Making Waves

Date: November 11, 2020

To: Dan Shapero: President

Richard Lowe: President and Chief Executive Officer
Chuck Lennon: Executive Vice President
Lee Dye: Vice President, Franchise Support and Training
Karl Hoenecke: Vice President, Business Development

From: Making Waves Team

Subject: Recommendation Report for the Implementation of New Collaboration Tool

“New Collaboration Tool for the Franchises of Team Logic IT,” is an attached report of our
collaboration tool research. We have collected data through surveying professionals in the
information technology (IT) field to increase our understanding of collaboration tools and their
effectiveness. We learned the statistical advantages of an effective collaboration tool in
addition to the mindset of people using collaboration tools on a regular basis.

Our team researched the collaboration tools most pertinent parts, including growth and
effectiveness. We reviewed the tools utilized by Team Logic IT and based our research on how
we can enhance their work management by offering a new collaboration tool. In doing so, we
have compiled research through our primary and secondary research findings. We were able to
complete a detailed questionnaire that will provide insight to TeamLogic IT on the importance
of the new collaboration tool.

Throughout our research, we have identified that a collaboration tool helps to bring employees
together, discuss opportunities that may not have surfaced by working alone, and overall
increases the productivity and quality of projects. The collaboration tool we have researched to
be effective for Team Logic IT is Monday.com. As a team, we have personally used Monday.com
to ensure we were able to provide accurate information of the tool.

Sincerely,
The Making Waves Team
 1

New Collaboration Tool

for the Franchises of
Team Logic IT:
A Recommendation Report

Prepared For: Dan Shapero, President

Richard Lowe, President and Chief Executive Officer
Chuck Lennon, Executive Vice President
Lee Dye, Vice President, Franchise Support and Training
Karl Hoenecke, Vice President, Business Development

Prepared By: Meagan Hickey

Julie Cinami
Hanna Hanson
Cody Chrzan

November 11, 2020

 2

Making Waves Team

Executive Summary
New Collaboration Tool for the Franchises of Team Logic IT

In the ever-changing field of Information Technology, collaboration tools have also

changed to combine project management, unify communication, streamline task management,
and increase productivity to benefit all types of businesses to function at their highest
potential. I However, Team Logic IT has focused on troubleshooting their clients’ technology
demands; therefore, they have not focused on their own needs to improve project
management and communication within their daily functions. They are operating multiple
collaboration tools for video conferencing, instant messaging, and document sharing. To
provide a platform that has all functions in one, a new collaboration tool will be required. In our
research, the product that will benefit to effectively accomplish daily functions is Monday.com.
This product will be able to streamline communication and increase the productivity, so their
employees effectively meet deadlines in an efficient manner.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Dan Shapero, and the entire Team Logic IT group of executives
for the opportunity they have provided our team of college students for their franchises to
implement nationwide. You have granted us an immense amount of responsibility and trust to
allow us to research and find the correct collaboration tool to implement within your company.

We would also like to give thanks to all the survey applicants who honestly and timely
filled out our questionnaire. With the use of their data, we were able to fine tune our research
and provide Team Logic IT with the best possible recommendation. Finally, we would like to
give a special thanks to Kristin Little, our professor. If it were not for her mentoring and
guidance, our recommendation report would not be where it is today.
 3

Table of Contents

Executive Summary ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2

Acknowledgements …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………... 4
Background …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6
Problem Statement and Research Questions ………………………………………………………………………. 7
Research Methods ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
Method 1: Scholarly Resources …………………………………………………………………………………….. 8
Method 2: Non-Scholarly Resources …………………………………………………………………………….. 8
Method 3: Collection of Questionnaire Data ………………………………………………………………… 8
Method 4: Analyzing Questionnaire Data …………………………………………………………………….. 9
Methods and Collaborative Tools ………………………………………………………………………………………... 9
Managing Conflict from a Distance ………………………………………………………………………………………. 10
Technology and Training ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 10
Technology Troubleshooting and Support …………………………………………………………………………. 10
Team’s Interests ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 11
Results …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11
Conclusion & Recommendation …………………………………………………………………………………………. 13
References ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 14
Appendices ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 16
Handout …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 16
Annotated Bibliography ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 17
Other Resources …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 23
Collaboration Tool Questionnaire Link ……………………………………………………………………….. 24
Collaboration Tool Questionnaire Data Link ……………………………………………………………….. 25
 4

