- obligation to accept information (e.g. email confirmation of receipt)
- obligation to deliver information (e.g. upload a file on a common server)
- obligation to pick up information (e.g. download a file from a common server)
These kinds of interaction agreements and the corresponding collaboration mechanisms lead in combination with work plan and time schedule to a work flow model for the project to ensure quality assurance and observance of project dates. Such work flow model should be very flexible and dynamic in respect to the uncertainties of civil and hydroengineering projects in comparison to projects from mechanical engineering.
1.7 Organization Structures
The working processes in engineering are deeply influenced by the organization structures inside the involved companies, enterprises and expert teams as well as their interaction relationships. These organization structures can be classified as:
- hierarchical organization
- organization network
- modular organization
- virtual organization
Hierarchical organization structures are mostly used in mass production and performance of recurrent processes with small changes and adaptations. They are based on static structures between partners with fixed roles and unambiguous relationships.
Organization networks are used for collaboration of partners with complementary market strategies and are based on a flexible complex relationship network.
Modular organizations support the individual operation of the particular partners under a common umbrella (agency philosophy). They are based on a flexible combination of individual partners under fixed roles and with simple relationships.
Virtual organizations combine the flexibilities of modular organizations and organization networks. This kind of organization is mostly used for complex projects with high uncertainties and applied as temporal organization structures.
The application of modern Web based telecooperation may not be necessary (but useful) for hierarchical organizations for example public administration authorities. There is a large potential of improvements in efficient and productivity in these organizations through structural changes and corresponding working processes. This will come by time. Public administration are traditionally one of the last parts of the society which will be adapted to the needs and working ways of their clients: the citizens.
Web based telecooperation is helpful for set-up, management and operation of modular organizations and organization networks. It is essential for set-up, management and operation of virtual organizations.
The complexity of the 'products' in engineering is high and the uncertainties in the market depending on how unique each project is, are many and divers. This leads to organization networks and to modular organizations inside large companies and enterprises and to virtual organization for the performance of projects with different project partners from different companies and enterprises. The ability to operate in these organization structures is the pre-requisite for a successful operation on the global world market.
Provider Concept
Hydroengineering projects include a wide range of scientific and engineering disciplines. The impact of hydroengineering constructions on the natural environment and the operation of human infrastructure in the natural environment as well as the logistic and economic requirements have to be analyzed and evaluated. For larger projects this can only be done by teams of experts from different fields.
Such teams may be formed within big enterprises. Smaller companies may only be able to established such working groups through cooperation with other offices, companies and experts. The roles of the contributing partners for projects in hydroengineering may be specified in an abstract form as follows:
The central role keeps the project engineer, the organization or responsible engineer which runs and controls a project. He obtains the project budget, tasks and constraints (rules, regulation, aspects of public interest) by corresponding providers. Budget provider may be the government, constraint provider a natural conservation institute and task provider a harbor and waterway management administration.
The project engineer gets specialized numerical modeling and analysis software for hydraulic modeling as components of a hydroinformatics system from software vendors. The application of this software needs special expertise on physical processes, its projection to numerical schemes, model instantiation and operation as well as result analysis coming from an expertise provider. The required project data are spread over different agencies (e.g. agencies for meteorological, hydrological or morphological data): the data providers.
1.8 Human Matters and Technical Culture
Web based collaborative engineering is not only a technical matter but also a social topic. Web based collaborative engineering extends traditional collaboration methods. This reflects in the human relationships and habits as human matters.
Hydroengineering projects are mostly interdisciplinary and international projects. This leads to a high level of heterogeneity in the group of the involved collaboration partners. Besides different used terminologies different human-social aspects resulting on different native languages, mentalities, culture and social backgrounds and religions have to be considered to optimize the collaboration.
Soft Skills
Pre-requisite for a successful collaboration in heterogeneous teams and distributed working environment is the competence of the collaboration members in respect to social, technical and communication aspects. This competence is mainly based on:
- reliability
- self motivation
- flexibility
- open mindedness
- sense of responsibility
- team awareness
- secretiveness
These skills are soft skills which cannot be educated and trained. They can be learned over the years as part of the own personality development.
Communication Channels
Traditional communication is based on mutual and written exchange. Humans have learned to communicate by speech over millenniums, by writing over centuries and by electronic information exchange (phone, fax, broadcast and TV) over decades. The new opportunities of the Web have changed this situation dramatically within a short time by fundamental extensions of the traditional communication channels:
- multi-media presentation extends traditional paper oriented presentation
- information sharing extends information exchange
Multi-media presentation offers a new level of media richness for communication. The appropriate application of this opportunity has to be developed in engineering disciplines by time. One important aspect is the effectiveness of the communication depending on the complexity of the communication task. The application of simple media for complex tasks leads to an oversimplified communication. This kind of communication is impersonal and would not encourage a feedback from the communication partner. The application of high media richness for simple tasks leads to an overcomplicated communication. This holds the danger of ambiguities and too much redundant information. The balance between media richness and complexity in the communication task is a pre-requisite for an effective communication. This balance has to be found between all communication partners for a successful collaboration.
