Department of IT Management

The department conducts research on software development methods, human judgment and decision making in software development contexts, benefits management, cost estimation, risk and uncertainty management, use of contracts and models for user involvements. The main research approach is empirical, including controlled experiments, observational studies, case studies and surveys.
The department’s main goal is to discover important relationships and connections related to the management of software development work, and use this to contribute to substantial improvement in software development processes and products. For this purpose, we work in close collaboration with industry partners in most of our research. We emphasize the transfer of new and useful knowledge to the industry by publishing and presenting not only in academic venues, but also at industry venues.
The IT Management Department also runs Hovedstadsområdets nettverk for IT-styring og ledelse (HIT-Nettverket), which is a network with the goal of increasing competance through sharing experiences in IT management. The network consist of research institutes, IT companies, consultant companies, public stakeholders and clients with an interest in IT management. The themes includes focuses both in the client and the supplier perspective, in addition to strategic, administrative and project related challenges. Read more about HIT here.
In addition, the department is in charge of the EDOS center (Effective Organization of Public Sector). This center is funded by the Ministry of Local Government and Modernization and was created in 2020. EDOS conducts surveys and analyzes information on digitalization in the public sector. The research aims to provide knowledge about what leads to successful digitalization in the public sector and to disseminate knowledge that leads to higher efficiency and more value creation. Read more about EDOS here.
People at Department of IT Management
Who we are?
Simula Metropolitan employees are researchers, postdoctoral fellows, PhD students, engineers and administrative people. We are from all over the world, ranging from newly educated to experienced researchers, all working on making research in digital engineering at the highest international level possible.
Publications at Department of IT Management
Journal Article
Backsourcing of Information Technology - A Systematic Literature Review
Submitted to a journal (2023).Status: Submitted
Backsourcing of Information Technology - A Systematic Literature Review
Context: Backsourcing is the process of insourcing previously outsourced activities. When companies experience environmental or strategic changes, or challenges with outsourcing, backsourcing can be a viable alternative. While outsourcing and related processes have been extensively studied in information technology, few studies report experiences with backsourcing.
Objectives: We intend to summarize the results of the research literature on the backsourcing of IT, with a focus on software development. By identifying practical relevance experience, we aim to present findings that may help companies considering backsourcing. In addition, we aim to identify gaps in the current research literature and point out areas for future work.
Method: Our systematic literature review (SLR) started with a search for empirical studies on the backsourcing of IT. From each study we identified the contexts in which backsourcing occurs, the factors leading to the decision to backsource, the backsourcing process itself, and the outcomes of backsourcing. We employed inductive coding to extract textual data from the papers identified and qualitative cross-case analysis to synthesize the evidence from backsourcing experiences.
Results: We identified 17 papers that reported 26 cases of backsourcing, six of which were related to software development. The cases came from a variety of contexts. The most common reasons for backsourcing were improving quality, reducing costs, and regaining control of outsourced activities. The backsourcing process can be described as containing five sub-processes: change management, vendor relationship management, competence building, organizational build-up, and transfer of ownership. Furthermore, we identified 14 positive outcomes and nine negative outcomes of backsourcing. Finally, we aggregated the evidence and detailed three relationships of potential use to companies considering backsourcing.
Conclusion: The backsourcing of IT is a complex process; its implementation depends on the prior outsourcing relationship and other contextual factors. Our systematic literature review may contribute to a better understanding of this process by identifying its components and their relationships based on the peer-reviewed literature. Our results may also serve as a motivation and baseline for further research on backsourcing and may provide guidelines and process fragments from which practitioners can benefit when they engage in backsourcing.
