Using GSS to design organizational processes and information systems: An action research study on collaborative business engineering

During an action research study a collaborative business engineering approa ch was developed, applied, and evaluated. Key characteristic of the approac h is its focus on the participative design of organizational processes and supporting information systems. Following the approach, various design acti vities are carried out in close cooperation with groups of stakeholders sup ported by a Group Support System (GSS). This paper describes and reflects o n the execution of these collaborative design activities in a police organi zation. Lessons learned with respect to GSS and collaborative design are fo rmulated. Key insights illustrate the stakeholders' perception of the group technology and the way in which it facilitated an efficient design process .