Blended SoS: A New Evolutionary Approach for Complex Information Systems
Resumo
Research Context: This study investigates complex socio-technical Systems-of-Systems (SoS), focusing on environments where operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) converge, such as in the domains of Agro 4.0 and eHealth. These domains are at the forefront of digital transformation, requiring innovative approaches to integrate distinct and emerging technologies effectively. Scientific and/or Practical Problem: Existing SoS classifications are insufficient to capture the hybrid and evolutionary nature of real-world systems. Newly designed, legacy, and proprietary systems often coexist and must interoperate within the same ecosystem, creating gaps in understanding emergent behaviors, stakeholder interactions, and technical interoperability. This represents a significant challenge for building resilient and adaptable systems. Proposed Solution and/or Analysis: We introduce the concept of Blended SoS, a novel category of SoS characterized by limited central control, heterogeneous constituents, and adaptive, mission-driven behaviors. We organized this concept within a framework that integrates principles from mission engineering, SoS engineering, and information systems (IS) to guide the design, operation, and evolution of complex systems across various domains. Related IS Theory: The research adopts principles from hermeneutics and grounded theory, providing an interpretive understanding and enabling the emergence of substantial theory within the IS field. Research Method: Qualitative data from interviews and surveys were systematically coded and synthesized into a theoretical framework, validated against existing literature. Summary of Results: Findings highlight the importance of adaptive architectures, stakeholder-centric governance, and technical interoperability to ensure resilience, continuous availability, and alignment with missions. Contributions and Impact to IS area: This study formalizes the Blended SoS category, providing a framework for managing adaptive, multi-domain systems. This framework advances sociotechnical understanding of SoS, guides interoperability and governance, and supports decision-making in complex, dynamic IS environments.
Referências
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Adolph, S., Hall, W., and Kruchten, P. (2011). Using grounded theory to study the experience of software development. Empirical Software Engineering, 16(4):487–513.
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Axelsson, J. (2024). An agent-based ontology to support modeling of socio-technical systems-of-systems. In INCOSE International Symposium, volume 34, pages 1705–1718. Wiley Online Library.
Baldwin, K. (2008). System engineering guide for systems-of-systems engineering. Technical report, Department of Defense of United States.
Benbasat, I., Goldstein, D. K., and Mead, M. (1987). The case research strategy in studies of information systems. MIS Quarterly, 11(3):369–386.
Charmaz, K. (2005). Grounded Theory in the 21st Century: Applications for Advancing Social Justice Studies. Sage Publications Ltd.
Charmaz, K. (2014). Constructing Grounded Theory. Sage Publications Ltd, 2 edition.
Chung, K. S. K. and Crawford, L. (2016). The role of social networks theory and methodology for project stakeholder management. In 29th World Congress International Project Management Association (IPMA 2015), page 372==380, Westin Playa Bonita, Panama. Science Direct.
Coleman, J. and O’Connor, M. (2007). Using grounded theory to understand software process improvement: A study of irish software product companies. Information and Software Technology, 46(6):654–667.
Corbin, J. and Strauss, A. (2008). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. Sage Publications, Inc, 3 edition.
Dahmann, D. J. S. and Parasidis, G. I. (2024). Mission engineering. The ITEA Journal of Test and Evaluation, 45(3).
Dahmann, J. (2015). Systems of systems characterization and types. Technical report, NATO Lecture Series on Systems of Systems Engineering (STO-EN-SCI-276).
Dahmann, J. and Baldwin, K. (2008). Understanding the current state of us defense systems of systems and the implications for systems engineering. In 2nd Annual IEEE International Systems Conference (SysCon 2008), pages 1–7, Montreal, Canada. IEEE.
Daun, M., Tenbergen, B., and Weyer, T. (2012). Model-based engineering of embedded systems. In PohlHarald, K., HönningerReinhold, and Broy, A., editors, Model-Based Engineering of Embedded Systems, chapter Requirements Viewpoint, pages 51–68. Springer-Link.
