Original Date: 01/23/1995
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

Sandia National Labs assembled a multi-disciplinary PRT to design, develop, and validate a new telemetry system for defense applications. This PRT was composed of personnel from three remote sites at Sandia, California; Sandia, New Mexico; and Allied Signal, Kansas City. The team was challenged to reduce the product realization time from two years to one year. Since personnel and equipment resources from each site were required to complete the project, physical collocation of the PRT was not feasible.

To overcome typical team problems associated with remote sites, Sandia virtually collocated the PRT. CAE stations networked between the three remote sites enabled each PRT member to work on a single design definition database using Intergraph Ace Plus and AT Design software. The team members electronically transferred data, including engineering drawings and electronic mail, through the computer network on a regular basis. In addition, weekly three-way video conferences were used to manage the PRT's milestones and activities.

The virtual collocation of the PRT significantly mitigated the typical limitations associated with widely distributed teams. The PRT met its challenge of reducing product realization time by 50%. The team also achieved a 50% reduction in cost from concept to first production unit and eliminated the need for a prototype product. In addition, virtual collocation successfully maintained team cohesiveness, reduced travel costs, and created an agile environment since teaming was not restricted to on-site individuals.

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