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e-Business: 

Contents | Foreword | Introduction | The Law | Document Management | PKI & ES | DECS
e-Purchasing | Collaborative Working | e-Tendering | Reverse Auction
Government Procurement Card | The e-Business Revolution | Conditions & Guidance
Contact Details | Glossary of Terms | Acknowledgements

Section Links:

Key Points
Collaborative Working - What is it?
Why Collaborate?
Some benefits of Collaboration
Who Shares?

The Commercial Approach
DEFCON
The Relationship Approach
Summary

What is this Chapter about?

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This chapter introduces the concept of collaborative working and considers the commercial implications of sharing information within that environment.

Reference in this chapter is made to Shared Working Environments (SWE), the term which is now more generally used for a collaborative working environment. Previously these were referred to as Shared Data Environments (SDE).

Key Points

• Shared Working Environments (SWE) can enable collaborative working

• The MOD’s commercial approach addresses Industry concerns surrounding the concept of collaborative working, in particular those related to Intellectual Property

• Rights, Confidentiality and Liabilities:
  SWEs are already in use in many parts of the MOD and Industry.

The Detail

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Collaborative Working - What is it?

In many Industry sectors, the focus of collaborative working is on the manufacturing and delivery of physical projects in a lean supply chain. Although this aspect of collaboration can be found in the production and support phases of the Aerospace and Defence lifecycle, the real gains to be made are in that of the design and development phases.

In simple terms, collaborative working involves using information systems to enable individuals or groups of individuals to work concurrently on information, no matter whether they are dispersed or co-located. There are a number of system approaches to achieve this, but this section will focus primarily on SWEs.

An SWE is a secure electronic environment created to facilitate authorised access to, and communication of, information. The content may be anything the contributors require it to be but typically may consist of all types of documents, databases, background information and the like. It could be thought of as a private electronic web site or club (although it may not necessarily be connected to the internet). SWEs are sometimes referred to as Collaborative or Co-operative Working Environments, but don’t be confused by the terminology - all these terms basically mean the same thing: a secure electronic community of interest.
Collaborative working can be a powerful tool for project teams, and many of the MOD’s Integrated Project Teams (IPTs) have already established SWEs with their industry partners, which are realising business benefits.

Why Collaborate?

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Collaboration is becoming an increasingly important element of designing, building and supporting complex systems exemplified by the aircraft, ships and vehicles supplied by industry for use within the MOD. Collaboration is driven by both the complexity itself, which means that a number of specialised sets of skills and knowledge are required to deliver the end product, and by pressure from customers for better, faster, cheaper delivery – a key tenet of the SMART Acquisition philosophy.

Sharing data and information is a vital component of a true collaborative relationship, enabling:-

• those collaborating to add value to data and information by sharing their insights and ideas, discussing options, and raising questions;

• members of the team to share activities and actions, and track progress;

• people to organise and search for information more effectively and efficiently;

• all of the above to be carried out in a highly secure environment.

However, the sharing of information alone does not address the many other aspects of collaboration that are necessary to reap the maximum benefits:-

• integrated processes;

• sharing of tacit knowledge and personal insights;

• generation of new and better ideas;

• joint problem-solving;

• joint risk identification; and

• faster learning.

Some benefits of Collaboration

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• The benefits generated from collaboration will relate to the nature of the project and vary according to the maturity of the project. However, some generic benefits may include:-

• Shared information and knowledge with a common set of data to manage business decisions;

• Faster access to the latest versions of information across a programme;

• Enables streamlining of business processes;

• Faster communication of shared information;

• Reduction in multiple sources of data (with associated configuration and quality problems) – “write once read many” (WORM) concept;

• Time and cost savings – travel & subsistence, paper, postage, quality time, paper storage capacity.

Who Shares?

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Participation in a SWE can be open to anybody who has agreed to work collaboratively, subject to the safeguarding of the interests of members of the community. Where a SWE is established in support of an MOD IPT, MOD will of course be a participant, but must be identified according to the constituent parts of the MOD participating, such as the IPT or other parties such as Customer 1 or 2. This ensures that access to information is properly controlled and that it is not used for purposes other than those for which it was provided.
Industry will also participate in SWEs created to support MOD IPTs, and this is not limited to only the Prime Contractor but also sub-contractors, a third party service provider, in fact anyone with a need to share information.

