Tailoring groupware for different scopes of validity

Tailorability is generally regarded as a key requirement for groupware appl ications. In this paper, we focus on a specific class of tailoring activiti es: the definition of different system behaviour for specific scopes of val idity. Since the state of the art in Computer Supported Cooperative Work (C SCW) does not yet offer any satisfactory solutions to support users in perf orming this class of tailoring activities, we develop an approach based on tailoring statements, which are similar to production rules. We show how in consistencies resulting from contradictory statements can be handled either automatically or by involving the affected users. We present a prototype w hich implements our approach to tailorability in a commercial groupware sys tem, using access control as an example for the proposed class of tailoring activities. Finally, we present the results of a usability test carried ou t which employs the thinking aloud method.