Afilliation | Software Engineering |
Project(s) | EDOS: Effective Digitalization of Public Sector, Department of IT Management |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2023 |
Journal | Submitted to a journal |
Publisher | x |
Keywords | backshoring, Backsourcing, information technology, software development, Software Engineering, systematic literature review |
Proceedings, refereed
An Overview of the Understanding and Use of Assessment Methods in Benefits Management
In 25th IEEE International Conference on Business Informatics (CBI 2023). IEEE, 2023.Status: Accepted
An Overview of the Understanding and Use of Assessment Methods in Benefits Management
Evidence suggests that benefits management is critical for enabling greater value and for enhancing the positive impact of programs, projects, and portfolios. However, many organizations only focus their efforts on identifying the intended benefits, without conducting a proper follow-up through ongoing assessment or evaluation to ensure benefits realization. For this reason, this study aims to obtain an overview of the actual use of the assessment methods in benefits management, through a compilation and analysis of the literature following the Systematic Mapping Study methodology. The results and findings obtained show a significant gap in the interplay between the fields of assessment methods and benefits management. Based on this, we suggest opportunities for improvement, such as developing audit guides and frameworks for enhancing the monitoring of the benefits, strengthening the focus on external benefits of organizations, and for adapting benefits assessment to the changed perceptions of intended benefits, in line with continuous improvement.
Afilliation | Software Engineering |
Project(s) | Department of IT Management |
Publication Type | Proceedings, refereed |
Year of Publication | 2023 |
Conference Name | 25th IEEE International Conference on Business Informatics (CBI 2023) |
Publisher | IEEE |
Keywords | Assessment, benefits management, Literature Analysis, Literature Review, Project Management |
Projects VS Continuous Product Development - Does it Affect Benefits Realization?
In The Ninth International Conference on Advances and Trends in Software Engineering (SOFTENG). Xpert Publishing Services (XPS), 2023.Status: Published
Projects VS Continuous Product Development - Does it Affect Benefits Realization?
Software investments are traditionally implemented using project organization, which often leads project participants to focus on time, cost and scope, rather than the intended benefits of the investment. We conducted a survey to compare work organized as projects against work organized as Continuous Product Development (CPD). Our results indicate that: 1. Both project organization and CPD are commonly used in practice. 2. Agile is very popular, but DevOps and the use of linear models for organizing work are also frequent. 3. CPD is perceived to outperform projects in realization of benefits. 4. We found no difference in perceived realization of benefits between those using or not using a set of ways of organizing work (including linear models, agile, DevOps, BizDev or program organization). We conclude that organizing work using CPD is a viable alternative to project organization, especially in situations where failure must be avoided. Also, we suggest that more research should be conducted to better understand what factors of the different ways of organizing work affects the realization of benefits.
Afilliation | Software Engineering |
Project(s) | Department of IT Management, EDOS: Effective Digitalization of Public Sector |
Publication Type | Proceedings, refereed |
Year of Publication | 2023 |
Conference Name | The Ninth International Conference on Advances and Trends in Software Engineering (SOFTENG) |
Pagination | 20-25 |
Date Published | 04/2023 |
Publisher | Xpert Publishing Services (XPS) |
A Survey on the Use and Effects of Goal Hierarchies in Digitalization Efforts
In Portland International Conference on Management of Engineering and Technology: Managing Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing for a Sustainable World (PICMET 2023), 2023.Status: Accepted
A Survey on the Use and Effects of Goal Hierarchies in Digitalization Efforts
Digitalization has become a primary goal for organizations. Successfully adopting the digital context both in daily operations and in business management and strategy entails great benefits at different levels (organizational, economic, social, environmental...). Thus, it is very important that practitioners have clear conceptions of the goals in this regard and that those goals are “alive” in organizations.
For this reason, in this study we present a survey that we performed among practitioners related to the management of Information Technology (IT) from both the private and public sectors in Norway. Through this survey we have tried to find out how organizations understand and translate the current context of digitalization from different goal levels. For that, we asked respondents to relate to one of three goal hierarchies: A) a classical governance approach; B) an organizational tier approach; and C) an effects-based approach.
Among the results obtained we found that the first two are the most used and the goal achievement is slightly higher for the classical governance approach than for the organizational tier approach. Likewise, we identified that while top level management has a good understanding of the goals, this understanding deteriorates as one moves down the organizational hierarchy.