Introduction

In order to determine a collaboration tool that will function for the demands of Team
Log IT to improve overall communication, project management, and file sharing, Dan Shapero,
President, has reached out to our team to conduct research on products that will improve his
business field of Information Technology. With analysis of both the day-to-day tasks of the I.T.
company, and the collaboration required for business to run smoothly, we can recommend the
collaborative web application Monday.com.

The Making Waves team recommends a collaboration tool to increase the productivity,
improve project management, and ease the frustrations of Team Logic IT’s clients. The
collaboration tool Team Logic IT is seeking benefits to improve communication to keep
employees on task, review progress on projects, and time management. In a study by
Projectplace, “82% project managers stated that the better the project management tools the
more time is saved” (Harrin, 2016). Having features to track task management and its progress
gives management a snapshot of where they stand on productivity; and where adjustments are
to be made. As stated in the article from Uppsala University in Sweden, a “company’s
competitive edge is intrinsically tied to the ability to quickly collaborate with co-workers,
partners and customers” (Aklilu Taye, 2014). And, for Team Logic IT to remain competitive in
the field of IT, they need resources that can utilize one platform to keep their business running
smoothly without disruptions and frustrated clients.

Team Logic is IT currently using Microsoft Office 365 which is not meeting their needs to
function collaboratively as a team to meet deadlines effectively. The products they are using do
not interface with each other. This will hinder the teams when it comes to tracking tasks, time
management, and communication. The issue they are finding is that their communication and
project management is creating low productivity levels. According to the article “The Influence
of Collaborative Information Technology Tool Usage on NPD”, in the last ten to fifteen years,
wikis, blogs, and cloud-based social media platforms have escalated significantly (Marion &
Fixson, 2019). So, in order to keep up with the technological changes over the years, TeamLogic
 5

IT is seeking to make changes to the platforms they use to help their employees work
effectively and efficiently with each other and to increase productivity. They need to have
“cooperation and the sharing of ideas in team production has many benefits, including higher
quality output, more innovative ideas, increased overall productivity, and enhanced social
relationships” to make their business have continued success (Tian, Zhang, & Karger, 2020).
Instead, they have put their energy into their clients’ needs which consist of implementing
upgrades and troubleshooting, and that they have lost track of their day-to-day functions.

The details provided in this report included the methods used to determine our decision
for choosing Monday.com that will be beneficial to the business. We used scholarly resources
taken from the online library of the University of Arizona and included are peer reviewed
resources. The non-scholarly resources were taken from the Google search engine and carefully
reviewed for completeness and accuracy. Also, we developed a questionnaire completed by
professionals in the information technology field. The questions asked are relevant to
determine what features, functionality, task management, project management, and time
management. Then, the data was compiled and analyzed and the field of information
technology is seeking easy access, screen and file sharing, video conferencing, embedded
calendar management, and all these tools in one location (Making Waves Questionnaire, 2020).
The information technology positions that responded to the questionnaire all had similar
responses on what would work best for their communication, especially when working
remotely has increased.

The outline to execute the data to Team Logic IT is the following:

1. Gather data from questions to decipher what other information technology

professionals are utilizing collaboration tools.

2. Research pros and cons of collaboration tools based on the company’s needs.

3. Determine the tool that best fit Team Logic IT.

4. Discuss training on methods to the management team for a smooth transition.

 6

After the research and methods were analyzed, we recommended Monday.com as the
most beneficial product for Team Logic IT for their business’ success. The collaboration tool
provides a platform that unifies all the resources they are seeking. It has the capabilities to
integrate the Zoom app, Slack app, view tasks, due dates to projects, and project management.

