This year marked an exciting milestone in Perficient’s long-standing commitment to automotive innovation as we celebrated the third year of our Electrifying the Future of Automotive program. Since our launch in 2022, we’ve grown from a few partnerships to proudly sponsoring 12 Formula SAE and Formula Student teams that span the U.S. and, for the first time, Romania. This global expansion highlights our commitment to supporting innovation wherever it thrives, extending our reach beyond borders and into new communities of aspiring automotive leaders.

2025 Team Roster:

• Northwestern University
• Technical University of Cluj-Napoca
• Texas A&M University
• The Ohio State University
• University of Colorado, Boulder
• University of Georgia, Athens
• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
• University of Missouri, Columbia
• University of North Carolina, Charlotte
• University of California, Irvine
• Washington University in St. Louis

Celebrating Innovation & Impact

At Perficient, we believe the future of automotive begins in the classroom and comes to life in the garage. That’s why we’re committed to empowering collegiate teams through Formula SAE and Formula Student competitions. These programs challenge students to design, build, and race formula-style vehicles, offering hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology and real-world problem-solving. Each season, these teams showcase their ingenuity on a global stage, laying the foundation for the breakthroughs that will shape tomorrow’s mobility landscape.

Our involvement with these teams goes far beyond financial support. Throughout the season, Perficient colleagues visited many of the teams we sponsor for garage tours and meet-and-greet sessions. These visits gave us the opportunity to connect directly with students, share insights from our work with global OEMs, and discuss digital transformation in the automotive industry. We’re proud to help bridge the gap between academic experience and industry expectations, preparing students not only for competition but also for successful careers.

From the Garage to the Grid: Empowering the Future of Engineering

Whether working with internal combustion or electric powertrains, these student teams are doing more than just racing—they’re redefining what’s possible. Their approach mirrors Perficient’s commitment to innovation and user-centric digital solutions, driving progress for today’s leading OEMs and the future of mobility.  By sharing our deep expertise in electrification, connected vehicles, and AI, we aim to inspire and empower these teams to think bigger, build smarter, and lead boldly.

Looking Ahead

As we close out the 2025 season, we’re more energized than ever to continue supporting the next generation of automotive leaders. The road ahead is innovative, connected, and full of opportunity, and we’re proud to be part of the journey.

“We are proud to support these Formula SAE students and teams. They represent the future of innovation and ingenuity that we at Perficient also strive for. We’re honored to support these future engineers as we continue to invest in this program.”

— Justin Huckins, Director of Digital Strategy and Automotive Industry Lead, Perficient

Perficient’s Automotive Expertise

Serving seven of the top 10 global OEMs and many more suppliers, dealers, and emerging mobility companies, Perficient’s automotive industry experts champion an AI-first, customer-centric approach to software-defined vehicles, electrification, and omnichannel commerce.

Let’s be honest, code reviews can be tedious. You open a pull request, scroll through hundreds of lines, spot a couple of obvious issues, and approve. Then, two weeks later, a bug shows up in production… and it’s traced back to a line you skimmed over.

Sound familiar?

That’s exactly why I decided to try Qodo AI, an AI-powered code review assistant that promises to help you review smarter, not harder. And after two months of using, I can confidently say: Qodo AI is a game-changer.

This blog walks you through:

•  What Qodo AI is
•  How to use it effectively

What is Qodo AI?

Qodo AI is an intelligent assistant that plugs into your Git workflows and automatically reviews pull requests. But it’s not just a smarter linter. It goes beyond style rules and dives deep into:

• Bug-prone patterns
•  Missed test coverage
•  Security vulnerabilities
•  Code cleanup and refactoring suggestions
•  Best practice recommendations

It’s like having a seasoned engineer on your team who never gets tired, misses nothing, always explains why something needs fixing.

How to Use Qodo AI (Step-by-Step)

1. Connect Your Repo

Qodo integrates seamlessly with GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket. I connected it to my GitHub repo in under 5 minutes.

You can configure it to scan all branches or just specific PRs.

2. Open a PR and Watch It Work

Once a pull request is opened, Qodo jumps into action. It adds inline comments and a summary report—highlighting issues, test gaps, and suggestions.

