SEP Blog

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.
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Emergent Interview Design

I’m heavily involved in recruiting here at SEP. We recently did something that we haven’t done in at least 15 years: hired an experienced project manager. In our history, we’ve always always always grown our own; it’s too critical of a position to put in the hands of a stranger. The risk/criticality hasn’t gone away, […]
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SEP Managers Receive ASQ – Certified Software Quality Engineer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Milwaukee, WI, November 11, 2009 — The Certification Board of ASQ (American Society for Quality) is pleased to announce that Paul Pringle, Operations Manager and Jeff Lambert, Engineering Manager have both completed the requirements to be named an ASQ-Certified Software Quality Engineer (ASQ CSQE). As such, Paul Pringle and Jeff Lambert have […]
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Every team needs a toolsmith

Every software project is different, and there are subtleties associated with each one.  Every project  requires unique and specific tools, and we need someone to build them, or each member of the team needs the freedom and responsibility to do it him/herself. I have very little (zero?) tolerance for waste when it comes to automatable […]
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SEP featured at Agile Development Conference in Orlando

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – CARMEL, IN SEP’s Development Manager, Chris Shinkle, will be speaking at the Agile Development Practices Conference in Orlando, FL on Thursday, November 12, 2009. The purpose of this week-long Conference is to help attendees investigate or implement agile development practices, processes, technologies, or leadership principles. Shinkle’s presentation on Embracing Kanban: An […]
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New Approaches to Risk Management

— I was lucky enough to attend the 2009 Agile conference. This post is one in a series of session reports from it. Presenter: David Anderson David framed this session with the idea that much of the stated value of Agile is in managing risk. Wanting to dig deeper, he tried to find a good […]
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Question Debugging

There isn’t much I dislike more than asking a question at a high level and getting an answer back that feels demeaning because the answerer explains everything to me from the ground up [without ever pausing to breathe or giving me an opportunity to say ‘Yeah, I know, move on’]. I typically already understand the […]
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On Leading – why people matter

*If you are the leader, your people expect you to create their future. They look into your eyes, and they expect to see strength and vision. To be successful, you must inspire and motivate those who are following you. When they look into your eyes, they must see that you are with them. – *Gordon […]
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What I learned about prevention in software development

‘Prevent problems before they occur’ is the mantra I try to live by, both in my personal life and at work. I have not been entirely successful, but I am learning to get better at it. I exercise every day, eat healthy, and brush my teeth regularly. I have learned that similar actions done regularly […]
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Client Tenure – Dealing with clients for the long haul

I’m in a fairly unique position here at SEP. For the last seven years (out of the ten I’ve been here), I’ve worked almost exclusively on a series of related projects for the same client. When I say client, in reality I’m talking about the company since the individuals that I’ve dealt with have changed […]
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