Background

Team Logic IT is a company that concentrates on their clients’ business in “assessing

equipment performance, troubleshooting issues, managing upgrades and installations,
leveraging trends and much more to help you get the most from your technology investment”
(Team Logic IT, n.d). Team Logic IT is concerned with the IT applications their clients use to
perform smoothly. However, they are not utilizing their own IT expertise to use collaboration
tools for their business to run smoothly. Instead of utilizing a streamlined project management
and communication tools, they are using a combination of Zoom for video conferencing,
Outlook for email, and Google Drive for document sharing. According to the article “The
Missing Link in IT Collaboration”, a study was conducted by Harvard Business Review and one-
third of employees believed their meetings were not run effectively and a waste of their time
(Garrison, 2017). Team Logic IT was finding this same issue when conducting Zoom meetings.
Their project management structure has decreased from lack of communication to meet
clients’ deadlines with system upgrades and installations. According to the Project Place survey,
“nearly a third of project managers say that it’s hard to know which communication channel
they should be using on a daily basis” (Harrin, 2016). This has caused employees not following
tasks from initiation to completion and miscommunication on responsibilities for assigned
projects.

Team Logic IT’s clients are frustrated that they are not able to complete the project by
the proposed deadlines. In a 2014 survey conducted by Project Place, over 1,200 European
project managers declare that 37% of respondents say that lack of communication between
team members is the highest concern for not working well with each other (Harrin, 2016).
Team Logic IT has found emailing it not a practical means of communication with only Microsoft
Outlook, so being able to communicate within documents is a helpful tool that their company
 7

needs. According to our team’s questionnaire conducted, 83.3% of the respondents involved
with Team Logic IT thought collaboration tools improve project management (Making Waves
Questionnaire). So, our team is seeking to improve their project management needs and
communication by proposing the use on Monday.com.

Do collaboration tools improve the project management process?

Fig.1, “Do collaboration tools improve the project management process? Making Waves Questionnaire. (2020).
Retrieved November 05, 2020, from

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1012Qspz33Y6I14soYMS07Hbkrpy7sZTId24z5eyU4ZA/edit?ts=5f9db85f

Problem Statement and Research Questions

Problem Statement:

Provide a proposal for a new collaboration tool for the TeamLogic IT to utilize.

Research Questions:

1. What are the current collaboration tools utilized by TeamLogic IT?

2. What benefits do they have using more than one collaboration tool?
3. What tools are they not benefiting from?
 8

4. What tools are missing from their workspace currently?

5. Are their current tools efficient in completing projects?
6. What are the advantages of combining their collaboration tools into one tool?

Research Methods
Method 1: Scholarly Resources
The relevant academic resources we used were the University of Arizona Library, Google
Scholar, JSTOR, and Sage Journals. The data from these sources were used for our main
statistical references because they are peer reviewed statistics. They are imperative for our
recommendation because it helps our team be more accurate and honest with our information.
The statistics the Making Waves Team searched for in these scholarly sources were efficiency,
team building, and the ability for teams to work remotely on documents or assignments.

Method 2: Non-Scholarly Sources

The non-scholarly sources consisted of searches from the google search engine. Google is full of
informational sources, but sometimes this data is not relevant to the task we are trying to
complete. The information provided from a google source could be not factual and contain
statistics that are not accurate or confirmed. We carefully reviewed the information we found
online and further investigated the source to ensure its authenticity and accuracy.

Method 3: Collection of Questionnaire Data

For the questionnaire we contacted people in the information technology field along with other
professionals who often access a collaboration tool at work. We sent the questionnaire to
qualified people using Google Forms. Google forms then saved and calculated the data for our
team to assess.
 9

Method 4: Analyzing Questionnaire Data

The data collected from the Questionnaire is essential to the process of research because it
allowed us, as a team, to focus on what people find helpful about collaboration tools and what
they find irrelevant. Question five of the questionnaire was aimed towards finding what our
participants use the most in a collaboration tool. This helped us to identify the needs of our
audience and what is most sought after. Question ten also showed us that our participants
want to have the ability for document sharing and instant messaging the most. From here we
could pinpoint what our audience needs were and how our collaboration tool will best be
utilized for Team Logic IT.

