Developing a Collaborative Authoring Environment

Developing a collaborative authoring environment is a delicate blend of the technology and workflow process. FrontPage 2003 provides the technology; developing the workflow process is the project manager's job.

In the previous chapter, we examined the "art" of managing a team development project. In this chapter, we examine the tools for doing the same. We'll first explain the role of the project manager, show you how to check documents in and out, assign documents to a specific user, publish (all or part of) the site as needed, and assess where the project stands at any given time. In the next chapter, we'll get more specific about managing workflow and tasks as we examine the specifics of the collaborative authoring environment.

FrontPage 2003 can help with the collaborative development process by providing a means to track each team member's tasks simply and quickly. Without a proper understanding and communication of the project at hand, a team can waste countless hours trying to achieve a goal that isn't possible because it doesn't exist or wasn't communicated well.