Afilliation | Software Engineering |
Project(s) | Department of IT Management |
Publication Type | Proceedings, refereed |
Year of Publication | 2023 |
Conference Name | Portland International Conference on Management of Engineering and Technology: Managing Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing for a Sustainable World (PICMET 2023) |
Keywords | Digitalization, information technology, Management, strategy, sustainability |
Designing and Testing a Mobile App to Fight Child, Early, and Forced Marriage in Developing Countries
In 14th Scandinavian Conference of Information Systems (SCIS 2023), 2023.Status: Accepted
Designing and Testing a Mobile App to Fight Child, Early, and Forced Marriage in Developing Countries
Child marriage is still a severe issue in developing countries. Among the strategies that work most to fight it, is empowering girls with information combined with the education of parents and community. As smartphones are more accessible year after year in developing countries, we want to investigate how a mobile app could effectively fight child marriage and which characteristics such an app should have. The research was organized into three main phases. The first phase was focused on 4 expert semi-structured interviews to understand if an app could be a good solution to help in fighting child marriage. The second and third phases were based on a case study with young girls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The second phase had focus groups with 26 girls to test and improve the requi- sites of the app, and the third phase had a questionnaire that 14 girls had to fill out after trying the app. The study shows that girls in developing countries have access to smartphones, and most can use the developed app satisfactorily and that it is worth continuing to study this problem as an app could be a new instrument to use alongside traditional tools.
Afilliation | Software Engineering |
Project(s) | Department of IT Management |
Publication Type | Proceedings, refereed |
Year of Publication | 2023 |
Conference Name | 14th Scandinavian Conference of Information Systems (SCIS 2023) |
Keywords | Child Marriage, Developing Countries, Digital Illiterate Users, ICT4D, Low-Literate Users, Mobile App |
Gender Equality in Information Technology Processes: A Systematic Mapping Study
In Future of Information and Communication Conference (FICC 2023). Vol. 652. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems: Springer, 2023.Status: Published
Gender Equality in Information Technology Processes: A Systematic Mapping Study
Information Technology (IT) plays a key role in the world we live in. As such, its relation to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) stated by the United Nations to improve lives and health of the people and the planet is inexorable. In particular, the SDG 5 aims to enforce gender equality and states 9 Targets that drive the actions to achieve such goal. The lack of women within IT has been a concern for several years. In this context, the objective of this study is to get an overview of the state of the art on gender equality in IT processes. To do so, we conducted a Systematic Mapping Study to investigate the addressed Targets, challenges, and potential best practices that have been put forward so far. The results we have obtained demonstrate the novelty of this field, as well as a set of opportunities and challenges that currently exist in this regard, such as the lack of best practices to address gender equality in IT processes and the need to develop proposals that solve this problem. All of this can be used as a starting point to identify open issues that help to promote research on this field and promote and enhance best practices towards a more socially sustainable basis for gender equality in and by IT.
