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Digital Process Innovation

We conduct research on how organizations develop, adopt, and improve digital work processes, AI-supported software development, and knowledge work in complex organizations. The group combines research in software engineering, information systems, artificial intelligence, security, and digital transformation to understand how technology, people, and organizations interact in practice.

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Our work includes topics such as evaluation of large language models (LLMs), agent-based and AI-supported software development, data-driven work processes, continuous software development, AI culture, and intelligent technologies for knowledge work. The goal is to develop knowledge and solutions that help both the public and private sectors succeed with digitalization and AI in practice.

Our expertise

Digital Process Innovation focuses on how organizations can develop better digital processes, services, and ways of working in response to rapid technological and organizational change. The group has strong expertise in software engineering, information systems, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, security, and collaboration in distributed environments.

We work closely with both public sector organizations and industry to understand how technology, organization, and people influence one another. Our research is not only about technology development, but about how organizations can successfully adopt new ways of working, AI, and digital solutions over time.

The research group also has specialized expertise in secure and scalable software development, AI-supported development, and continuous software engineering. Through research on topics such as evaluation of large language models, agent-based software development, and scalability analysis, we develop knowledge and methods that enable the creation of robust, secure, and efficient digital systems in large and complex organizations.

We use action research as a methodology, combining empirical research with close collaboration with customers and partners. Through field studies, case studies, and practice-oriented research, we examine how digital processes, AI-supported work, and software development function in real organizations—and how they can be improved to create value for both the business and end users.

Our way of working is characterized by co-creation. We develop new methods and models together with organizations undergoing digital and AI-driven transformation. This ensures that our research is relevant, applicable, and tailored to real needs.

The research group works with, among other things:

  • AI-supported and agent-based software development
  • evaluation and application of large language models (LLMs)
  • continuous software development and process improvement
  • data-driven work processes and knowledge work
  • virtual teams and distributed collaboration
  • secure and scalable software development
  • AI culture, organizational learning, and digital transformation

We contribute through strategic research, evaluation, method development, and practical implementation with our clients.

What sets us apart?

What distinguishes Digital Process Innovation from many other research environments is the combination of technological expertise and organizational insight. We study how people, processes, AI, and digital technologies work together in practice—not in isolation.

Over many years, the research group has built unique experience through collaboration with large Norwegian and international organizations in areas such as healthcare, the public sector, energy, defense, and the software industry. We operate at the intersection of research and practice, and many of the methods and solutions we develop are tested directly in operational environments.

We are also recognized for our research on distributed collaboration, AI-supported knowledge work, and modern software development. Through our work, we contribute to understanding how teams, organizations, and intelligent technologies can collaborate effectively across geography, culture, and organizational boundaries.

An international environment

The research group participates in numerous international research projects and collaborates with leading research environments in Europe and globally. We publish research in recognized international journals and conferences within software engineering, information systems, and digital transformation.

The group has extensive experience with EU-funded projects and international industry collaborations. Our research is used by organizations and research environments both in Norway and internationally.

Highlights

  • Developed research-based knowledge on digital transformation, AI-supported software development, and distributed collaboration used by both the public and private sectors
  • Conducted research on the evaluation of large language models (LLMs), agent-based software development, and intelligent technologies for knowledge work
  • Led and participated in national and international research projects within digitalization, artificial intelligence, software processes, and organizational innovation

How we can support you

Do you want to succeed with digital and AI-driven transformation in practice? Do you need better processes for software development, knowledge work, or collaboration across teams and locations?

We can help you to:

  • develop more efficient and agile work processes
  • adopt AI-supported and agent-based software development
  • improve collaboration in distributed and virtual teams
  • evaluate and improve software development processes and the use of large language models (LLMs)
  • manage security and quality in complex digital systems
  • strengthen organizational learning, data sharing, and knowledge work
  • analyze scalability, performance, and data-driven work processes

We combine research-based knowledge with practical experience to develop solutions that work in real-world settings.