The Commercial Approach

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The handling of commercial considerations, such as intellectual property, liabilities and confidentiality, is key to building successful collaborative relationships. MOD has agreed with Industry representatives a series of commercial documents (detailed below) that provide models for collaborative working. The suite of documents, which includes model contract documentation, is held together by an over-arching guidance document, which is accessible via the MOD’s Acquisition Management System web site (see below for web site address). The aim of the approach is to enable organisations (even those who may be in competition with each other) to share information in a secure and commercially protected environment. Fundamental to this approach is the acknowledgement that the mere act of shared access to information does not concede intellectual property rights, nor does it entail exposure to liabilities beyond those enshrined in contracts.

DEFCON 687A – Provision of a Shared Data Environment Service

• Defines the standard contractual responsibilities of any party contracted to supply an SWE service;

• The service provider can be a Prime Contractor or a specialist third party;

• Any variables to be detailed in the contract schedule of requirements (a model is currently being developed);

• The SWE can be a centralised database or a federation of systems – or a mix of both;

• The DEFCON is broadly applicable to any technical or commercial model;

• Since the DEFCON is a standard, it will enable users of a service to understand the crucial elements of the contractual relationship to establish the service, without requiring access to the contract itself;

• Should not be modified or caveated unless absolutely essential.

DEFCON 687B – Shared Data Environment System Transfer Arrangements

• Covers licensing arrangements for continued usage of the system at conclusion of the contract where anything other than standard configuration of Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) products are deployed, e.g. where the service provider has an intellectual property right in the application;

• Should not be modified or caveated unless absolutely essential.

DEFFORM 687C – Electronic Information Sharing Agreement (EISA)

• Is a drafting template (and can therefore be varied to address project specifics) but is robust enough to be used without amendment;

• Defines the mutual rights and responsibilities of all users of an SWE service;

• Service Provider must be a signatory;

• Once signed, the EISA is a legally binding agreement;

• States that provision of information into an SWE implies no transfer or granting of IP rights;

• No liability inferred by sharing information – any liabilities must be addressed in underlying contracts;

• The EISA binds all users to:

Ensure staff are properly authenticated;

Observe access control arrangements;

Mark information correctly;

Provide information in the correct format;

Protect information.

• Users have rights to:

Withdraw their own information;

Withdraw from the SWE (excludes the MOD and the service provider);

Control access permissions to their own information;

Request an “integrity” audit of the system.

Relies on a separate protocol document for the detail of the client interface;

The EISA does not add or detract from other contractual responsibilities of the participants.

The Relationship Approach

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While DEFCON 687 provides the commercial framework, the greatest barrier to profitable collaboration remains one of establishing a partnering culture at the management and working levels. The sharing of project, commercial and technical information, particularly in the early phases of a programme will raise many issues and to enter into a collaborative agreement without addressing them will jeopardise the potential benefits.

The most successful collaborations will involve a network of Customer One, Customer Two, Prime Contractors and Key Suppliers. The dynamics of the team and the information they must share will always present a challenge and a trusted, robust means way of addressing that challenge has been jointly endorsed by the MOD and industry.

The aerospace industry uses the Supply Chain Relationships in Action (SCRIA) framework to create step changes in Customer - Supplier relationships and the MOD has subsequently adopted it for use in the SMART acquisition programme. Based on a set of guiding principles and associated code of conduct, SCRIA provides an excellent means of precipitating constructive dialogue with a view to collaborative working. The framework has recently been revised to provide a natural transition into the realms of e-collaboration and Shared Working Environments.

Details of the SCRIA process can be found on the MOD Acquisition Management System and the SBAC web site.

Summary

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Collaborative working through participation in SWEs can be an effective enabler for driving out efficiencies and improving business processes. The commercial approach outlined above enables MOD and Defence Industry to participate in SWEs in the confidence that their information is protected, intellectual property rights are safeguarded and they are not exposed to additional liabilities.

Who should I contact if I want to find out more?

Gwen Beale, Principal Directorate Commercial, DLO
Tel: (01225) 467530
e-Mail: pdc-comm@a.dii.mod.uk

Simon Dunford, United Kingdom Council for e-Business (UKCeB)
Tel: 0117 9790885
e-Mail: simon.dunford@jctf.org.uk

Nick Stroud, Enterprise Integration Programme Coherence Team (EPCT), MOD
Tel: (01225) 467879
e-Mail: pct1@a.dii.mod.uk

Defence Procurement Management Training (who run Information Sharing Seminars, open to MOD and Industry participants)
Tel: 0117 969 0846
e-Mail: dpmt@dpa.mod.uk

Are there any background documents?

Guidelines for Industry No. 15 (Issue 2) http://www.ams.mod.uk/ams/content/docs/toolkit/ams/admin/navigation/frames.htm

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