3. Act on Insights, Collaboratively

What sets Qodo apart is how clear and contextual its suggestions are. You don’t get vague warnings—you get:

• A plain-language explanation
• The rationale behind the issue
• Suggested fixes or safer alternatives

Our developers started using Qodo’s comments as mini code lessons. Juniors appreciated the clarity; seniors appreciated the time saved.

Final Thoughts: Qodo AI is the Real Deal

We often talk about tools that “shift left” or “boost developer productivity.” Qodo AI delivers on both fronts. It’s a powerful, practical, and collaborative solution for any dev or QA team that wants to ship better code, faster.

Would I recommend it?

Absolutely—especially if:

• You want faster, smarter code reviews
• You care about test coverage and edge cases
• You’re working in a security-conscious industry
• You mentor junior developers or maintain high-stakes codebases

Qodo AI didn’t replace our code review process. It enhanced it.

Ready to give it a shot?
Visit https://qodo.ai to explore more. Let me know in comments if you try it—or already have.

Even highly capable teams with solid plans can fall into the same ol’ traps. It’s not really our fault, human biases are hardwired into all of us. Awareness helps, but under pressure and tight deadlines, it’s tough to recognize these mental pitfalls in the moment.

Seven Common Human Bias Problem Areas

1. Optimism Bias – Wanting the best-case scenario but failing to plan for realistic outcomes.
2. Confirmation Bias – Seeking and remembering information that supports your original belief.
3. Anchoring Bias – Overly focusing on one piece of information (often first impressions) while ignoring others.
4. Sunk Cost Fallacy – Continuing investment because of past effort or money spent, even when it no longer makes sense.
5. Dunning-Kruger Effect – Overestimating your skills if you’re not an expert, or underestimating them if you are.
6. Groupthink – Aligning with the group to avoid conflict and seem agreeable.
7. Authority Bias – Going along with leadership’s opinion simply because of their position. This is also known as the HiPPO effect (Highest Paid Person’s Opinion).

The Result of Human Bias in Action

The seven biases listed above are just a few examples, but there are many more where our brains use shortcuts based on beliefs and past experiences instead of facts. In the rush to move fast, seem knowledgeable, and avoid problems, we often introduce new risks.

This might mean killing promising ideas too soon (confirmation bias), underestimating challenges (optimism), or spinning our wheels because we focus too much on sunk costs. Sometimes, the desire for consensus leads teams to follow the crowd or get swayed by less experienced voices.

I’ve been fascinated by human bias for years. Even knowing about these traps, I still catch myself falling into them. Just recently, I had to discuss optimism and sunk costs with my teams and clients.

How to Mitigate Human Bias in Projects

The biggest mistake is believing you are immune to bias. Our brains are wired to take these mental shortcuts to manage daily cognitive load. While it may seem futile to fight against it, the best choice is to build processes that protect us from our own instincts.

These safeguards fit well in Q2 of the Eisenhower Quadrants of Productivity because it is important but not urgent. Though we don’t often see it, Project Managers should include bias mitigation in their risk registers.

Here are other ways to reduce bias in your projects:

• Psychological Safety – Encourage open debate and let team members play devil’s advocate without fear…avoiding psychological barriers.
• Foster Diversity – Beyond nationality, race, and gender, include diversity in thinking styles, experiences, and expertise. Wild card team members can provide fresh perspectives.
• Track and Learn – Track and compare project estimates to actual outcomes. Use this data to identify patterns and improve over time.
• Rely on Process – Be intentional about setting up structured processes. Emerging AI tools can also help spot bias creeping into decisions.

Conclusion

Human biases hide in plain sight…even in teams that believe they’re being open-minded and careful. The best approach is to acknowledge this reality and commit to continuously challenging our own habits and instincts.

Perfection will never be achieved…we’re only human. But with awareness and intentional processes, we can get as close as possible. Bias is inevitable, but it can be managed and designed around.

……

If you are looking to aim for excellence despite ourselves, reach out to your Perficient account manager or use our contact form to begin a conversation.

Cloud is easy—until it isn’t.

Perficient’s Edge: A Strategic Cloud Partner Focused on Business Outcomes

Cloud adoption has skyrocketed. Multi-cloud. Hybrid cloud. AI-optimized workloads. Clients are moving fast, but many are moving blindly. The result? High costs, low returns, and strategies that stall before they scale.

