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This paper is an account on work distribution analyzed from the collaboration point of view. It presents a new classification of the collaborative work in software engineering project. Four types of collaborative work are defined derived from empirical measurements of activities. Mandatory collaborative works are formal scheduled meetings. Called collaborative work is defined when team members call a meeting to solve a problem, which is most often technical. Ad hoc collaborative work is defined when team members work on the same task at the same time and individual work occurs when a team member works on its own on a task related to the project. Data are extracted from the logbook filled out by four team members working on an industrial project that lasts 19 weeks. The characteristics of each type of collaborative activity are described and a quantitative breakdown of how people spend their time in …