Collaborative Management Environment

This paper discusses an innovative use of XML as a cost-efficient alternative for acquiring, storing, querying, and publishing heterogeneous and distributed enterprise information. The web-based Collaborative Management Environment (CME) is presented in the context of a pilot system designed to automate and enhance the management of research proposal information from multiple independent research organizations within the Department of Energy (DOE). The initial results of the system usage are very positive. To date, information may be successfully acquired, integrated, searched, and displayed using the pilot system. While the XML-based system has obvious limitations, such as limited scalability and the rapid evolution of XML technologies, the system fulfills an important role as a cost-efficient enterprise information system alternative. Two key challenges presented themselves in the development of the pilot system. First, due to the distributed, heterogeneous, and sensitive nature of the proposal data, it is preferred that control of the data remain with the originating laboratories. Second, due to the lack of motivation for the laboratories to invest in the construction and The submitted manuscript has been authored by a contractor o