Tool orchestration framework for virtual team environments

Virtual teams are being increasingly used to run projects in globalized business environments. Virtual teams primarily rely on information and communication technologies to support many of communicative and collaborative activities that traditional collocated teams take for granted. To be efficient, virtual teams need more than just a plain set of tools dealing with different aspects of their operations. Comprehensive, integrated project management and project execution environment to support project activities is required. By integrating tools and methodologies such environment must enable efficient running of projects involving virtual teams. One of fundamental components of efficient virtual team environment is tool orchestration framework that enables seamless integration and value-added utilization of tools. This paper proposes such tool orchestration framework based on concepts of common information model, service oriented architecture and project processes. The proposed framework enables tools integration and orchestration in heterogeneous environments inherent to virtual teams. Utilization of the tool orchestration framework in conjunction with adequate project management techniques and methodologies improves virtual team project awareness whilst reducing the need for frequent interaction among team members, consequently resulting with increased virtual team performances. This paper describes basic concepts, architecture and utilization of the proposed tool orchestration framework for virtual team environments.