Collaborative planning solutions : using USMC standard collaboration tools to assist with mission planning and execution

摘要

This study provides a baseline on collaborative solutions and tools. This thesis examines the current collaborative applications used within the United States Marine Corps (USMC). It demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses inherent to the current collaborative tool set used within the USMC. Additionally, this research examines how collaborative applications can effectively enhance information sharing during mission planning and execution, as well as increase productivity. A key to efficient planning and execution today is to find a seamless application that is standard throughout the entire Marine Corps and that is easy for the users to embrace. Findings indicate that collaborative tools can be highly effective if properly applied to the correct process. Recommendations for the future include finding a Web-based, data-driven application such as Microsoft Sharepoint Portal Server 2001. It combines the ability to easily create corporate Web portals with document management, enterprise content indexing, and team collaboration features.