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How to get mature global virtual teams: a framework to improve team process management in distributed software teams

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Abstract

Managing global software development teams is not an easy task because of the additional problems and complexities that have to be taken into account. This paper defines VTManager, a methodology that provides a set of efficient practices for global virtual team management in software development projects. These practices integrate software development techniques in global environments with others such as explicit practices for global virtual team management, definition of skills and abilities needed to work in these teams, availability of collaborative work environments and shared knowledge management practices. The results obtained and the lessons learned from implementing VTManager in a pilot project to develop software tools for collaborative work in rural environments are also presented. This project was carried out by geographically distributed teams involving people from seven countries with a high level of virtualness.

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Acknowledgments

This contract is partially supported by the Integrated Research Project C@R—Collaboration at Rural (IST-2006-034921), funded by the European Commission, specifically the Directorate-General Information Society Technologies and Media (DG-INFSO). The research work for this paper has been also funded by TRAGSA under the projects UC3M/2008/00259/001 and UC3M/2007/04245/001.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Computer Science Department, University Carlos III of Madrid, Avda. Universidad, 30, 28911, Leganés, Madrid, Spain

    Javier García Guzmán, Javier Saldaña Ramos, Antonio Amescua Seco & Ana Sanz Esteban

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  1. Javier García Guzmán
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  2. Javier Saldaña Ramos
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  3. Antonio Amescua Seco
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  4. Ana Sanz Esteban
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Correspondence to Javier Saldaña Ramos.

Appendix: Software tools used in C@R project for coordination and collaboration

Appendix: Software tools used in C@R project for coordination and collaboration

This appendix describes briefly tools recommended in VTManager. So the main functionalities to be available in tools for facilitating collaboration and communication can be identified (Table 5).

Table 5 Tools used in C@R project for coordination and collaboration
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García Guzmán, J., Saldaña Ramos, J., Amescua Seco, A. et al. How to get mature global virtual teams: a framework to improve team process management in distributed software teams. Software Qual J 18, 409–435 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11219-010-9096-5

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