Practices Articles

We’re curious people by nature. And we love to teach others what we’ve learned. So explore our blog to gain fresh insights from our expertise in areas ranging from culture to AI.

SEP Selected as a Nominee for TechPoint’s Innovation Mira Award

TechPoint has announced the nominees for its 25th annual Mira Awards, highlighting the most innovative companies, universities, and organizations in Indiana’s tech sector. The awards celebrate achievements across various categories, including the Innovation Partner of the Year. Nominees in this…
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Optimizing Discoverability in 5 Simple Steps: Unmatched IA in UX Design

In user experience (UX) design, taxonomy and ontology are two important but often overlooked tools. Taxonomies organize information into groups. Meanwhile, ontologies focus on relationships and concepts within a specific area. By understanding these concepts, we can enhance a product’s information architecture. First, let’s start by discussing the basics of taxonomy and ontology. Then, once we […]
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evaluator giving stamp of approval on paperwork

Is ISO 9001 certification important for my software development partner?

In today’s dynamic and constantly evolving business landscape, effective quality management and risk management are crucial for the success of any business, particularly those operating in heavily regulated industries such as the FDA or FAA. Certification programs like ISO 9001 provide a rigorous and comprehensive framework, empowering companies with third-party governance that assists in their […]
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Chaos or Clarity? Improve Your Product Design With Systems Thinking

Embarking on the Adventure of Systems Thinking Hey there, product professionals! Ever feel like you’re embarking on an epic adventure when crafting products? That’s because, in a way, you are! Product design is like navigating through a galaxy of intricate relationships. Each decision made sends ripples through this cosmic web. This shapes our creations in […]
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UX Writing Best Practices: 8 Principles to Improve Your Product Design

User experience (UX) writing is an often overlooked, but extremely important aspect of any digital product or service. It involves the deliberate use of words and language to guide users through a User Interface (UI), helping them achieve their goals while also providing them with a frictionless and even an enjoyable experience.  No matter what […]
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Close-up of overlapping hundred dollar bills

Avoid the Hidden Costs of Taking Shortcuts in Software Design

In today’s risk-averse economy, businesses often adopt conservative spending strategies to mitigate risk. This cautious mindset prompts questions about what expenses can be trimmed, delayed, or replaced with more economical alternatives. We have all experienced meetings where questions such as, ‘Is it a necessity?’, ‘Could we postpone it to a later date?’, and ‘Is there […]
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Christine Itwaru Podcast Episode - AI in Product Management

AI in Product Management: 3 Powerful Takeaways From Our Christine Itwaru Interview

Most of what I love about hosting our podcast are the insights I glean from conversations with my guests. My chat with Christine Itwaru about AI in Product Management is no exception. We talked about many things, but three parts of our conversation stood out to me. Zac’s Episode Takeaways #1. Get Comfy NOT Being […]
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Chris Shinkle speaking at AgildIndy, 2023

AgileIndy Conference – Bringing The Best in Indianapolis Tech Back Together

AgileIndy 2023 was buzzing with innovation around all things software development. We were thrilled to be back with so many clients and colleagues for inspiring and thought-provoking conversations about the industry’s future. This year’s keynotes were compelling—Mike Cottmeyer at LeadingAgile and Ryan Ripley and Todd Miller from Agile for Humans—outlining systematic approaches and evidence-based management […]
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Agile Indy Kickoff

AgileIndy is Back! A 2023 Conference Experience Recap

I was able to attend the AgileIndy conference again this year. What I will do here is give a summary of the content of the talks I attended. Or at least some notes that I took. These notes do not entirely capture the talk itself. If you want more information, hopefully, that will be a […]
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Five Strategies for a Happy and Healthy Software Maintenance Team

Software Maintenance Teams provide a broad array of services, customized to the industries they support. As a software development consultancy, our portfolio includes industries like energy, aerospace, healthcare, medical devices, precision agriculture, and others. The products we build live on Desktop, Embedded, Mobile, Web, and Cloud platforms. With such a diversity of industries and platforms, […]
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