DoD (2018). Business capability acquisition cycle. [link]. [Online, Acessed: June 14, 2018].
Dolling, J. (1995). Ontological domains, semantic sorts and systematic ambiguity. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 43(5):785–807.
Freitas, A. S. (2009). A implementação do e-learning nas escolas de gestão: Um modelo integrado para o processo de alinhamento ambiental. Thesis, Department of Administration, Pontíficia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RIO).
Glaser, B. G. and Strauss, A. L. (1967). The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research. Aldine Publishing Company.
Halaweh, M. (2011). Integration of grounded theory and case study: An exemplary application from e-commerce security perception research. Journal of International Technology Theory and Application, 13(1):31–51.
Jamshidi, M. (2009). Systems of Systems Engineering: Principles and Applications. CRC Press.
Kazman, R., Schmid, C., Nielsen, C. B., and Klein, J. (2013). Understanding patterns for system of systems integration. In 8th International Conference on System of Systems Engineering (SoSE 2013), pages 141–146, Maui, USA. IEEE.
Ki-Aries, D., Faily, S., Dogan, H., and Willians, C. (2018). System of systems characterisation assisting security risk assessment. In 13th Annual Conference on System of Systems Engineering (SoSE 2018), pages 485–492, Paris, France. IEEE.
Kitchenham, B., Sjøberg, D. I. K., Brereton, O. P., Budgen, D., Dybå, T., Höst, M., Pfahl, D., and Runeson, P. (2010). Can we evaluate the quality of software engineering experiments? In 4th International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement (ESEM 2010), pages 1–8, Bolzano, Italy. ACM.
Maciel, R. S. P., David, J. M. N., Claro, D. B., and Braga, R. (2017). Grand research challenges in is in brazil - 2016-2026. In Clodis Boscarioli, R. M. A. and Maciel, R. S. P., editors, Grand Research Challenges in IS in Brazil - 2016-2026, chapter Full Interoperability: Challenges and Opportunities for Future Information Systems, pages 107–118. Sociedade Brasileira de Computa ç ao.
Madni, A. and Sievers, M. (2014). System of systems integration: key considerations and challenges. Journal Systems Engineering, 17(3):330–347.
Maier, M. W. (1996). Architecting principles for systems-of-systems. In INCOSE 199, pages 1–13, Boston, MA. Wiley Online Library.
Maier, M. W. (1998). Architecting principles for systems-of-systems. Systems Engineering, 1(4):267–284.
Merriam, S. and Tisdell, E. (2015). Qualitative Research: A guide to design and implamentation. Jossey Bass, 4 edition.
Mokhtarpour, B. and Stracener, J. (2017). A conceptual methodology for selecting the preferred system of systems. IEEE System Journal, 11(4):1928–1934.
Ncube, C. and Lim, S. L. (2018). On systems-of-systems engineering: a requirements enginnering perspective and research agenda. In 2018 IEEE 26th Requirements Engineering Conference (RE 2018), pages 112–123, Banff, Canada. IEEE.
Neto, V. V. G., Lebtag, B. G. A., Teixeira, P. G., Batista, P., Lopes, V. C., El-Hachem, J., Buisson, J., Oquendo, F., Fernandes, J., Ferreira, F., et al. (2021). Expanding frontiers: Settling an understanding of systems-of-information systems. arXiv preprint arXiv:2103.14100.
Nuseibeh, B., Kramer, J., and Finkelstein, A. (1994). A framework for expressing the relationships between multiple views in requirements specification. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, 20(10):760–773.
Pandit, N. R. (1996). The creation of theory: A recent application of the grounded theory method. The Qualitative Report, 2(4):1–15.
Papavasiliou, S., Gorod, A., and Reaiche, C. (2024). System of systems engineering governance framework for digital transformation: A case study of an australian large government agency. Systems Engineering, 27(2):267–283.
Polacsek, M., Boardman, G., and McCann, T. (2018). Understanding, choosing and applying grounded theory: part 2. [link]. [Online, Acessed: september 25, 2019].