Interested in collaborating?

We are always open to new collaboration opportunities. Get in touch to learn more about our research and how we can work together to develop the digital work processes and organizations of the future.

You can collaborate with us through research projects, piloting, strategic advisory services, competence development, or as a partner in national and international initiatives. We work with organizations that want to understand and leverage the opportunities offered by digital transformation and modern software development.

Employees

Selected projects

What we do

Selected publications

Tøndel, I. A. & Brataas, G. 2022. SecureScale: Exploring Synergies between Security and Scalability in Software Development and Operation. EICC '22: Proceedings of the 2022 European Interdisciplinary Cybersecurity Conference, p. 36-41.

Tkalich, A., Ulfsnes, R. & Moe, N. B. 2022. Toward an Agile Product Management: What Do Product Managers Do in Agile Companies? Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming: 23rd International Conference on Agile Software Development, XP 2022, Copenhagen, Denmark, June 13–17, 2022, Proceedings, p. 168-184.

Stray, V., Moe, N. B., Strode, D. & Mæhlum, E. 2022. Coordination value in Agile software development: a multiple case study of coordination mechanisms managing dependencies. 2022 IEEE/ACM 15th International Workshop on Cooperative and Human Aspects of Software Engineering (CHASE), p. 11-20.

Stray, V., Gundelsby, J. H., Ulfsnes, R. & Moe, N. B. 2022. How agile teams make Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) work. ICSSP'22: Proceedings of the International Conference on Software and System Processes and International Conference on Global Software Engineering, p. 104-109.

Sporsem, T. & Moe, N. B. 2022. Coordination Strategies When Working from Anywhere: A Case Study of Two Agile Teams. Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming: 23rd International Conference on Agile Software Development, XP 2022, Copenhagen, Denmark, June 13–17, 2022, Proceedings, p. 52-61.

Smite, D., Tkalich, A., Moe, N. B., Papatheocharous, E., Klotins, E. & Buvik, M. P. 2022. Changes in perceived productivity of software engineers during COVID-19 pandemic: The voice of evidence. Journal of Systems and Software, 186, 111197.

Smite, D., Moe, N. B., Hildrum, J., Huerta, J. G. & Mendez, D. 2022. Work-From-Home is Here to Stay: Call for Flexibility in Post-Pandemic Work Policies. (Submitted paper). arXiv preprint arXiv:2203.11136.

Ravn, J. E., Moe, N. B., Stray, V. & Seim, E. A. 2022. Team autonomy and digital transformation: Disruptions and adjustments in a well-established organizational principle. AI & Society, 37(2), p. 701-710. (Editorial).

Onshus, T., Bodsberg, L., Hauge, S., Jaatun, M. G., Lundteigen, M. A., Myklebust, T., Ottermo, M. V., Petersen, S. & Wille, E. 2022. Security and Independence of Process Safety and Control Systems in the Petroleum Industry. Journal of Cybersecurity and Privacy, 2(1), p. 20-41.

Buvik, M. P. & Tkalich, A. 2022. Psychological Safety in Agile Software Development Teams: Work Design Antecedents and Performance Consequences. Proceedings of the 55th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS 2022), p. 7330-7339.

Brataas, G., Hanssen, G. K., Qiu, X. & Græslie, L. S. 2022. Requirements Engineering in the Market Dialogue Phase of Public Procurement: A Case Study of an Innovation Partnership for Medical Technology. Requirements Engineering: Foundation for Software Quality: 28th International Working Conference, REFSQ 2022, Birmingham, UK, March 21–24, 2022, Proceedings, p. 159-174.

Berntzen, M., Hoda, R., Moe, N. B. & Stray, V. 2022. A taxonomy of inter-team coordination mechanisms in large-scale agile. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, 49, 2, 699-718, 2022.

