Fast, scalable, and efficient: STAR achieves exceptional digital flexibility

Case: The Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment (STAR)

The Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment (STAR), in close collaboration with twoday and other partners, has carried out a comprehensive modernization program. The result is a much more flexible IT infrastructure that not only reduces operational costs but also allows STAR to adapt quickly, eliminating dependency on any specific service providers.

What STAR achieved

Flexible and independent IT infrastructure

STAR can now switch providers in just a few weeks thanks to a modernized, cloud-compatible architecture.

Significant cost savings

Hosting costs have been reduced by DKK 2.5 million, and system maintenance has become much more affordable.

Faster and more agile development

Implementation of new legal requirements and solutions is significantly faster through Scrum teams in STAR City.

Strong partnership and culture

Close collaboration with twoday and other suppliers has created high delivery stability and a culture of trust.

From technical debt to agile modernization

Facing technical debt and rising maintenance costs, STAR confronted a critical — but common challenge for a public agency.

"We had systems that were getting more and more expensive to maintain while budgets were decreasing. If we hadn’t acted, we wouldn’t have been able to run the systems over the past few years," explains Claus, STAR’s Chief Digital Officer.

A modernization program became the solution. twoday was selected as one of the main suppliers for a new agile organization within STAR City, STAR’s own agile development organization. Here, both internal staff and external consultants from various suppliers (including twoday) work together in Scrum teams to develop and maintain STAR’s IT systems. This organizational and collaborative setup differs significantly from traditional public IT projects.

The challenge: Outdated code and shrinking budgets

With system code dating back to 2004, STAR faced increasing operational costs and a technology base that was difficult to maintain. At the same time, budgets were shrinking. Claus explains:

"Modernization was no longer something we wanted to do—we had to do it."

The program was necessary to ensure that STAR could continue supporting critical tasks such as benefit payments, job placement services, and evidence-based data for related legislation.

The solution: new architecture and rapid scaling

Løsningen blev et omfattende moderniseringsprogram, som STAR valgte at implementere direkte i sine eksisterende Scrum-teams. twoday blev som en af tre udviklingsleverandører ansvarlig for flere teams og centrale komponenter.

twoday stillede hurtigt med konsulenter – på under to måneder blev der skaffet over 40 udviklere, og moderniseringen kunne gå i gang. Fokus var på at gøre arkitekturen cloud-kompatibelt skifte til Kubernetes og skabe Infrastructure-as-Code.

“Vi har i dag et setup, hvor vi kan skifte leverandør på få uger – og nu ikke længere år. Det giver os en helt anden fleksibilitet og sikkerhed,” siger Claus.

Collaboration: shared core and culture

The partnership with twoday is built on a unique supplier setup within STAR City, where providers work closely in cross-functional teams and are measured on both quality and employee satisfaction.

twoday has established a core of experienced consultants deeply familiar with STAR’s system landscape, allowing for rapid onboarding of new team members. Within STAR City, twoday is responsible for delivery management, team performance, and consultant development.

"twoday is competent, flexible, and collaborative. We experience honest sparring and a highly trustful dialogue—both regarding tasks and finances," Claus adds.

Results: faster time-to-market and millions saved

Through modernization, STAR has achieved remarkable results:

Flexible and vendor-independent infrastructure – STAR can now move systems between providers in weeks.
Significant cost savings – hosting costs alone reduced by DKK 2.5 million.
Shorter time-to-market – new legal requirements implemented within months.
Increased development capacity and quality – without compromising security or stability.

"We have achieved extremely high delivery stability—in both software and organization. It gives us an efficient and future-proof setup," concludes Claus.

About STAR: The Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment

The Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment (STAR) is a government agency under the Ministry of Employment. STAR supports municipalities in their employment efforts, operates key IT systems in the labor market area, and provides data and insights for decision-making. The agency also administers benefit payments and helps ensure that citizens quickly enter jobs or education while businesses gain access to the workforce they need.