Tailoring groupware for different scopes of validity

Tailorability is generally regarded as a key requirement for groupware applications. In this paper, we will focus on a specific class of tailoring activities: the definition of different system behaviour for specific scopes of validity. Since the state of the art in the CSCW literature does not yet offer any satisfactory solutions to support users in performing this class of tailoring activities, we develop an approach based on tailoring statements, which are similar to production rules. We show how inconsistencies resulting from contradictory statements can be handled either automatically or by involving the affected users. We present a prototype, which implements our approach to tailorability in a commercial groupware system, using access control as an example for the proposed class of tailoring activities. Finally, we present the results of a usability test carried out which employs the thinking aloud method.