The Introduction of a Hand-Held Platform in an Engineering and Fabrication Company

Fabricom is currently looking for ways to improve their collaborative capabilities. They have assessed hand-held devices as means to increase efficiency and availability throughout the organization. This chapter focuses on the organization Fabricom, and seeks to uncover which capabilities lie within the hand-held devices, and what kind of effects the implementation of such devices could have on Fabricom's work processes. Through an abductive approach, based on observations, semi-structured interviews and document analysis, the authors focus their attention on the work-flow and communication practices in Fabricom. These findings are viewed in light of structuration and practice theory, supported by aspects from actor-network theory. Findings lead to the notion that the implementation of a hand-held platform in Fabricom can contribute positively to the interaction within the organization. The digital work process is capable of providing access to real-time data and real-time communication throughout the organization. This may contribute to a closer interaction between the divisions, and provide a better basis for problem solving and task performance.