Remenyi, D. (2014). Grounded Theory - The Reader Series. ACPIL, 2 edition.
Seaman, C. (2008). Guide to advanced empirical software engineering. In Shull, F., Singer, J., and Sjøberg, D. I. K., editors, Guide to Advanced Empirical Software Engineering, chapter Qualitative Methods, pages 85–115. Springer London, London.
Stevens, J. (2008). The how and why of open architecture. Technical report, U.S. Submarine Capabilities Prove Ready For Any Threat.
Strauss, A. and Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of Qualitative Research: Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques. SAGE Publications, Inc.
Strauss, A. and Corbin, J. (1998). Basics of Qualitative Research: Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques. SAGE Publications, Inc.
Tekinerdogan, B. (2019). Multi-dimensional classification of system-of-systems. In 2019 14th Annual Conference System of Systems Engineering (SoSE), pages 278–283. IEEE.
Tolk, A. (2019). Summers of computer simulation. In Durak, U., D’Ambrogio, A., Tolk, A., Diallo, S., Zacharewicz, G., Risco-Martín, J. L., Barhak, J., Huntsinger, R. C., and Raunak, M. S., editors, Summers of Computer Simulation, chapter Limitations and Usefulness of Computer Simulations for Complex Adaptive Systems Research, pages [link]. Springer International Publishing.
Vassalos, V. and Papakonstantinou, Y. (1998). Using knowledge of redundancy for query optimization in mediators. In AAAI Workshop on AI and Information Integration, pages 1–8, Madison, Wisconsin. Stanford InfoLab Publication Server.
Wohlin, C. (2014). Guidelines for snowballing in systematic literature studies and a replication in software engineering. In 18th International Conference on Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering (EASE 2014), pages 38:1–38:10, London, UK. ACM.
Wohlin, C., Runeson, P., Hst, M., Ohlsson, M. C., Regnell, B. j., and Wessln, A. (2012). Experimentation in software engineering. Springer Publishing Company, Incorporated.
Yoo, Y., Boland Jr, R. J., Lyytinen, K., and Majchrzak, A. (2012). Organizing for innovation in the digitized world. Organization science, 23(5):1398–1408.
Adesanya, F., Silva, K. C., Neto, V. V. G., and David, I. (2025). Systems of twinned systems: A systematic literature review. arXiv preprint arXiv:2505.19916.
Adolph, S., Hall, W., and Kruchten, P. (2011). Using grounded theory to study the experience of software development. Empirical Software Engineering, 16(4):487–513.
AL-Nashif, Y. and Mythili, S. V. (2007). Autonomia : Autonomic control and management environment. [link]. [Online, Acessed: september 13, 2019].
Araujo, R. M., Maciel, R. S., and Boscarioli, C. (2017). I GranDSI-BR: Grandes desafios de pesquisa em sistemas de informação no Brasil (2016–2026). Technical report, Comissão Especial de Sistemas de Informação (CE-SI), Sociedade Brasileira de Computação (SBC), Brazil. (In Portuguese).
Axelsson, J. (2019). A refined terminology on system-of-systems substructure and constituent system states. In 2019 14th Annual Conference System of Systems Engineering (SoSE), pages 31–36. IEEE.
Axelsson, J. (2024). An agent-based ontology to support modeling of socio-technical systems-of-systems. In INCOSE International Symposium, volume 34, pages 1705–1718. Wiley Online Library.
Baldwin, K. (2008). System engineering guide for systems-of-systems engineering. Technical report, Department of Defense of United States.
Benbasat, I., Goldstein, D. K., and Mead, M. (1987). The case research strategy in studies of information systems. MIS Quarterly, 11(3):369–386.
Charmaz, K. (2005). Grounded Theory in the 21st Century: Applications for Advancing Social Justice Studies. Sage Publications Ltd.
Charmaz, K. (2014). Constructing Grounded Theory. Sage Publications Ltd, 2 edition.
Chung, K. S. K. and Crawford, L. (2016). The role of social networks theory and methodology for project stakeholder management. In 29th World Congress International Project Management Association (IPMA 2015), page 372==380, Westin Playa Bonita, Panama. Science Direct.