Afilliation | Software Engineering |
Project(s) | Department of IT Management |
Publication Type | Proceedings, refereed |
Year of Publication | 2023 |
Conference Name | Future of Information and Communication Conference (FICC 2023) |
Volume | 652 |
Pagination | 310–327 |
Date Published | 03/2023 |
Publisher | Springer |
Place Published | Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems |
ISBN Number | 978-3-031-28072-6 |
Keywords | Gender Equality, information technology, Processes, sustainability, Systematic Mapping Study |
DOI | 10.1007/978-3-031-28073-3_22 |
Talk, keynote
Compartiendo Experiencias de Internacionalización (Sharing Experiences of Internationalization)
In Universidad Tecnológica de Xicotepec de Juárez (UTXJ), Xicotepec de Juárez, Mexico, 2023.Status: Accepted
Compartiendo Experiencias de Internacionalización (Sharing Experiences of Internationalization)
Afilliation | Software Engineering |
Project(s) | Department of IT Management |
Publication Type | Talk, keynote |
Year of Publication | 2023 |
Location of Talk | Universidad Tecnológica de Xicotepec de Juárez (UTXJ), Xicotepec de Juárez, Mexico |
Talks, invited
Métodos de Investigación en Ingeniería (Research Methods in Engineering)
In Seminar at Universidad Tecnológica de Xicotepec de Juárez (UTXJ), Xicotepec de Juárez, Mexico, 2023.Status: Accepted
Métodos de Investigación en Ingeniería (Research Methods in Engineering)
Afilliation | Software Engineering |
Project(s) | Department of IT Management |
Publication Type | Talks, invited |
Year of Publication | 2023 |
Location of Talk | Seminar at Universidad Tecnológica de Xicotepec de Juárez (UTXJ), Xicotepec de Juárez, Mexico |
Journal Article
State of Gender Equality in and by Artificial Intelligence
IADIS International Journal on Computer Science & Information Systems 17 (2022): 31-48.Status: Published
State of Gender Equality in and by Artificial Intelligence
When talking about sustainability, we usually think that it is only about safeguarding the environment; nothing is further from reality. Of course, the environment is a crucial component of sustainability and our survival, but it is important to recall that the society and the economy play important roles in this regard, and without the interconnection and development of these three perspectives it will not be possible to achieve sustainable progress. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations (UN) defend this idea and address the main challenges that humanity faces. One of these challenges is gender equality, which is identified in the perspective of social sustainability through SDG 5. Gender equality is a very complex and difficult challenge to address due to the great cultural diversity of our society. Thus, achieving this goal will require laying a solid foundation and working together by combining very different fields of knowledge. In this sense, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the fields that is currently having the greatest impact and relevance for the development of new technologies and for the advancement of numerous areas. This growing evolution of AI demonstrates that its repercussions at the social level must be analyzed and addressed in such a way that AI becomes a positive asset for sustainability and, in this particular case, for gender equality.
For all these reasons, this study aims to analyze the current state of the art and collect the existing knowledge in the fields of AI and gender equality, by conducting a Systematic Mapping Study (SMS). The obtained results and findings have allowed us to identify the most relevant advances in this regard, as well as the gaps and drawbacks that currently exist and on which we must urgently focus to address gender equality both in and by AI. In the same way, these findings demonstrate the limited joint development of both fields, but also indicate an increase in the relevance and the number of proposals that these fields are receiving in recent years.
Afilliation | Software Engineering |
Project(s) | Department of IT Management |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2022 |
Journal | IADIS International Journal on Computer Science & Information Systems |
Volume | 17 |
Number | 2 |
Pagination | 31-48 |
Date Published | 12/2022 |
Publisher | IADIS |
ISSN | 1646-3692 |
Keywords | artificial intelligence, Gender Equality, Literature Analysis, Literature Review, Social Sustainability |
URL | https://www.iadisportal.org/ijcsis/papers/2022170203.pdf |
When should we (not) use the mean magnitude of relative error (MMRE) as an error measure in software development effort estimation?
Information and Software Technology 143 (2022): 106784.Status: Published
When should we (not) use the mean magnitude of relative error (MMRE) as an error measure in software development effort estimation?
Context: The mean magnitude of relative error (MMRE) is an error measure frequently used to evaluate and compare the estimation performance of prediction models and software professionals.
Objective: This paper examines conditions for proper use of MMRE in effort estimation contexts.
Method: We apply research on scoring functions to identify the type of estimates that minimizes the expected value of the MMRE.
Results: We show that the MMRE is a proper error measure for estimates of the most likely (mode) effort, but not for estimates of the median or mean effort, provided that the effort usage is approximately log-normally distributed, which we argue is a reasonable assumption in many software development contexts. The relevance of the findings is demonstrated on real-world software development data.
Conclusion: MMRE is not a proper measure of the accuracy of estimates of the median or mean effort, but may be used for the accuracy evaluation of estimates of most likely effort.
Afilliation | Software Engineering |
Project(s) | Department of IT Management, EDOS: Effective Digitalization of Public Sector |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2022 |
Journal | Information and Software Technology |
Volume | 143 |
Pagination | 106784 |
Date Published | 03/2022 |
Publisher | Elsevier |