That’s why this moment matters. Now, more than ever, your clients need a partner who brings more than just cloud expertise—they need business insight, strategic clarity, and real results.

In our latest We Are Perficient episode, we sat down with Kiran Dandu, Perficient’s Managing Director, to uncover exactly how we’re helping clients not just adopt cloud, but win with it.

If you’re in sales, this conversation is your cheat sheet for leading smarter cloud conversations with confidence.

Key #1: Start with Business Outcomes, Not Infrastructure

Kiran makes one thing clear from the start: “We don’t start with cloud. We start with what our clients want to achieve.”

At Perficient, cloud is a means to a business end. That’s why we begin every engagement by aligning cloud architecture with long-term business objectives—not just technical requirements.

Perficient’s Envision Framework: Aligning Cloud with Business Objectives

• Define their ideal outcomes

• Assess their existing workloads

• Select the right blend of public, private, hybrid, or multi-cloud models

• Optimize performance and cost every step of the way

This outcome-first mindset isn’t just smarter—it’s what sets Perficient apart from traditional cloud vendors.

Key #2: AI in the Cloud – Delivering Millions in Savings Today

Forget the hype—AI is already transforming how we operate in the cloud. Kiran breaks down the four key areas where Perficient is integrating AI to drive real value:

• DevOps automation: AI accelerates code testing and deployment, reducing errors and speeding up time-to-market.

• Performance monitoring: Intelligent tools predict and prevent downtime before it happens.

• Cost optimization: AI identifies underused resources, helping clients cut waste and invest smarter.

• Security and compliance: With real-time threat detection and automated incident response, clients stay protected 24/7.

The result? A cloud strategy that’s not just scalable, but self-improving.

Key #3: Beyond Cloud Migration to Continuous Innovation

Moving to the cloud isn’t the end goal—it’s just the beginning.

Kiran emphasizes how Perficient’s global delivery model and agile methodology empower clients to not only migrate, but to evolve and innovate faster. Our teams help organizations:

• Integrate complex systems seamlessly

• Continuously improve infrastructure as business needs change

• Foster agility across every department—not just IT

And it’s not just theory. Our global consultants, including the growing talent across LATAM, are delivering on this promise every day.

“The success of our cloud group is really going to drive the success of the organization.”
— Kiran Dandu

Global Talent, Local Impact: The Power of a Diverse Strategic Cloud Partner

While visiting our offices in Medellín, Colombia, Kiran highlighted the value of diversity in driving cloud success:

“This reminds me of India in many ways—there’s talent, warmth, and incredible potential here.”

That’s why Perficient is investing in uniting its global cloud teams. The cross-cultural collaboration between North America, LATAM, Europe, and India isn’t just a feel-good story—it’s the engine behind our delivery speed, technical excellence, and customer success.

Key Takeaways for Sales: Lead Smarter Cloud Conversations

If your client is talking about the cloud—and trust us, they are—this interview is part of your toolkit.
You’ll walk away understanding:

• Why Perficient doesn’t just build cloud platforms—we build cloud strategies that deliver

• How AI and automation are creating real-time ROI for our clients

• What makes our global model the best-kept secret in cloud consulting

• And how to speak the language of business outcomes, not just cloud buzzwords

Watch the Full Interview: Deep Dive with Kiran Dandu

Want to hear directly from the source? Don’t miss Kiran’s full interview, packed with strategic insights that will elevate your next sales conversation.

Watch now and discover how Perficient is transforming cloud into a competitive advantage.

Choose Perficient: Your Client’s Strategic Cloud Partner for a Competitive Edge

Perficient is not just another cloud partner—we’re your client’s competitive edge. Let’s start leading the cloud conversation like it.

What if Tech Could Be More Human?

In this episode of “What If? So What?” Jim talks with Kate O’Neill about making human-friendly tech decisions.

In a world that’s moving faster than ever, how can leaders make technology decisions that benefit both the business and the humans they serve? That’s the question Kate O’Neill, tech futurist and author of “What Matters Next: A Leader’s Guide to Making Human-Friendly Tech Decisions in a World That’s Moving Too Fast,” explores in the latest episode of “What If? So What?”