Information sharing offers new opportunities for a closed cooperation between experts at distributed locations. But information sharing demands also a new level of confidence and coordination between the involved partners. Shared information are not owned by one user, they are owned by several user. This requires suitable regulations and agreements on access and responsibilities to ensure completeness, consistence and quality. Example is the joint editing on shared project reports in the World Wide Web by three partners.
Telework
Traditional work of employees is performed at the location of the companies and enterprises, e.g. in an office, a factory or in mobile services. With the upcoming telecooperation solutions new working environments for telework can be introduced. Important aspects of these working environments are working location, working time, working contract and working infrastructure. These more technical aspects are related to changes in the social relationships of the engineer to other colleagues and organizations.
- home based
- center based
- office based
- mobile
The traditional working location (engineering office) in a company or on the building site will be expanded by new combinations of working locations such as home working, centre working and mobile working. The traditional working time in offices can be changed towards a more flexible distribution. This includes part-time working as well as project based time distribution and work sharing over different time zones. The traditional working contracts and way of employments will be extended by freelancers as well as tele-employees and tele-entrepreneurs.
All of these new opportunities of telework changes the relationships between the involved humans. Daily face-to-face meetings in a shared office are reduced, the social relationships between all involved persons are changing. A lot of human problems can arise and have to be handled and solved. The technological progress will be not beneficial without a social and human balance in the changing working environment. This development in the society forced by the trends of globalization are a new challenge for the society. Social science and ergonomics are working in these important research field nowadays.
Technical Culture
The Internet and the World Wide Web changes the world: Everybody can get over net at any time and at any place access to information - the problem now is to find and select the right information at the right time. Everybody can communicate over net with everybody at any time and at any place - the problem now is to find the right communication tools and ways, suitable for the partners and the relevant communication topics. Both aspects are advancing in all sectors of the society. The benefit of the technological progress can only be achieved by the development of a corresponding 'Technical Culture' in the society - a process which needs time to develop corresponding working methods and to get experience in the application of the Web technology by education, training and application.
1.9 Web based Telecooperation in Engineering
Telecooperation as base for collaborative engineering is used in normal business since humans use technical solutions to transfer information over long distances in short time. Today the Internet is a new technological backbone all over the world. The World Wide Web is a new level of media richness for information and allows a new dimension of telecooperation. The importance of this technology has been increased in a short time - the so called ICT revolution. These dramatically changes lead to various new possibilities in telecooperation. New ways of efficient telecooperation have to be developed and introduced in education and practice. In engineering this kind of telecooperation is called net based collaborative engineering. In the time of 'Globalization' and structural changes in the engineering market sector there is a need for each market participant to adapt its activity to these processes - a challenge for enterprises, engineers and academia.
Collaboration in distributed environments is deeply influenced by two boundary conditions:
- heterogeneity of collaboration partners
- Available technical solutions
Engineering projects are traditionally performed by a collaboration of experts from different disciplines. This fact is intensified by the globalization of the society in all fields and by the increasing importance of ecological, legal, financial, social and global economical aspects. Today, complex engineering projects are performed in a closed cooperation of partners at different locations, with time shift working periods, from different disciplines and educational background as well as with different nationalities, mentalities and working methods. A various number of software systems and tools support collaboration in distributed environments. These systems are called 'Computer-Supported Cooperative Work Systems (CSCW)' or 'Groupware Systems'. Examples are BCSW (http://bscw.gmd.de) and Lotus Notes/Domino (http://www.lotus.com). These systems integrates a set of tools to support the different collaboration tasks such as email, newsgroups, video conferencing, shared document management, work flow monitoring and control as well as personal and shared work spaces in Intra/Extranets.
One important question of collaboration in networks today is, which kind of technology, tools and corresponding working methods brings benefit for which kind of project collaboration task in the different stages of a project and for the specific project partner relationships. The composition of technology, tools and working methods have to be analyzed, structured and based on methodological concepts to ensure an efficient collaboration. The following sections give an overview on Web technology, collaboration tasks and tools. But it is beyond this lecture notes to go into all details of modern telecooperation. This is still a field of research and development. The European Commission has set up special R&D programs to outline the importance of this factor for the European society (http://www.cordis.lu).
© FM April 2001
