Characterisation of Co-operation and Co-ordination Processes

Abstract

This paper introduces the first results of a multi-disciplinary approach dedicated to the study of co-ordination and co-operation among designers involved in collective actions. Our aim is to combine different work from both engineering design and management; the former is concerned with the development of methods and tools for the improvement of design projects while the latter is focused on the management of people in health institutions. Our approach is based on empirical studies of people in real situations. The resulting observations allow us to define more precisely the concepts of coordination and co-operation. Firstly, we establish relationships between the different modes of co-ordination / co-operation and the level of stability in the design process. Co-ordination, as specified by organisation and scheduling of designers, is generally associated with a routine design process. Co-operation and emerging organisation are key factors for promoting innovative design. Secondly, by analysing these findings, we demonstrate that collective action during a design process is a complex combination of routine and innovative activities performed according to local design objectives. We then show that complementary actions and interconnections between co-ordination and cooperation can be taken into account in order to improve designers’ activities and, as a result, the design process. We illustrate these results using case studies from aeronautical companies and health institutions. As a conclusion, we state several factors that act upon the co-ordination and co-operation aspects in a design process, such as the strategies peculiar to each designer, learning methods, organisational changes and knowledge capture.