Articulation of work process models for organizational alignment and informed information system design

•We propose a method and toolset for the articulation of knowledge about work.•The method relies on physical conceptual modeling and targets nonexpert modelers.•Identification and resolution of conflicting viewpoints is a core part of the method.•The toolset allows the capture and simulation of models for checking their appropriateness.•A case study confirms the applicability of the method and tools in practical settings.

Articulating and representing procedural aspects of work in conceptual models is a prerequisite for informed information system (IS) design. Instruments supporting articulation need to establish common ground about the interaction of the collaborating actors. This article proposes a methodology for the articulation of work processes by inexperienced modelers. It consists of phases of articulation and consolidation of case-based models and interactive elaboration toward comprehensive representation of the process via virtual enactment. The resulting models can be directly interpreted by IS. A case study confirms that the methodology meets the identified requirements and identifies areas of improvement.