Synchronised web applications for product development in the 21st century

Product development continues to be at the core of manufacturing industries and the heartland of global competition in the 21st century. The e-commerce technologies will have a profound impact on the practice and performance of product development. This paper examines the roles of web applications in collaborative product design and manufacture. The emphasis is placed not only upon the geographical and disciplinary dimensions, but also on the time dimension of collaboration. A case study is used to demonstrate how synchronised web applications can be used to facilitate collaborative product definition. The project team members share the common workspace that maintains the integrity and consistency of product and process information.