Coleman, J. and O’Connor, M. (2007). Using grounded theory to understand software process improvement: A study of irish software product companies. Information and Software Technology, 46(6):654–667.
Corbin, J. and Strauss, A. (2008). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. Sage Publications, Inc, 3 edition.
Dahmann, D. J. S. and Parasidis, G. I. (2024). Mission engineering. The ITEA Journal of Test and Evaluation, 45(3).
Dahmann, J. (2015). Systems of systems characterization and types. Technical report, NATO Lecture Series on Systems of Systems Engineering (STO-EN-SCI-276).
Dahmann, J. and Baldwin, K. (2008). Understanding the current state of us defense systems of systems and the implications for systems engineering. In 2nd Annual IEEE International Systems Conference (SysCon 2008), pages 1–7, Montreal, Canada. IEEE.
Daun, M., Tenbergen, B., and Weyer, T. (2012). Model-based engineering of embedded systems. In PohlHarald, K., HönningerReinhold, and Broy, A., editors, Model-Based Engineering of Embedded Systems, chapter Requirements Viewpoint, pages 51–68. Springer-Link.
DoD (2018). Business capability acquisition cycle. [link]. [Online, Acessed: June 14, 2018].
Dolling, J. (1995). Ontological domains, semantic sorts and systematic ambiguity. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 43(5):785–807.
Freitas, A. S. (2009). A implementação do e-learning nas escolas de gestão: Um modelo integrado para o processo de alinhamento ambiental. Thesis, Department of Administration, Pontíficia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RIO).
Glaser, B. G. and Strauss, A. L. (1967). The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research. Aldine Publishing Company.
Halaweh, M. (2011). Integration of grounded theory and case study: An exemplary application from e-commerce security perception research. Journal of International Technology Theory and Application, 13(1):31–51.
Jamshidi, M. (2009). Systems of Systems Engineering: Principles and Applications. CRC Press.
Kazman, R., Schmid, C., Nielsen, C. B., and Klein, J. (2013). Understanding patterns for system of systems integration. In 8th International Conference on System of Systems Engineering (SoSE 2013), pages 141–146, Maui, USA. IEEE.
Ki-Aries, D., Faily, S., Dogan, H., and Willians, C. (2018). System of systems characterisation assisting security risk assessment. In 13th Annual Conference on System of Systems Engineering (SoSE 2018), pages 485–492, Paris, France. IEEE.
Kitchenham, B., Sjøberg, D. I. K., Brereton, O. P., Budgen, D., Dybå, T., Höst, M., Pfahl, D., and Runeson, P. (2010). Can we evaluate the quality of software engineering experiments? In 4th International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement (ESEM 2010), pages 1–8, Bolzano, Italy. ACM.
Maciel, R. S. P., David, J. M. N., Claro, D. B., and Braga, R. (2017). Grand research challenges in is in brazil - 2016-2026. In Clodis Boscarioli, R. M. A. and Maciel, R. S. P., editors, Grand Research Challenges in IS in Brazil - 2016-2026, chapter Full Interoperability: Challenges and Opportunities for Future Information Systems, pages 107–118. Sociedade Brasileira de Computa ç ao.
Madni, A. and Sievers, M. (2014). System of systems integration: key considerations and challenges. Journal Systems Engineering, 17(3):330–347.
Maier, M. W. (1996). Architecting principles for systems-of-systems. In INCOSE 199, pages 1–13, Boston, MA. Wiley Online Library.
Maier, M. W. (1998). Architecting principles for systems-of-systems. Systems Engineering, 1(4):267–284.
Merriam, S. and Tisdell, E. (2015). Qualitative Research: A guide to design and implamentation. Jossey Bass, 4 edition.
Mokhtarpour, B. and Stracener, J. (2017). A conceptual methodology for selecting the preferred system of systems. IEEE System Journal, 11(4):1928–1934.
