MANAGEMENT OF DISPERSED PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT TEAMS - THE ROLE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES

In recent years, international corporations such as IBM are increasing ly relying on dispersed R&D teams in order to keep pace with resource availability and the demands of global markets, The advantages of this approach arise mainly from the utilization of differences in personne l costs and gaining access to a broader knowledge base to satisfy the demands of international clients, The disadvantages of teams of this k ind are obvious: geographic distances, differences in culture and work habits as well as the necessity to bridge time zones place greater de mands on communication, synchronization and management. The applicatio n of specific project management methods and the intensive use of info rmation technology (IT) lessens the disadvantages in transnational dev elopment projects, Recently completed projects involving large-scale c ommercial software development at IBM demonstrate the potentials of IT in transnational development, The authors advocate the application of IT adapted to specific situations, The central fields of application of IT in dispersed R&D teams are the development of a personal network , the promotion of creativity, the exchange of technical information, and the coordination of decentralized project activities.