A groupware tool for R&D project selection for distributed company environment

Summary form only given. The management of the early phases of R&D is one of the most challenging tasks the management of a company encounters. R&D project selection is even more challenging, since it is made in a distributed environment, where the departments of a company have their own divergent objectives and strategies. The scattered expertise inside the company needs to be collected and combined to an effective R&D project selection solution. This paper describes the development of a groupware tool for R&D project selection. The tool was developed by combining AHP (analytic hierarchy process) with the groupware abilities of LotusNotes/Domino. A GDSS-laboratory (group decision support system) was utilized during the planning phase of the development to define the requirements for the tool. The tool covers the whole R&D project selection process from idea gathering to the final analysis phase. The tool supports the cooperation of experts from different departments to synthesize their knowledge and to define the best projects in a distributed, global company environment