Colocation
A workspace strategy that seats project team members in the same physical area so they can communicate faster, collaborate more easily, build stronger working relationships, and increase productivity.
Key Points
- Centers on placing team members physically near each other to speed up communication and decisions.
- Often used during high-risk or intensive phases to reduce delays and handoffs.
- May involve a dedicated project room (war room) with shared boards, tools, and information radiators.
- Requires space, budget, and coordination; not always feasible for distributed or vendor teams.
Example
To accelerate a critical system upgrade, the project manager seats developers, testers, business analysts, and the release manager in a single project room for two months. With everyone side by side, issues are raised and resolved immediately, cutting rework and shortening the testing cycle.
PMP Example Question
Which action best demonstrates the use of colocation on a project?
- Reserving a dedicated team room so core team members sit together daily.
- Scheduling a weekly cross-functional status call via video conference.
- Creating a RACI chart to clarify roles and responsibilities.
- Rolling out a cloud-based collaboration tool for document sharing.
Correct Answer: A — Seating the team together in a dedicated space
Explanation: Colocation is about physical proximity. A dedicated team room where members sit together is the clearest example.
