A framework for implementing a CSCW environment to improve product development decision-making

Despite advances in computer technology, bringing products to market remains a complex activity rife with uncertainty. In particular, it is within the concepting phase of the product development cycle where information used to make decisions is at its most nebulous. Organizations invest resources into collaboratively-oriented computer systems aimed at providing decision makers access to a comprehensive data set, yet may not be experiencing full potential from the environment.; One aspect of the organizational data set used to support conceptoriented decision making is insight gained from past activities, sometimes referred to as "lessons learned". Understanding the impact of a decision becomes valuable as resulting events are derived over time. By leveraging aspects of past decisions linked with original needs and subsequent outcomes, a compelling narrative can be extracted from the historical data set to benefit decision makers. In practice, most computer data management systems are not equipped by design or in use to efficiently capture elements from past decisions. Therefore, optimizing the technology environment supporting concept development becomes important to promote efforts to reduce uncertainty in decision making. This research provides a framework by which a Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) environment can be effectively deployed and used to support decision making in the concept development environment. The goal is to provide a concise set of information to end users combining decision-oriented data with relevant artifacts to reduce uncertainty or influence outcomes.