Methods & Collaborative Tools

Based on our primary and secondary research we have found that I.T. teams require
video conferencing, file sharing, scheduling, task management and chat-based communication.
One of our survey participants said that a program that would connect all the tools that they
are already using would be helpful. 60% of survey participants said that they are not currently
using document sharing but would find it helpful for their company. I.T. companies need to be
able to work closely with other businesses and easily share information in real-time within their
own company. (Harbert, 2010) We have found that monday.com can satisfy the needs of an I.T.
team because it offers integration of collaboration tools already used by I.T. professionals,
including tools for file sharing, video conferencing, scheduling, and task management.
Monday.com also offers software specific to I.T. companies. This includes onboarding and
requests, supply management, orders and inventory, and project management (“Monday.com,
2020).
 10

Managing Conflict from a Distance

Remote tools can be used effectively to manage conflict from a distance within a work
environment. Monday.com allows for open lines of communication between team members
with integration of apps with chat or video conferencing features. These apps can be found in
the integration center of Monday.com and added to any workspace. For messaging-based
communication, the Slack app should be added through the integration center to allow team
members to message each other. The Zoom app should be added through the integration
center to allow for video conferencing. Tasks can be assigned to team members through the
Monday.com workspace and team members are able to mark the status of each task. Status of
tasks should be visible to each team member to avoid confusion and to keep everyone caught
up. By utilizing a collaboration tool that provides all the project management tools in one place,
a cohesive application will allow team members to work efficiently together.

Technology Training

Monday.com combines quite a few of TeamLogic IT’s current collaboration tools which
will help in the training processes. However, Monday.com offers a “help” search bar,
instructional webinars, and tutorial videos for new users. Here users can familiarize themselves
with in-app workspaces, activity logs, chatting with team members, uploading files, or
importing and exporting files. Tutorials should be watched for getting started as well as using
the more advanced features of the program. Instructional webinars are offered daily or on
demand to aid with most effective use of the tool.

Technology Troubleshooting & Support

The “help” search bar is the first resource to use for troubleshooting. Specific guides are
offered for all features of the tool and can be referred to at any point if questions come up. If a
question cannot be answered with a quick search on the site, Monday.com also offers support
where users can ask specific questions, watch tutorial videos and give details about the
problem that should be addressed by a support technician in a timely manner. Some of the
technical support concerns that are addressed on the site are as follows (“Monday.com,” 2020):
 11

1. What are workspaces?

2. Creating a new workspace
3. Managing team members on workspaces
4. Customizing your workspace
5. Restrict who can create workspaces
6. Moving boars from one workspace to another
7. FAQ sheet
a. Who will see Main Boards on my account?
b. Can admins access all workspaces and boards in my account?

Team Interests

The members of our team come from different professional backgrounds, and all
familiar with different collaboration tools, but came together in collaboration to produce this
recommendation report. With this we have been able to test some of the features of
Monday.com. We found the project management features of the tool to be particularly useful.
We were able to arrange all our tasks by due date, create reminders, and check the status of
each task. Remote work is of special interest to our team at the time that this report was
produced, because of current social distancing recommendations for the duration of the Covid-
19 pandemic. Our team members were able to collaborate effectively to produce this report,
remotely, with some help from the features offered by Monday.com.

Results

Determining the most efficient collaboration tool for TeamLogic IT required analysis of
their current systems, surveys from IT professionals, and a detailed look at their current work
projects. We needed to ensure that we picked a tool that would encompass all the
collaboration tools to make their project management more effective and less time consuming.
Currently, TeamLogic IT is using multiple tools to complete their projects within the company.
The research results provide significant results as to why they would benefit from one
collaboration tool that houses all their programs in one location. The below graph shows the
different collaboration tools used to complete a project.
 12

Fig.2, “Select all collaboration methods used in your workspace” Making Waves Questionnaire. (2020). Retrieved
November 05, 2020, from

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1012Qspz33Y6I14soYMS07Hbkrpy7sZTId24z5eyU4ZA/edit?ts=5f9db85f

Six representatives completed our questionnaire, of the six, four of them utilize more
than one tool. By utilizing Monday.com, TeamLogic IT can take all their necessary programs and
house them into one software. Of this questionnaire, we asked, “Do you think the collaboration
tool provides all the necessary tools within it to complete a project?” in which 66.7% of the
representatives surveyed, stated yes. Whereas the other 30% stated no, or they had no other
options at this time. Utilizing Monday.com, TeamLogic IT, will increase productivity, as this new
tool will enhance the work environment by combining multiple collaboration tools.