Why Human Experience Is Bigger than Customer Experience

Kate highlights the difference between customer experience and human experience, pointing out that people are more than the roles they play as buyers. Decisions that optimize efficiency, like Amazon Go’s no-touch payment model, may seem like progress—but what happens when those innovations remove opportunities for connection? Leaders must consider the broader impacts of their choices on society and human behavior.

Future-Proofing Isn’t Enough: Be Future-Ready

The future isn’t a fixed path, Kate explains. It’s a prism of possibilities, shaped by the decisions we make today. Instead of trying to “future-proof” their businesses, leaders should prepare for multiple futures by asking two key questions: “What’s most probable?” And “What’s most preferred?” The gap between the two reveals the work needed to shape tomorrow.

A Call for Meaningful Leadership

Kate’s message to leaders is simple yet profound: purpose and meaning matter more than ever. Purpose isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the shape that meaning takes in business. Leaders who focus on what matters now and what will matter next can create technology that drives innovation and serves humanity.

Learn More in Kate’s Book

For more actionable insights and thought-provoking strategies, check out Kate’s latest book, “What Matters Next: A Leader’s Guide to Making Human-Friendly Tech Decisions in a World That’s Moving Too Fast.” Packed with frameworks and tools, it’s a must-read for leaders navigating the intersection of technology and humanity.

Listen now on your favorite podcast platform or visit our website.

Subscribe Where You Listen

Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Overcast

Meet our Guest

Kate O’Neill, , CEO of KO Insights, “Tech Humanist” and Author

Kate O’Neill is a digital innovator, chief executive, business writer, and globally recognized speaker widely known as the “Tech Humanist.” She is the founder and CEO of KO Insights, a strategic advisory firm that enhances human experiences at scale through data-driven and AI-led interactions.

Kate has worked with prestigious clients like Google, IBM, Microsoft, and the United Nations, and she was one of the first 100 employees at Netflix. Her groundbreaking insights have been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and WIRED, and she has shared her expertise on NPR and the BBC.

Kate has been honored with numerous awards, including and a spot on Thinkers50’s list of the World’s Management Thinkers to Watch. With six influential books under her belt, including “Tech Humanist,” “A Future So Bright”, and her latest, “What Matters Next.”

Connect with Kate

Meet the Host

Jim Hertzfeld is Area Vice President, Strategy for Perficient.

For over two decades, he has worked with clients to convert market insights into real-world digital products and customer experiences that actually grow their business. More than just a strategist, Jim is a pragmatic rebel known for challenging the conventional and turning grand visions into actionable steps. His candid demeanor, sprinkled with a dose of cynical optimism, shapes a narrative that challenges and inspires listeners.

Connect with Jim:

LinkedIn | Perficient

Measuring developer productivity has always been a hot topic in the tech world. From outdated metrics like lines of code written to the introduction of Generative AI (GenAI) tools, the conversation has continually evolved. Forrester’s report, Your Focus On Developer Productivity Is Killing You explores the complexities of developer productivity and its impact on innovation, offering insights into aligning metrics with business value and fostering long-term success.

Perficient’s Inclusion in Forrester’s Recent Report

Perficient is proud to announce that two of our experts, Jonathan Crockett and Elisha Goldman, were quoted in Forrester’s report, sharing their expertise on how organizations can rethink their approach to measuring and improving developer productivity. The report challenges traditional productivity metrics and emphasizes creating environments that encourage innovation and meaningful alignment with business objectives.

Jonathan Crockett, managing director of product development at Perficient, highlights the importance of a problem-solving mindset and its role in driving innovation. He stated, “We’re not order takers; we’re problem solvers, and we’re going to seek out how to solve those underlying problems. And that’s really the mindset that drives our teams forward with confidence and purpose.”

Elisha Goldman, delivery and product director at Perficient, focused on how understanding and leveraging metrics can drive success for clients. In the report, she shared, “At Perficient, folks are responsible for understanding what metrics are there, what their clients are looking for, and trying to figure out a way that they can (improve). How can we use that to think about longer-term roadmaps and visions?”

Addressing Developer Productivity in the Age of GenAI

The rise of Generative AI tools has sparked a renewed focus on developer productivity. While these tools hold immense potential, the report emphasizes the risks of relying on flawed or superficial metrics. As Jonathan and Elisha’s quotes suggest, the key to unlocking true innovation lies in aligning teams around meaningful goals and providing developers with the autonomy and clarity to solve real-world problems.

