Collaborating with my customer

[jofreder]

I would like to get my customers in on the process. Not to create models but to see them real time and the project managment task, issues, forums,etc....

Could some one tell me their methods of dealing with this or ideas on what to do. I really do not want to save documentation and publish it on the web every time I change something.

I have the corporate version and I setup a project in SqlServer 2000. How get to that project from a different machine. Is this where I will need to implement collaboration with the lite version maybe.

I am new to the product so I am just guessing.

Thanks
Joe

[Oliver Michalski]

Hi Joe,

1. Open your Project  
2. Make a Copy of the Project as a EAP - File (Menu File - Save Project As...)  
3. Your Customer can use the EAP - File with EALite

Oliver  

[jofreder]

I was really hoping I could get them connected to the same repository somehow so I do not have to do the save as deliver it thing.

Thanks Oliver.

[Bruno.Cossi]

Hi Joe,

well, you could... mest databases can be accessed over HTTP, so you could in theory setup, for example, MS SQL repository and have your client(s) to connect to it over the web. They would have EA installed on their machines, but connecting to your repository. The problem is that the performance takes a big hit.
You could setup a separate repository at your client's site and have it synchronized with your repository. Or, you could just periodically generate the HTML documentation and have it shared on a website. Or... or... there are many different scenarios, I guess the choice depends on your requirements, on your SDLC, on the information you need to share with your client and the information you need to get from your client. Do you need them to see information, to change it....?

Bruno

I was really hoping I could get them connected to the same repository somehow so I do not have to do the save as deliver it thing.

Thanks Oliver.

[jofreder]

Bruno

No they do not need to change anything. I guess I am just being lazy but I hate to have to generate html pages ftp them to my website and notify them that the new information is there if I update an issue or task or add a new use case or .... . Plus I noticed the Forums which would be great if my customers involvment has a few people. Because I am new to this tool so I also do not know its abilities and limitations yet so I am putting my thoughts out there so I can learn. I just want to offer them the best professional services that I could and reall time information is a great tool for customer service.

Thanks For your advice.

Joe

[Bruno.Cossi]

Joe,

no problem. As I said before, you could have the clients using EA (or possibly EA Lite, which would still give them the ability to participate in the Discussion Forums) and connecting to your repository over the web. There would be some performance hit, but if they need read-only access, it might not be as bad (haven't really tried it). Of course it will mean that you will have to expose your database over the HTTP.

Hope this helps!
Bruno

[jofreder]

Sure does help Bruno.

Thanks again for your time.

[Bruno.Cossi]

You're welcome Joe.

Let me know how you chose to implement this and what your experience has been.

Thanks,
Bruno