Mathias Johanson – AlkitStephan Lukosh – TU Delft

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WP9 – Collaboration and Decision Making Methods and ToolsWP10 - Semantic Collaboration Analysis and Intelligent Process

Intervention

Scalable Semantic Product Data Stream Management for Collaboration and Decision Making in Engineering

Project 257899

Third Review meetingLuxembourg, 27-28 November, 2013

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WP9 objectives

• Study collaborative problem solving, design and decision making processes when the collaboration involves a need to share large volumes of industrial, including real-time streaming data from sensors

• Design domain-specific collaborative data analysis and visualization tools• Design and adapt collaboration tools for efficient and dependable

collaboration concerning large and complex data sets• Study how technology for social networking can be employed in

professional collaborative work, with a focus on the engineering domain• Offer the product manager support in choosing tools and methods for

various phases of the Product lifecycle• Develop an intelligent collaboration studio which supports realistic

collaboration and decision making scenarios based on industrial needs• Perform collaboration tests

WP9 Status

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• WP9 started July 2011, will last until end of project• Participants: AC (leader), FTK, ICT,FUH, DUT, LTU, UU, ROM• 5 tasks running, 1 finished (out of 6 tasks)• Two deliverables:

• D9.1. Intelligent collaboration studio report and specification (M46). Restricted draft versions submitted M24 and M36.

• D9.2. Intelligent collaboration studio (M46). Restricted draft versions submitted M24 and M36.

Relationship to other WPs

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WP9 Smart Vortex suite components

• Synchronous multimedia communication/conferencing– Audio, video, instant messaging

• Multipoint conferencing server – RTP reflector, reflector interconnection, file sharing, access control

• Collaborative data and application sharing • Simplified mobile real-time collaboration client based on

tablet computer• Collaboration process engine (Elastic Groupware System)• Elastic collaboration components: Brainstorming, Data

Selection and Voting• Expert search service

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WP9 components in the Smart Vortex architecture

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WP9 ISP scenario

WP9 Practical Outcomes of Y3 1/8

• Collaboration Tools– Interpersonal multimedia communication

(audio, video, text)– Elastic Collaboration Components– Expert search service– Dashboard session management– Intelligent Collaboration Studio

• Integration framework– ELGAR – Miles– Multiplatform build support – Smart Vortex collaboration portal integration

• Collaboration server– Efficient multipoint communication (Multiple

RTP reflectors)– Multipoint file and application sharing– Firewall traversal support, access control, user

authentication

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WP9 Practical Outcomes of Y3 2/8

• Synchronous multimedia communication and conferencing– Based on Alkit’s product Confero– Core functionality of Confero separated from presentation layer into a

middleware component (Miles)– Web-based portlet (WebConfero) based on Miles developed and

integrated with the Smart Vortex collaboration portal– Development of Android and iOS Confero Apps

based on Miles in progress• Inter-reflector interconnection mechanism developed

– Improves bandwidth efficiency– Facilitates corporate firewall traversal (promoting inter-organizational

collaboration)– Integrated with the

collaboration portal

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WebConfero• A web component (Javascript,

AJAX) running in a web browser

• A background service based on Miles middleware

• A REST API for control• Integrated as a portlet in the

collaboration portal• Interoperability with other

SIP/RTP-based tools

WebConfero GUI

WebConfero Proxy Miles

REST

Alkit Reflex

SIP/RTP

WP9 Practical Outcomes of Y3 3/8

Alkit ConferoOther

SIP/RTP-based toolsSIP/RTP

WP9 Practical Outcomes of Y3 4/8

• Elgar (Elastic Groupware) coordinates group collaboration for content generation– Content represented as a report (case)

• It follows stablished problem-solving processes– Analysis of machine detection

algorithms– Analysis of 3D CAD models

• There are 2 main coordination support types: prescribed and ad hoc.– Prescribed support relies on the

Collaboration Process Engine– Ad hoc support relies self-coordination

of groups.– Suggested support, yet to come (WP10).

WP9 Practical Outcomes of Y3 6/8

• Coordination types use Elastic Collaboration Components (ECC) to achieve a coordination goal

• ECCs implement collaborative applications to support engineers– Based on Comet technology: real-time

communication and HTTP server push– Deployed on client side– Uses document-based storage in the server side.

• Architecture provides a guideline for ECC developers– Implementation of interfaces for ECC

interoperability

WP9 Practical Outcomes of Y3 7/8

• ECCs

WP9 Practical Outcomes of Y3 8/8

WP9 Requirements met

• Identification and analysis of information the industry partners need for collaboration and decision making

• Interpersonal communication tools adapted and integrated in collaboration portal

• Developed ECCs for use in problem-solving processes in engineering scenarios.