Organizations must look beyond surface-level measures and adopt strategies that prioritize collaboration, creativity, and long-term value. By doing so, they can enable their engineering teams to deliver impactful results that resonate with both business leaders and end users.

Learn More

Forrester’s report offers a fresh perspective on developer productivity, challenging conventional wisdom and highlighting innovative approaches to aligning business objectives with engineering efforts.

Discover how Perficient’s experts are helping organizations navigate the evolving landscape of developer productivity and innovation by reading the full report: Your Focus On Developer Productivity Is Killing You. Available to Forrester subscribers or for purchase.

Empower Your Engineering Teams with Perficient

Our team of experts is committed to guiding organizations toward meaningful transformation, helping them adopt forward-thinking strategies that align engineering efforts with business goals. Interested in learning more? Contact us to explore how we can help you achieve your digital transformation objectives today.

Let’s talk about data governance in banking and financial services, one area I have loved working in and in various areas of it … where data isn’t just data, numbers aren’t just numbers … They’re sacred artifacts that need to be protected, documented, and, of course, regulated within an inch of their lives. It’s not exactly the most glamorous part of financial services, but without solid data governance, banks would be floating in a sea of disorganized, chaotic, and potentially disastrous data mismanagement. And when we’re talking about billions of dollars in transactions, we’re not playing around.

As Bob Seiner, a renowned data governance expert, puts it, “Data governance is like oxygen. You don’t notice it until it’s missing, and by then, it’s probably too late.” If that doesn’t send a chill down your spine, nothing will.

Why is Data Governance Such a Big Deal?

In the banking sector, data governance is more than just a compliance checkbox. It’s essential for survival. Banks process an astronomical amount of sensitive information daily—think trillions of transactions annually—and they need to manage that data efficiently and securely. According to the World Bank, the global financial industry processes over $5 trillion in transactions every day. That’s not the kind of volume you want slipping through the cracks.

Even a small data breach can cost banks upwards of $4.35 million on average, according to a 2022 IBM report. No one wants to be the bank that has to call its shareholders after that kind of financial disaster.

Data governance helps mitigate these risks by ensuring data is accurate, consistent, and compliant with regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and Basel III. These rules are about as fun as reading tax code, but they’re crucial in ensuring customer data is protected, privacy is maintained, and banks don’t end up with regulators breathing down their necks.

Tools of the Data Governance Trade

Let’s talk about the cavalry—the tools that keep all this data governance stuff from turning into a full-blown nightmare. Thankfully, in 2024, we’re spoiled with a variety of platforms designed specifically to handle this madness.

• Collibra and Informatica

  • Collibra and Informatica are heavyweights in the data governance world, offering comprehensive suites for data cataloging, stewardship, and governance. Financial services companies like AXA and ABN AMRO rely on these tools to handle everything from compliance workflows to data lineage mapping.

• Alation and Talend

  • Alation is known for its AI-powered data cataloging and governance capabilities, while Talend excels in data integration and governance. Companies like American Express have adopted Alation’s tools to streamline their data governance operations.

The Future of Data Governance in Banking

Looking forward, the financial sector’s reliance on robust data governance is only going to increase. With the rise of AI, machine learning, and real-time data analytics, banks will need to be even more diligent in how they manage and govern their data. A recent study from IDC suggests that by 2026, 70% of financial institutions will have formalized data governance frameworks in place. That’s up from around 50% today, meaning that the laggards are starting to realize that flying by the seat of their pants just won’t cut it anymore.

Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, emphasized the importance of data governance in a recent shareholder letter, stating, “Data is the lifeblood of our organization. Our ability to harness, protect, and leverage it effectively will determine our success in the coming decades.”

Climate risk models are the newest elephant in the room. As banks face pressure to account for environmental factors in their risk assessments, data governance plays a critical role in ensuring the accuracy and transparency of these models. According to S&P Global, nearly 60% of global banks will be embedding climate risk into their core business models by 2025.

In a world where data is king, and compliance is the watchful queen, banks are stuck playing by the rules whether they like it or not. Data governance tools are not just for keeping regulators happy, but they also give financial institutions the confidence to innovate, knowing that they’ve got their data house in order.

