Do we need yet another tool?

An unknown reviewer of the ER conference asked me: Why would you want a new modeling tool when there is VISIO?

Now, an innocent bystander acquainted with the field might wonder: What an utterly stupid question!

But as it comes from a supposed authority in the field we should treat it seriously. My answer to that question is that the object of COMA is not to support the drawing of the model but the social process around it (and incidentally also the drawing as a necessary part of it).

Robert Briggs, a real authority on collaboration asked me at the HICSS conference 2009: Would it be possible to use the COMA methodology (or work practice as he called it) with conventional, paper-based tools? A good answer to that (although not the one I gave) would be: Yes, all the steps of the COMA work practice can indeed be carried out with brown paper and simple paper-based scoring tools but it would be much less efficient than using the COMA tool. It would be like asking a modern accountant to go back to doing book-keeping with paper and pencil.

For the sake of justice: Unlike the ER reviewer, Robert did not want to discourage me from developing the tool, he just wanted to suggest a way of separating the scientific proof of the work practice from that of the tool. My thanks go also to Bob for his great suggestion!