SACE-CSCW: a synchronous asynchronous common environment for computer supported cooperative work to aid concurrent engineering processes

This paper presents a system prototype that provides computer support for different modes of meetings concerning the decision making process. Besides supporting the two obvious domains of cooperation: space (same or different) and time (synchronous or asynchronous) it also allows to work with other dimensions such as group/subgroup, user roles, public or closed type of meeting, anonymous or nominated method of meeting and three modes of cooperation: full view, partial view and single view. The framework includes the brainstorming, organization/consolidation, voting and action sessions of a typical decision making meeting. The system is actually being implemented in the Java environment using the remote method invocation. The new SACE-CSCW tool is part of a wider structure that aims to construct Concurrent Engineering facilities to aid the cooperation/collaboration of people designing and producing products and services of any kind of industry.