Fig.3, “Do you think the collaboration tool provides all the necessary tools within it to complete a project? If no,
what functions/features are missing from the tool?” Making Waves Questionnaire. (2020). Retrieved November
05, 2020, from

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1012Qspz33Y6I14soYMS07Hbkrpy7sZTId24z5eyU4ZA/edit?ts=5f9db85f
 13

Conclusion & Recommendation

The use of information technology to facilitate communication and collaboration has
become an important theme in information systems research and practice (Olesen, 1999). An
exceptional collaboration tool that helps facilitate communication and collaboration for Team
Logic IT is Monday.com. After considering the research, we have found Monday.com is an ideal
collaboration tool to be implemented in the franchises of Team Logic IT because it fits all the
needs of Team Logic It, and more. We believe this platform will improve training quality, team
communication, and overall project quality. In time Monday.com will improve time
management and efficiency of employees and franchisors. The Monday.com platform is simpler
than others that are available and it includes various applications to help the performance of a
team’s cohesiveness and productivity.

After evaluating the data and hands-on experience with the platform, we would
recommend the Monday.com collaboration tool for Team Logic IT and their franchises.
Monday.com will help to increase the efficiency, training quality, and completed quality of work
by allowing team members to add input on projects from more than one geographical location.
If you have any further questions or have a need for additional information, please do not
hesitate to reach out to our team.
 14

References
Aklilu Taye, Belay (2014). The contribution of Collaborative Tools and Technologies in
Facilitating Tacit Healthcare Knowledge Sharing amongst Clinicians. Uppsala
Universitet, Department of Informatics and Media
http://uu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:735973/FULLTEXT01.pdf

Garrison, T. M. (2017, November 8). The missing link in IT

collaboration. CIO.
https://www.cio.com/article/3236295/the-missing-link-in-it-collaboration.html

Harbert, T. (2010, September 21). Collaboration, IT-style: How to do it right. Computerworld.

https://www.computerworld.com/article/2515478/it-personnel-collaboration-it-style-

how-to-do-it-right.html.

Harrin, E. (2016). Collaboration Tools for Project Managers: How to Choose, Get Started and
Collaborate with Technology. Newtown Square: Project Management Institute.
https://web-b-ebscohost-
com.ezproxy3.library.arizona.edu/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook?sid=51b0d683-cb1b-42c3-
8926-fc4afa7e4b5a%40pdc-v-sessmgr04&vid=0&format=EK

Making Waves Questionnaire. (2020). Retrieved November 05, 2020, from

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1012Qspz33Y6I14soYMS07Hbkrpy7sZTId24z5eyU4ZA
/edit?ts=5f9db85f

Marion, Tucker, & Fixson, Sebastian. (2019). The Influence of Collaborative Information
Technology Tool Usage on NPD. Proceedings of the Design Society: International
Conference on Engineering Design, 1(1), 219-228.
 15

https://arizona-
primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/1h28lag/TN_cdi_proquest_journals_23897
84618

Monday.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://monday.com/

Olesen, Karin and Myers, M.D. (1999) Trying to improve communication and collaboration with
information Technology. Information Technology and People, 12(4), 317-322.
https://searchproquestcom.ezproxy4.library.arizona.edu/docview/222357856?accounti
d=8360&rfr_id=info%3Axri%2Fsid%3Aprimo

TeamLogic IT. (n.d.). About Us. Retrieved November 05, 2020, from
https://www.teamlogicit.com/About-Us