• Development of ELGAR integration framework

• Identified and analyzed rules for the adaptation of collaboration processes (D1.2)

• MS10 - Intelligent collaboration studio V2 implemented (See D9.2)

Existing Integration between WP9 and other WPs

• WP6, collaborative data visualization

• WP7, multimodal interfaces (middleware component)

• WP8, integration of Elgar in Open Conjurer via Session Manager APIs

• WP10, intelligent process intervention (elastic collaboration support)

WP9 in year 3

• D9.1, p20 and D9.2, p13– Extension and specialization of collaboration

components.– Integration of collaboration components.– Add flexibility to collaboration components to

support elastic collaboration approach.

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WP10 – ISP scenario

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WP10 Practical Outcomes of Y3

• Use of a problem-solving (PS) model to ground engineering processes

• Prescribed support based on PS model– Provides grounding to

approach any problem.

• Volvo: improvement of detection algorithms

• FE-Design: identification and documentation of optimization problems.

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WP10 Practical Outcomes of Y3

• PS phases can represent any engineering activity

• Problem definition may refer to:– machine detection algorithm– CAD model that does not

converge

• Phase may involve individual or team work

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WP10 Practical Outcomes of Y3

• Based on PSP we define a process model to enforce collaboration

• Collaboration Process Model– describe collaboration processes

• Collaboration Process Description– collaboration phases– Elastic Collaboration Components

(WP9)

• Implementation of a Collaboration Process Engine– Automatic enforcement of a

collaboration process

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WP10 – ISP scenario

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WP10 Practical Outcomes of Y3

• Group Behavior– Production Blocking: production stops due to technological support or collaboration process design.

– Evaluation Apprehension: fear of negative evaluation may cause participants to withhold their contributions.

– Social Loafing: group members tend to expend less effort when they believe their contributions are dispensable.

– Synergy Effect: leads to a result that exceeds the sum of the individual contributions.

– Social Identity: group members who identify with other group members are more likely to participate actively.

– Psychological Safety: group members feel positive about the group and its task and safe to offer contrasting or alternative viewpoints.

– Groupthink: group members withhold their private concerns about the contributions of others due to politeness or feared reprisals.

– Distraction: disrupt individual group members from sharing contributions or concentrating on the task.

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WP10 Practical Outcomes of Y3

• Framework for Group Assessment

• Definition of a framework to assess collaboration

• Provide tips during collaboration to help the group.– Avoid undesirable behavior

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WP10 Practical Outcomes of Y3

• Users spent too much time working in a topic.– a.isActivityOf().phaseType==“GeneratePossibleSolutions” ANDa.isActivityOf().getDuration()>=a.isActivityOf().phaseDuration

• System tries to avoid social loafing.– a.isActivityOf().phaseType == “SolutionGeneration” AND

a.isActivityOf().requiresGroup().getGroupSize() >= 7 AND checkIdeaFlowDeviation(c, “collpad”, 2 ) == TRUE

• System suggests users to move on to a next working phase.– p.processCoordinationType == “prescribed” ANDp.processType == “SolutionSearch” ANDp.getDuration() >= p.processDuration

– provideRecommendation(“The system detects that you spent too much time in searching for possible existing solutions. Please go to the next phase to generate possible new solutions for the given problem situation.”);

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WP10 Practical Outcomes of Y3

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WP10 Practical Outcomes of Y3

• Future Work

• Implement or reuse a rule engine to monitor and capture collaboration activities.

• Synchronization with Activity Analyzer (ECC) to suggest recommendations defined in collaboration rules.

• Evaluate the use of rules in groups.

Requirements Met: WP10

• Defined a formal description for relevant information about the employees that can be used for group formation

• Defined rules for the adaptation of a collaboration process (D1.2 – chapter 4.3)

• MS10 - Intelligent collaboration studio V1 implementedSee D10.1 and D10.2

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Existing Integration between WP10 and other WPs

• WP8, rules and policies for group formation cross-organizational data exchange

• WP9, adaptation of collaboration components

WP10 in Year 3

• D10.1, p34 and D10.2, p16– Further evaluation and refinement of the process

description language– Design different interventions and rules for

demonstration scenarios– Implement rules and interventions in the

collaboration suite

WP9 StoryboardWhat Is Demonstrated?

• A team of experts is formed to assess the problem– Expert search tool consulted– Geographically distributed team

formed, fault tracing session initiated– Mobile user joins

• Dashboard shows live sensor signals that requires immediate action

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Multimedia communication and

collaboration components in use

Shows integration between collaboration components and DSMS

Illustrates need for multimodal

interaction and mobile devices

WP10 StoryboardWhat Is Demonstrated?

• A problem solving session is configured to support the experts– Collaboration process is loaded to

offer guidance– Collaboration components are

presented to users according the process description

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Collaboration process engine in

use

Collaboration components in

use