Ncube, C. and Lim, S. L. (2018). On systems-of-systems engineering: a requirements enginnering perspective and research agenda. In 2018 IEEE 26th Requirements Engineering Conference (RE 2018), pages 112–123, Banff, Canada. IEEE.
Neto, V. V. G., Lebtag, B. G. A., Teixeira, P. G., Batista, P., Lopes, V. C., El-Hachem, J., Buisson, J., Oquendo, F., Fernandes, J., Ferreira, F., et al. (2021). Expanding frontiers: Settling an understanding of systems-of-information systems. arXiv preprint arXiv:2103.14100.
Nuseibeh, B., Kramer, J., and Finkelstein, A. (1994). A framework for expressing the relationships between multiple views in requirements specification. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, 20(10):760–773.
Pandit, N. R. (1996). The creation of theory: A recent application of the grounded theory method. The Qualitative Report, 2(4):1–15.
Papavasiliou, S., Gorod, A., and Reaiche, C. (2024). System of systems engineering governance framework for digital transformation: A case study of an australian large government agency. Systems Engineering, 27(2):267–283.
Polacsek, M., Boardman, G., and McCann, T. (2018). Understanding, choosing and applying grounded theory: part 2. [link]. [Online, Acessed: september 25, 2019].
Remenyi, D. (2014). Grounded Theory - The Reader Series. ACPIL, 2 edition.
Seaman, C. (2008). Guide to advanced empirical software engineering. In Shull, F., Singer, J., and Sjøberg, D. I. K., editors, Guide to Advanced Empirical Software Engineering, chapter Qualitative Methods, pages 85–115. Springer London, London.
Stevens, J. (2008). The how and why of open architecture. Technical report, U.S. Submarine Capabilities Prove Ready For Any Threat.
Strauss, A. and Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of Qualitative Research: Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques. SAGE Publications, Inc.
Strauss, A. and Corbin, J. (1998). Basics of Qualitative Research: Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques. SAGE Publications, Inc.
Tekinerdogan, B. (2019). Multi-dimensional classification of system-of-systems. In 2019 14th Annual Conference System of Systems Engineering (SoSE), pages 278–283. IEEE.
Tolk, A. (2019). Summers of computer simulation. In Durak, U., D’Ambrogio, A., Tolk, A., Diallo, S., Zacharewicz, G., Risco-Martín, J. L., Barhak, J., Huntsinger, R. C., and Raunak, M. S., editors, Summers of Computer Simulation, chapter Limitations and Usefulness of Computer Simulations for Complex Adaptive Systems Research, pages [link]. Springer International Publishing.
Vassalos, V. and Papakonstantinou, Y. (1998). Using knowledge of redundancy for query optimization in mediators. In AAAI Workshop on AI and Information Integration, pages 1–8, Madison, Wisconsin. Stanford InfoLab Publication Server.
Wohlin, C. (2014). Guidelines for snowballing in systematic literature studies and a replication in software engineering. In 18th International Conference on Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering (EASE 2014), pages 38:1–38:10, London, UK. ACM.
Wohlin, C., Runeson, P., Hst, M., Ohlsson, M. C., Regnell, B. j., and Wessln, A. (2012). Experimentation in software engineering. Springer Publishing Company, Incorporated.
Yoo, Y., Boland Jr, R. J., Lyytinen, K., and Majchrzak, A. (2012). Organizing for innovation in the digitized world. Organization science, 23(5):1398–1408.
Publicado
25/05/2026
Como Citar
LANA, Cristiane Aparecida; SILVA, Samira; AFFONSO, Frank José; OLIVEIRA, Johnatan Alves de; NAKAGAWA, Elisa Yumi; VILELLA, Maria Lúcia Bento.
Blended SoS: A New Evolutionary Approach for Complex Information Systems. In: SIMPÓSIO BRASILEIRO DE SISTEMAS DE INFORMAÇÃO (SBSI), 22. , 2026, Vitória/ES.
Anais [...].
Porto Alegre: Sociedade Brasileira de Computação,
2026
.
p. 1122-1141.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/sbsi.2026.248729.
