Groupware

And
Its
Applications

By Adil Latief and Danish Qadir

 What is a Groupware?

G r o u p w a r e i s t e c h n o l o g y d e s i g n e d t o f a c i l i t a t e
the work of groups.

T h i s t e c h n o l o g y m a y b e u s e d t o c o m m u n i c a t e ,
cooperate, coordinate , solve problems,
compete, or negotiate.

W h i l e t r a d i t i o n a l t e c h n o l o g i e s l i k e t h e
telephone qualify as groupware, the term is
ordinarily used to refer to a specific class of
technologies relying on modern computer
networks, such as email, newsgroups,
videophones, or chat.
 Why Groupware?

Quality improvement
Better customer service
Support for TQM
Provide better services
Allows for fewer meetings
Increased competition
 Advantages of Groupware

T o f a c i l i t a t e c o m m u n i c a t i o n : m a k e i t f a s t e r , c l e a r e r , m o r e
persuasive
T o e n a b l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n w h e r e i t w o u l d n ' t o t h e r w i s e b e
possible
T o e n a b l e t e l e c o m m u t i n g a n d T o c u t d o w n o n t r a v e l c o s t s .
T o b r i n g t o g e t h e r m u l t i p l e p e r s p e c t i v e s a n d e x p e r t i s e
T o s a v e t i m e a n d c o s t i n c o o r d i n a t i n g g r o u p w o r k
T o f a c i l i t a t e g r o u p p r o b l e m - s o l v i n g
 Groupware and Levels of
Collaboration

C o m m u n i c a t i o n : C a n b e t h o u g h t o f a s u n s t r u c t u r e d
interchange of information. A phone call or an IM chat
discussion are examples of this.

C o n f e r e n c i n g : r e f e r s t o i n t e r a c t i v e w o r k t o w a r d a s h a r e d
goal. Brainstorming or voting are examples of this.

C o - o r d i n a t i o n : R e f e r s t o c o m p l e x i n t e r d e p e n d e n t w o r k
toward a shared goal.
 Groupware: Applications

Asynchronous groupware applications

E m a i l : B a s i c e m a i l s y s t e m s t o d a y t y p i c a l l y i n c l u d e
I n t e r e s t i n g f e a t u r e s f o r f o r w a r d i n g m e s s a g e s , f i l i n g
messages, creating mailing groups, and attaching files with a
message.
W o r k f l o w s y s t e m : A l l o w d o c u m e n t s t o b e r o u t e d t h r o u g h
Organizations through a relatively-fixed process.
G r o u p c a l e n d a r s : A l l o w s c h e d u l i n g , p r o j e c t m a n a g e m e n t ,
and coordination among many people, and may provide
support for scheduling equipment as well.
 Groupware Applications

Synchronous/Real-time Groupware Applications

S h a r e d w h i t e b o a r d s : A l l o w t w o o r m o r e p e o p l e t o v i e w
and draw on a shared drawing surface even from different
locations. This can be used, for instance, during a phone
call, where each person can jot down notes or to work
collaboratively on a visual problem.

C h a t S y s t e m s : P e r m i t m a n y p e o p l e t o w r i t e m e s s a g e s
in real time in a public space. As each person submits a
message, it appears at the bottom of a scrolling screen.
 Collaborative Management Tools

I n t e r n e t Forums: also known as message boards or discussion

boards. A virtual discussion platform to facilitate and manage
online text messages
O n l i n e c h a t : A v i r t u a l d i s c u s s i o n p l a t f o r m t o f a c i l i t a t e a n d
manage real-time text messages
T e l e p h o n y : a l l o w u s e r s t o i n t e r a c t
V i d e o c o n f e r e n c i n g : N e t w o r k e d p c ’ s s h a r e v i d e o a n d a u d i o s i g n a l s
D a t a c o n f e r e n c i n g : N e t w o r k e d p c ’ s s h a r e a c o m m o n w h i t e b o a r d
that each user can modify
E l e c t r o n i c c a l e n d a r s : S c h e d u l e e v e n t s a n d a u t o m a t i c a l l y n o t i f y
and remind group members.
P r o j e c t m a n a g e m e n t s y s t e m s : S c h e d u l e , t r a c k , a n d c h a r t t h e s t e p s
in a project as it is being completed
 The End

THANK
YOU