Collaborative Development Using Jama Connect®

Published Date: Mar 30, 2026
Audience: Everyone
Products and Versions Covered:

• Jama Connect® (all supported versions)
• Cloud / CVC
• Jama Connect Interchange™ (all supported versions)

Summary

This article explains how to support collaborative product development across multiple companies using Jama Connect® and Jama Connect Interchange™.

Modern development environments often involve OEMs, suppliers, partners, and regulatory bodies working together while maintaining different tools, processes, and security requirements. Without a defined collaboration model, teams may experience fragmented data, limited traceability, and delays in validation and certification.

Jama Connect supports three primary collaboration models—shared environments, synchronized integrations, and file-based exchange—each offering different levels of integration, control, and complexity. Selecting the right approach depends on the level of collaboration required, regulatory constraints, and data-sharing policies.

Resolution

Select the Appropriate Collaboration Model

Choose the model that best aligns with your level of integration, data-sharing requirements, and operational constraints.

1. Shared Jama Connect (Highest Integration)

Use when multiple organizations collaborate as a fully integrated team within a single environment.

Best suited for:

• OEM and suppliers co-developing a product in real time
• Partners requiring a shared digital thread
• Regulatory bodies reviewing live project data

Implementation Guidance:

1. Manage all requirements and activities in a single Jama Connect instance
2. Create separate user groups for each company to control access and support compliance
3. Define distinct item types or workflows for different organizations as needed
4. Configure permissions to protect sensitive data while enabling collaboration

Benefits:

• Complete traceability across all requirements and activities
• Single source of truth with full version history
• Faster response to changes and certification needs
• Simplified digital thread across systems

Limitations:

• Limited data isolation between organizations
• Requires coordinated user and access management
• May require firewall and security alignment across companies

2. Live Synchronized Data (Balanced Integration)

Use when organizations must maintain separate systems but require near real-time collaboration.

Best suited for:

• Co-development with regulatory or business constraints
• Multi-supplier ecosystems with different toolsets
• Organizations requiring partial data sharing

Implementation Guidance:

1. Maintain separate Jama Connect instances for each company
2. Integrate systems using a centralized integration framework (e.g., Planview Hub)
3. Define a shared data model across all participants
4. Identify:
   • Data to synchronize between systems
   • Data to remain private
5. Align on shared workflows and synchronization rules

Benefits:

• Strong data protection and system independence
• Near real-time synchronization
• Maintains digital thread across systems
• Supports diverse tools and workflows

Limitations:

• Higher implementation complexity
• Requires coordination across organizations
• Limited visibility into full change history across all systems
• Depends on a shared integration model

3. File / ReqIF Exchange (Lowest Integration)

Use when systems must remain independent and collaboration occurs at defined intervals.

Best suited for:

• Regulated or classified environments
• Supplier relationships with limited integration
• Contract-based data exchange

Implementation Guidance:

1. Define a cadence for exchanging data aligned with project milestones
2. Export requirements using ReqIF via Jama Connect Interchange (JCI)
3. Share technical data packages at defined milestones
4. Import ReqIF files into receiving systems
5. Update/add data in receiving systems and return data using ReqIF as needed
6. Import updates and new data using ReqIF via Jama Connect Interchange (JCI)

Benefits:

• Maximum data isolation and control
• Independent workflows for each organization
• Clear contractual data exchange points

Limitations:

• No real-time collaboration
• Manual processes for data transfer
• Limited system-level traceability
• No unified change history across organizations

Key Decision Considerations

When selecting a collaboration model, evaluate:

• Level of integration required (real-time vs. milestone-based)
• Data security and regulatory constraints
• Tool and process alignment across organizations
• Need for end-to-end traceability (digital thread)
• Operational complexity and implementation effort

Choosing the right model ensures efficient collaboration while maintaining compliance, traceability, and performance.

Additional Resources

• Success Programs
• Success Catalog
• Datasheets
• Request a Solution Offering or Training from the Success Catalog

Feedback:
We welcome your input! Please sign in to leave any comments, suggestions, or ideas for improvement below.