Ulfsnes, R., Stray, V., Moe, N. B. & Smite, D. 2021. Innovation in Large-Scale Agile - Benefits and Challenges of Hackathons When Hacking from Home. Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming – Workshops: XP 2021 Workshops, Virtual Event, June 14–18, 2021, Revised Selected Papers, p. 23-32.

Tkalich, A., Moe, N. B. & Ulfsnes, R. 2021. Making Internal Software Startups Work: How to Innovate Like a Venture Builder? Software Business: 12th International Conference, ICSOB 2021, Drammen, Norway, December 2–3, 2021, Proceedings, p. 152-167.

Tkalich, A., Moe, N. B. & Sporsem, T. 2021. Employee-Driven Innovation to Fuel Internal Software Startups: Preliminary Findings. Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming – Workshops: XP 2021 Workshops, Virtual Event, June 14–18, 2021, Revised Selected Papers, p. 145-154.

Tkalich, A., Mikalsen, M., Moe, N. B. & Sporsem, T. 2021. Digital transformation of a traditional business model: A case study from the maritime industry. Proceedings of the European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS) 2021, 42.

Sporsem, T., Tkalich, A., Moe, N. B., Mikalsen, M. & Rygh, N. 2021. Using guilds to foster internal startups in large organizations: a case study. Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming – Workshops: XP 2021 Workshops, Virtual Event, June 14–18, 2021, Revised Selected Papers, p. 135-144.

Sporsem, T., Tkalich, A., Moe, N. B. & Mikalsen, M. 2021. Understanding barriers to internal startups in large organizations: Evidence from a globally distributed company. 2021 IEEE/ACM Joint 15th International Conference on Software and System Processes (ICSSP) and 16th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Global Software Engineering (ICGSE), p. 12-21.

Smite, D., Moe, N. B. & Gonzalez-Huerta, J. 2021. Overcoming cultural barriers to being agile in distributed teams. Information and Software Technology, 138, 106612.

Myklebust, T., Onshus, T., Lindskog, S., Ottermo, M. V. & Bodsberg, L. 2021. Data safety, sources, and data flow in the offshore industry. Proceedings of the 31st European Safety and Reliability Conference.

Moe, N. B., Ulfsnes, R., Stray, V. & Smite, D. 2021. Improving productivity through corporate hackathons: A multiple case study of two large-scale agile organizations. Proceedings of the 55th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences 2022 (HICSS 2022), p. 7310-7319.

Moe, N. B., Smite, D., Paasivaara, M. & Lassenius, C. 2021. Finding the sweet spot for organizational control and team autonomy in large-scale agile software development. Empirical Software Engineering, 26, 101.

Hanssen, G. K., Onshus, T., Jaatun, M. G., Myklebust, T., Ottermo, M. & Lundteigen, M. A. 2021. Principles of digitalisation and IT-OT integration. SINTEF Report 2021:00057.

Brataas, G., Martini, A., Hanssen, G.K. & Ræder, G. 2021. Agile elicitation of scalability requirements for open systems: A case study. Journal of Systems and Software, 182, 111064.

Stray, V., Tkalich, A. & Moe, N. B. The agile coach role: coaching for agile performance impact. Proceedings of the 54th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences 2021 (HICSS 2021), p. 6816-6825.

Myklebust, T., Lundteigen, M. A., Bodsberg, L., & Hanssen, G. K. 2020. Remote and agile improvement of industrial control and safety systems processes. E-proceedings of the 30th European Safety and Reliability Conference and 15th Probabilistic Safety Assessment and Management Conference (ESREL2020 PSAM15), p. 271-276.

Hanssen, G. K., Brataas, G. & Martini, A. 2019. Identifying scalability debt in open systems. 2019 IEEE/ACM International Conference on Technical Debt (TechDebt), p. 48-52.

Brataas, G., Hanssen, G. K., Herbst, N. & van Hoorn, A. 2019. Agile scalability engineering: The ScrumScale method. IEEE Software, 2019. 37(5), p. 77-84.

Caption header image: AI generated illustration /SINTEF