In the early days of methods, the distinction between the process and the product was unclear. Sometimes consideration was concentrated on the problems of what models should be formulated - at other times, on how such results were to be achieved. The methods and tools, as the two factors became known, enjoyed increasing attention over the years, though emphasis, now as then, is almost always placed on the outcome, rather than on the ways towards it. This publication explores methods and associated tools in the perspective of this information systems life cycle. It discusses the need for method flexibility, within a design base of certain strict standards and with respect given to the potential harmonisation of existing methods. The contribution of a broad-range of specialists ensures that papers extend across the various facets of the discipline.