3D Projects
"As processes and technologies for project management evolve, the infrastructures needed to support projects are also evolving. One of those environments is 3D or virtual worlds. So what types of projects would be best to do in a 3D environment? Large complex projects, like building a new airplane, or building projects (Like the new World Trade Center in NYC) that are both large and complex would be good candidates for 3D projects. Not only does it allow different populations to interact in the virtual world at a higher level of coordination, early studies indicate that the more information about the other person you receive the more likely you are to trust them and to share with them. Currently, there are many different types of projects going on in virtual worlds. I have made a short and not exhaustive list of various projects happening today in these environments:Marriott is testing new hotel rooms and environments in 3D; Nissan, Volvo, BMW and Toyota are using virtual worlds for training as well as marketing. Cisco, Intel, IBM/Lotus, Microsoft, HP and Dell all have projects around selling online as well as dealing with Press and Analysts virtually.
Today, most of what we see is people taking 2D projects and moving them to 3D (for whatever reason) where they try to emulate the 2D process but using another dimension. The second phase will occur when we see people using 3D project management to do something unique and that is not doable in 2D. I believe that most companies are still just experimenting, although IBM has committed more than others to virtual worlds (over 100 staff people), and hosted the Virtual Worlds standardization conference. It seems to be in much the same place project management was about 20 years ago, and so needs time to mature before it is used more frequently by the masses."
The point about trust and collaboration is an intangible benefit of working in virtual worlds that I believe will become more visible in the research as our experience grows.
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