Tools of the Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tools of the Trade - Essay Example Since a project is a team effort, communication is a basic key to helping assure the endeavor stays on schedule. Conventional e-mail still relies on the hub and spoke method for transferring information among team members. A recent move has been made toward Digital Group Memory (DGM). This tool centralizes communication based on the objective, rather than the chronological reply method. All team members can input data, update progress, and share thoughts across the entire platform. As Jackson (2005) points out, it is a way "[...] to empowered team members who actively participate in planning and management". This shift away from centrality places greater responsibility on the team members. David Oates (2006), Vice President at Primavera Systems, points out the limitations of team communication. He contends that, "[...] while real time collaboration can cure many of the communication difficulties regularly encountered by project teams, theses tools are not sufficient for strategic assessment of projects" (p. 5).