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Understanding the Dynamics of State-problems in Distributed and Collaborative Design Process

Laboratoire de recherche Mécatronique3M, Université de Technologie de Belfort-Montbéliard, 90010 Belfort Cedex, France; reza.movahedkhah{at}univ-angers.fr

Egon Ostrosi

Olivier Garro

Laboratoire de recherche Mécatronique3M, Université de Technologie de Belfort-Montbéliard, 90010 Belfort Cedex, France

The implementation of multi-agents systems aided collaborative and distributed design requires a deeper understanding of the real interactions between actors, inside of the multidisciplinary teams. In this view, it is considered that for the implementation of these systems, it is necessary to observe, model, and analyze this process with finer granularities levels. This study presents an approach of collaborative and distributed design process analysis. The core of this approach is the modeling of interactions between actors during the design process. The approach consists in discerning, from the real interactions and the emergence of concepts, the different characteristic state-problems of the collaborative and distributed design process. The analysis of state-problems, in a real experience of collaborative and distributed design process, shows that their dynamics is rather characterized by the numerous irregular leaps. These leaps, probably unforeseeable, show that the design process is far from harmonious. Indeed, these leaps depend strongly on either the structural causes, as the auto-organization inside the group, or on the human actions, as the creative character of the design process.

Key Words: collaborative and distributed design process • multi-agents systems • teamwork • experimental analysis • interactions analysis • data analysis

Concurrent Engineering, Vol. 15, No. 1, 33-41 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1063293X07076701


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