A recent survey by Deloitte found that 67% of banking executives believe that improving data governance is critical to their digital transformation efforts. This statistic underscores the growing recognition that effective data governance is not just about compliance, but also about enabling innovation and competitive advantage.

So, yeah… data governance might not be the flashiest part of banking, but it’s the foundation that holds everything together. And if there’s one thing we can agree on, it’s that nobody wants to be the bank that ends up on the evening news because they forgot to lock the vault—whether it’s the physical one or the digital one.

In today’s dynamic digital landscape, businesses continually seek ways to streamline operations, boost productivity, and surge ahead of the competition. Microsoft Cloud Solution Providers (CSPs) play a central role in aiding organizations to achieve these aspirations. Let’s explore how CSPs deliver unparalleled value to their customers.

Tailored Solutions for Unique Needs

Every business possesses distinct requirements. Microsoft CSPs understand this and offer tailored cloud solutions to meet the specific needs of each organization. Whether implementing Azure services, Office 365, or Dynamics 365, CSPs provide expert guidance to ensure that businesses leverage the right tools for their unique circumstances.

Cost Efficiency and Flexibility

Working with a Microsoft CSP brings the significant advantages of cost efficiency and flexibility. CSPs provide various subscription & procurement models, allowing businesses to scale their services up or down as per demand.  This adaptability ensures that companies only pay for what they use, optimizing their IT spend and avoiding unnecessary expenses.  These subscription models are more flexible than traditional Enterprise Agreements and typically do not have the minimum seat requirements that EA’s have.

Seamless Integration and Migration

Migrating to the cloud can be a daunting prospect. However, CSPs have the expertise to ensure a smooth transition, minimizing disruptions to business operations. They handle everything from planning and execution to integration with existing systems, ensuring businesses can continue to operate efficiently during the migration process.  Combined with 24×7 managed support, CSPs can handle these needs via white-glove treatment.

Enhanced Security and Compliance

Security and compliance are primary concerns for businesses today. Microsoft CSPs bring a wealth of knowledge in implementing robust security measures and ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulations. They utilize advanced security features like multi-factor authentication, data encryption, security event monitoring, and regular security audits to protect sensitive information and maintain regulatory compliance.

Continuous Support and Managed Services

CSPs offer continuous support and managed services, ensuring businesses can access expert assistance whenever needed. From troubleshooting technical issues to providing ongoing maintenance and updates, CSPs act as an extended IT department, allowing businesses to focus on their core activities without worrying about IT management.

Innovation and Future-Readiness

Staying updated with the latest technological advancements is crucial for business growth. Microsoft CSPs keep businesses at the forefront of innovation by providing access to the latest cloud technologies and solutions. They help companies adopt new tools and features as they become available, ensuring that businesses are always future-ready.  CSPs often have a variety of engagements available to implement POC’s, facilitate knowledge transfer & adoption needs, and can also bring in full implementation teams to build new innovative solutions including AI readiness, landing zones, and product integration.

Conclusion

Microsoft Cloud Solution Providers are invaluable partners in the digital transformation journey. They bring tailored solutions, cost efficiency, seamless integration, enhanced security, continuous support, and innovation to businesses of all sizes. By partnering with a CSP, organizations can unlock their full potential, drive growth, and stay competitive in an ever-evolving market.

Have you explored the benefits of working with Microsoft Cloud Solution Providers?

If you already have one and you are only receiving services for monitoring and support, we can help accelerate your initiatives with industry experts, product development teams, AI adoption frameworks, and much more.

Contact us to learn more today!

Azure OpenAI Service offers powerful tools for utilizing OpenAI’s advanced generative AI models. These models are capable of producing human-like text, images, and even code, are revolutionizing various industries. By understanding and optimizing various parameters, you can significantly enhance the performance and precision of these models for specific applications. This blog explores the key parameters available in Azure OpenAI, how they influence model behavior, and best practices for tuning them to suit your needs.

What are Parameters in Azure OpenAI?

In Azure OpenAI, parameters are settings that allow you to control and fine-tune the behavior and output of the AI models. By adjusting these parameters, such as temperature, max tokens, and sampling methods, you can influence how deterministic, creative, or diverse the generated responses are. This customization enables the models to better meet specific needs and use cases, enhancing their performance and relevance for various tasks.