Tian, S., Zhang, A. X., & Karger, D. (2020, September 21). A System for Interleaving
Discussion and Summarization in Online Collaboration. Retrieved October 31, 2020,
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2009.07446.pdf
 16

Appendices
Monday.com Handout
 17

Annotated Bibliography
Aklilu Taye, Belay (2014). The contribution of Collaborative Tools and Technologies in
Facilitating Tacit Healthcare Knowledge Sharing amongst Clinicians. Uppsala
Universitet, Department of Informatics and Media
http://uu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:735973/FULLTEXT01.pdf

In Aklilu Taye’s thesis, “The contribution of Collaborative Tools and Technologies in

Facilitating Tacit Healthcare Knowledge Sharing amongst Clinicians,” (2014) he takes a
research-based approach on the impacts a collaboration tool has in a hospital setting.
The author collected a multitude of research data about the types of collaboration tools
used by the hospital, how they were used, and how often they were used. From this
data he concluded that this collaboration tool gave the professionals the ability to share
context and gain knowledge from a combined perspective of experts. The tool helped to
bring ideas together and allowed physicians to brainstorm together to solve problems
faster. Aklilu Taye seems to have a professional audience in mind because he is very
statistically driven, and research based.

Hill, C., Yates, R., Jones, C., & Kogan, S. L. (2006). Beyond predictable workflows: Enhancing
productivity in artful business processes. IBM Systems Journal, 45(4), 663-682.

https://ieeexplore-ieee-org.ezproxy1.library.arizona.edu/document/5386639/citations

In Hill, Yates, Jones, and Kogan’s article, “Beyond predictable workflows: Enhancing
productivity in artful business processes” (2006), they suggest that businesses need to
develop better collaboration tools to enhance work productivity. The author reviewed a
user study and found that not all applications being used worked for all the people
within the company. Their purpose is to research companies to find collaboration tools
that are constructed on how everyone works within the company together. They have
 18

an audience designed for the end user rather than IT in mind. All authors' names are
stated in the precis. I do not recognize the authors as I would not recognize most of
them at this stage. The article does supply us with the credentials on all four of the
authors. The authors do seem knowledgeable about the topic. Not only do they show
throughout the written document, but they also have a multitude of sources they used
to find further information on the topic. The sources used by the authors range
anywhere from 1996 to 2006. The older sources may be somewhat out of date, but the
newer sources they use will be more current and usable.

Ding, W. W., Levin, S. G., Stephan, P. E., & Winkler, A. E. (2010, July 2). The Impact of
Information Technology on Academic Scientists’; Productivity and Collaboration
Patterns.
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/4fdf/e16cf8aea5e7a3da6cb1be33143287888542.pdf

In this article the authors created a study of 3114 active scientists from 314 institutions
over a 25-year period to analyze the positive effects on productivity and collaboration
networks. It has data and explains how collaboration increases the productivity of
individuals being able to co-author their work. I think this article is a good reference
because it has a wide spread of data collected over a long period of time that explains
how collaboration tools benefit scientists. We do not need to use it for scientists but use
it for the basis of how a collaboration tool is effective.

Garrison, T. M. (2017, November 8). The missing link in IT

collaboration. CIO.
https://www.cio.com/article/3236295/the-missing-link-in-it-collaboration.html
 19

In Tom Garrison’s online article “The Missing Link in IT collaboration (2017), he argues
that the meeting room is not an effective collaboration tool. The author first suggests
ways that the workplace can be “smarter” by sharing collaboration tools such as
Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, or drop-box business. He then presents a scenario of
a smart space with how a meeting with effective collaboration could go and how it can
save time in a meeting, and to conclude he offers that when collaboration tools are
lacking, if interferes with sharing ideas and becomes a barrier to productivity His
purpose is to suggest an area of collaboration that needs improvement as well as
providing some ideas of how to make that improvement. He seems to have a
management audience in mind who would be interested in making these changes to
their collaboration in meetings.

