Web-oriented online system Build Collaboration Portal (BC Portal) is aimed at team work in distributed projects. BC Portal creates the communication environment for the team work. The main objective of BC Portal is to accelerate and visualize the communication processes among project members. It is obvious that 90% of time for solving the problem is spent on the waiting for the answer, and only 10% - it is time spent directly on the problem solving. BC Portal allows to decrease time for problem solving by mean of:

• 24 hours access to the system
• online access to current status of all the tasks
• immediate notification of all interested parties about change of task status (email, SMS distribution)
• visualization of tasks  
• modified life cycle of problem solving (it is possible to adjust the process for specific project)
• multilevel system of tasks priority
• methodological support and reaction models for different situations
• easy adaptation of general users in the system

 2. Procedure of collaboration

Procedure of collaboration is realized in the following way: Party 1 of the project (contractor or main contractor) hereinafter referred to as Initiator that has a task for Party 2 of the project (contractor or main contractor) hereinafter referred to as Executor, formulates the TASK and enters it into the system assigning the task to Executor. Executor receives immediately a message by email (SMS) and TASK is entered into the Executor's list of tasks. Executor makes a comment in the system that the task was received. While performing the TASK Executor enters the necessary information and chooses a status for the task (see point 4).

3. Roles in the system

System administrator  has all the rights and full access. The administrator manages the process of  TASKS execution, additional configuration of the system, change of access levels to the system.

Manager of management group  is able to create users in the system, assign tasks to executors, view statistics and report data, create statuses for tasks, upload documents to the repository, has access to the document repository.

Сontractor's manager  is able to formulate tasks for other parties of the project, create the needed statuses for tasks, upload documents to the repository, has access to the document repository.

Contractor's employee  - is able to enter tasks into the system, assign tasks to executors, view tasks, add comments, upload files to the repository.

Project member  - is able to enter tasks into the system, assign tasks to executors, view tasks.

Project observer  - is able to enter tasks into the system, view tasks, and has minimum rights in the system.

4. TASK status

TASK status allows to track the process of work on a task till its accomplishment. In the system «Build Collaboration Portal» there are 9 statuses that track a task performance from the first status New till the status Resolved. There is a list of statuses below:

Information  - information message that does not require any answer and serves for informing of the project members.

New Task  - new task entered into the system. It is possible to specify a project the task is related to and its Priority and Severity.

Assigned to Executor  - TASK is assigned to Executor that should confirm the receipt and accept a task.

Confirmed by Executor  - confirmation that Executor received a task and accepted it.

Resolved  - Confirmation that Executor accomplished a task.

Accepted by Initiator  - accomplished task is returned to Initiator and Initiator is satisfied with task accomplishment.

Feedback  - accomplished by Executor task is returned by Initiator as requiring improvement. There should be comments on non-acceptance of a task.

Closed  - a task is closed as completely accomplished. In case the result of task accomplishment has information value  then a task receives status Information and is available for users as a message.

Delayed  - task performance is delayed. There should be comments on the reason of task delay. The decision about stoppage of work on a task can be taken only by Manager of management group.

 5. Task priority

Emergency  - terms of task performance by Executor - 1 working day.

Urgent  - terms of task performance by Executor - 2 working days.

High  - terms of task performance by Executor - 3 working days.

Normal  - terms of task performance by Executor is not determined. The deadline of task performance should be specified.

Low  - terms of task performance by Executor is not determined. The deadline of task performance should be specified.

No status  - terms of task performance by Executor is not determined. The deadline of task performance should be specified.

 
6. Severity of tasks

Severity of receiving an answer on a task for Initiator.

Trivial  - the task does not have any severity and can be accomplished in any time.

Normal  - the task of normal priority for Initiator.

High  - the task is of high importance for Initiator.

Crash  - the work of Initiator on Part of works is under threat of stoppage.

Block  - the work of Initiator on Part of works is blocked till the receipt of answer about task.

 7. Reports

Reports are created due to requirements of each specific project.

8. Glossary

TASK  - issue formulated by the party of project execution to other party that participates in the project and fixed in BC Portal. It should be fully formulated in order to have a unique interpretation. It should have links to documents that are the source of the issue, and links to the documents that will be created while solving the issue.

Initiator  - party of the project that initiates the TASK.

Executor, Executor of the TASK  - party of the project that receives the TASK.

Part of works  - part of project works that is related to the TASK.