How one big corporate nailed digital innovation

Interview with Vibeke Lavik Bjaanes, Innovation Manager at SR‑Bank. She shares how the bank became good at digital innovation, a challenge for many large corporations. She studied economics and consulted before turning to innovation. Passion for creating and listening to customers drives her.

Innovation team structure

Cross‑functional task force fosters creativity

SR Bank’s innovation department has four full‑time employees dedicated to digital innovation; they form a “Taskforce.” The task force taps colleagues from various departments – design, banking, business development – to work on specific projects. Working outside the bank and long days together foster psychological safety and creativity. Large organizations often struggle with siloed departments and rigid processes. To innovate, cross-functional squads with designers, engineers, and product managers working together cut through bureaucracy and foster collaboration.

Small teams, big impact

By forming small squads with decision-making autonomy and a shared mission, the company empowered teams to own the problem and deliver solutions quickly. These squads, combined with design, engineering, and product expertise, broke projects into bite-sized experiments and celebrated quick wins to maintain momentum. Small cross-functional teams of designers, engineers and product managers empower quick decisions and iteration, allowing the organization to move like a startup. By giving teams autonomy and a clear mission, innovation can happen faster than in traditional hierarchies.

Bringing it all together

The corporation's transformation shows that any organization can innovate if they empower small teams, build prototypes early and put customers at the center. By breaking down silos, embracing rapid experimentation and iterating based on real feedback, you can create products that delight users and drive growth.