This is a popular article that offers some insight into where people feel that office
collaboration falls short. The author does not cite where found some of the information
he is providing in this article, so it is difficult to determine how reliable it is. However, I
think much of what he discusses is common knowledge, with a suggestion he provides
on how to improve a collaboration problem. This article is useful to us because it
identifies the same problem we are working with and offers similar solutions.

Harrin, E. (2016). Collaboration Tools for Project Managers: How to Choose, Get Started and
Collaborate with Technology. Newtown Square: Project Management Institute.
http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy3.library.arizona.edu/bsi/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid
=6&sid=99cda425-170a-444d-a355-92400fd575fc%40sessionmgr4007

In her book, Collaboration Tools for Project Managers: How to Choose, Get Started and
Collaborate with Technology (2016), Elizabeth Harrin, provides guides to selecting and
implementing online collaboration tools. Harrin supports her recommendations to
select and implement online collaboration tools with data, research analysis on the
 20

tools; she then provides the tools to communicate faster within a global team, and to
conclude she provides guidelines for teams to overcome obstacles. The purpose of the
book is to provide all the tools for teams to work smarter with collaboration tools
among a global company. She targeted the audience of project managers because she is
advising which collaboration tools would benefit the teams to help them work more
efficiently by maximizing their time and workflows.

Karsten, H. (1999). COLLABORATION AND COLLABORATIVE INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY: WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP? Lotus Notes, 232,
231–254.
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.39.9649&rep=rep1&type=p
df

In Helena Karsten ’s journal article, “Collaboration and Collaborative Information

Technology: What is the Nature of Their Relationship?” (1999), she presents that
Collaborative I.T. improves collaboration in organizations. The author first discusses
literature that rejects this claim but continues explaining where these rejections fall
short; she then offers a discussion of the capabilities of technologies being used. and to
conclude she suggests that changes that take place in work and organization of a
company using collaborative technology depend on capabilities of the tools. Her
purpose is to explain the relationship of collaborative I.T. and workplace collaboration to
highlight the use of technology as a constructive tool. She seems to have a management
audience in mind because she provides information that is useful to organizational
practice.

This is a peer reviewed article that was published in 1999. It is an older article, and a lot
has changed in terms of collaboration tools since the time it was published. However,
Karsten’s discussion of the improvement that can be made in organization and
 21

collaboration for companies with the use of technology and collaboration tools is useful
to us.

Marion, Tucker, & Fixson, Sebastian. (2019). The Influence of Collaborative Information
Technology Tool Usage on NPD. Proceedings of the Design Society: International
Conference on Engineering Design, 1(1), 219-228.
https://arizona-
primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/1h28lag/TN_cdi_proquest_journals_23897
84618

In Marion and Fixson’s article, “The Influence of Collaborative Information Technology

Tool Usage on NPD” (2019), they claim utilizing collaborative information technology
(CIT) has grown in popularity for communication, input on topics and projects, and
problem solving with ideas. CIT includes tools like email, programs, and video
conferencing. The authors conduct research on an array of collaboration tools for
different companies to specifically answer two research questions,” How have CIT tools
affected the design process?” and “How are CIT tools and their usage change over
time?”. The purpose is to find CIT tools that work best to change new product
development (NPD) methods and improve performance for the company. He utilizes an
engineering audience to conduct the research for the project management tools for
NPD. Both authors’ names are stated throughout the precis and the documentation. The
journal article she chose was published in a journal from Cambridge. The journal does
not state the author’s credentials. Without knowing additional information on the
authors, I am not sure if we could search them to locate their credentials or additional
publishing. The publisher is clearly listed and is considered a reputable publisher. Both
authors appear to be very knowledgeable about the topic, Influence of Collaborative
Information. This document was published in 2019 and has research data spread across
different years, however, it does seem to be credible sources for the research. Overall, I
think this is a great source for our project.
 22

Olesen, Karin and Myers, M.D. (1999) Trying to improve communication and collaboration with
information Technology. Information Technology and People, 12(4), 317-322.
https://search-proquest-
com.ezproxy4.library.arizona.edu/docview/222357856?accountid=8360&rfr_id=info%3
Axri%2Fsid%3Aprimo

In Olesen’s article “Trying to improve communication and collaboration with

information Technology” (1999), she explains how implementing a new collaboration
tool into an old fashion style business is not always beneficial. Olesen first helped to
install and train employees of a company on a new collaboration tool in the thoughts
that it would help coordinate meetings and consultations, which would help improve
efficiency. She concluded that even though a laboratory study may result in improved
communication between employees sometimes the social aspect of the job makes the
company simply use a new platform to enhance the old ways of doing things. Her
audience she has in mind is the new age of companies starting up because she refers to
the old fashion business ways compared to new online and tech savvy companies.

Tian, S., Zhang, A. X., & Karger, D. (2020, September 21). A System for Interleaving
Discussion and Summarization in Online Collaboration. Retrieved October 31, 2020,
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2009.07446.pdf

In this article Tian, Zhang, and Karger explain how people can discuss and collaborate on
a subject from all over the world using a collaboration tool. This has led to better ideas,
more productive, and higher quality team production. This article is effective because it
is new, so it is relevant to the timeframe. It also does not follow one step of the
collaboration tool being used; it summarizes the entire collaboration tool process and
the benefits. It also has post study surveys that explain what the user liked and disliked
about the collaboration tool. It also contains two studies. One is about a small group of
 23

people working on a project remotely for a few days and another group working
together or a long period of time and it gives summaries and evaluations of both
studies.

Wang, J. (2013). Perspectives and Techniques for Improving Information Technology Project
Management. Hershey: Information Science Reference.
https://www.igi-global.com/gateway/book/69844

In his book, Perspectives and Techniques for Improving Information Technology Project
Manager (2013), John Wang, examines the diversity of information systems related to
project management. Wang supports his recommendations for technology management
across all aspects of a business; he provides technology breakdowns by work areas
within a company, which is done with studies and research pertaining to specific
departments. Again, the purpose of this book is to provide the necessary data for
departments to select information technology based on each area’s needs. Wang’s
target audience is a company, targeting each department and providing insight on
technology tools, research data to back up his recommendations.

Other Resources

Making Waves Questionnaire. (2020). Retrieved November 05, 2020, from

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1012Qspz33Y6I14soYMS07Hbkrpy7sZTId24z5eyU4ZA
/edit?ts=5f9db85f

Monday.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://monday.com/

TeamLogic IT. (n.d.). About Us. Retrieved November 05, 2020, from
https://www.teamlogicit.com/About-Us
 24

Link to Questionnaire Questions

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1012Qspz33Y6I14soYMS07Hbkrpy7sZTId24z5eyU4ZA/edit?ts
=5f9db85f&gxids=7757

1. What is your role/title at your current company?

2. What field do you work in?
3. What collaboration tools does your company utilize?
4. Would you consider using a new collaborative tool?
5. What functionality of the collaboration tool will be most effective for your day-to-day
activities?
6. What are the access levels that will need to be set up for each group and department
involved?
7. Within the collaboration tool, where would documents need to be placed, so all those
with the appropriate authority can access them?
8. What are the main collaboration tools you utilize within your company and rank them
by effectiveness? (1 to 10, 1 being not very effective, and 10 being very effective)
9. Do you think the collaboration tool provides all the necessary tools within it to complete
a project? If no, what functions/features are missing from the tool?
10. Select all the Collaboration methods used in your workspace.
1. Document sharing
2. Instant messaging
3. Scheduling software/applications
4. Tasking management software
5. Level of completion for task
11. How important is task management, 1 being the least effective, 10 being the most
effective?
12. Do collaboration tools improve the project management process?
13. Which of the following collaboration tools that you are not currently using do you feel
would be useful for your company?
1. Microsoft Teams
2. Monday.com
3. GotoMeeting
4. Skype for Business
5. Google Docs
6. WebEx
14. What collaboration tools that you are currently using within your company are not
serving your work well?
 25

Link to Questionnaire Data Results

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1012Qspz33Y6I14soYMS07Hbkrpy7sZTId24z5eyU4ZA/edit?ts
=5f9db85f&gxids=7757#responses