Azure OpenAI Parameters

1. Model Selection 

Azure OpenAI offers different models, each with unique capabilities and performance characteristics. Selecting the right model is crucial for achieving the desired results. The primary models include:

• GPT-3/4: Versatile and powerful, suitable for a wide range of tasks.
• DALL-E: Specialized in generating images from textual descriptions.
• TTS (Text-to-Speech): Converts written text into natural-sounding speech, ideal for applications like voice assistants, audiobooks, and accessibility features.
• Whisper: Advanced speech-to-text model that accurately transcribes spoken language into written text, suitable for tasks like transcription, voice commands, and real-time speech recognition.
• Embedding Models: Create vector representations of text, capturing the meaning and context of words and phrases to enable tasks such as semantic search, text classification, and recommendation systems.

2. Temperature

The Temperature parameter regulates the randomness of the model’s responses. A higher value leads to more random outputs, while a lower value ensures the output is more deterministic and focused.

• Low Temperature (0-0.3): This produces more focused and predictable results, making it ideal for tasks requiring precise answers.
• Medium Temperature (0.4-0.7): Balances creativity and accuracy. Suitable for general-purpose tasks.
• High Temperature (0.8-1.0): This temperature generates diverse and creative responses. It is useful for brainstorming or creative writing.

3. Max Tokens

Max Tokens defines the maximum length of the generated response. One token generally represents a single word or part of a word.

• Short Responses (10-50 tokens): Suitable for concise answers or single-sentence responses.
• Medium Responses (50-150 tokens): Ideal for paragraphs or detailed explanations.
• Long Responses (150+ tokens): Best for comprehensive articles or in-depth content.

4.  Top-p (Nucleus Sampling)

Top-p(or nucleus sampling) controls the diversity of the output by considering only the most probable tokens whose cumulative probability is above a certain threshold. It ranges from 0 to 1.

• Low Top-p (0-0.3): Limits the model to the most likely tokens, producing very deterministic responses.
• Medium Top-p (0.4-0.7): Balances between diversity and probability, providing varied but sensible outputs.
• High Top-p (0.8-1.0): Allows for more diverse and creative responses, suitable for tasks requiring a wide range of possibilities.

5. Frequency Penalty

Frequency Penalty discourages the model from repeating the same tokens. It ranges from 0 to 1, with higher values reducing repetition.

• Low Penalty (0-0.3): Minimal impact on repetition, useful for tasks where repeating key phrases is important.
• Medium Penalty (0.4-0.7): Balances repetition and variety, suitable for most general tasks.
• High Penalty (0.8-1.0): Strongly discourages repetition, ideal for creative writing or brainstorming.

6. Presence Penalty

Presence Penalty affects the model’s likelihood of introducing new topics or ideas. It ranges from 0 to 1, with higher values encouraging more novel content.

• Low Penalty (0-0.3): This keeps the content focused on existing topics, which is useful for detailed analysis or follow-up questions.
• Medium Penalty (0.4-0.7): This penalty encourages a moderate level of new ideas, suitable for balanced content generation.
• High Penalty (0.8-1.0): Promotes the introduction of new topics, ideal for creative brainstorming or exploratory writing.

Best Practices for Azure OpenAI Parameter Tuning

1. Understand the Task: Clearly define the purpose of your task and select parameters that align with your goals.
2. Experiment and Iterate: Start with default values and gradually adjust parameters based on the performance and desired output.
3. Balance Trade-offs: When tuning parameters, consider the trade-offs between creativity, accuracy, and computational cost.
4. Use Multiple Parameters: Combine different parameters to fine-tune the model’s behavior for specific use cases.
5. Monitor and Evaluate: Continuously monitor the model’s performance and adjust as needed to maintain optimal results.

Optimizing Azure OpenAI parameters is essential for tailoring the model’s behavior to meet specific needs. By understanding and effectively tuning these parameters, you can harness the full potential of Azure OpenAI and achieve superior results for a wide range of applications. Whether generating content, developing code, or exploring new ideas, the right parameters will help you get the most out of your AI models.

“Double, double toil and trouble,” is a line repeated by the witches in Macbeth as they lay out the ominous prophecies of greatness and dire consequences for the titular character. Macbeth’s ambition envisions a perfect ending though desperate actions and moral weakness ruin it. So too are the misguided actions in pursuit of perfection which can set expectations and pressure that lead to unwanted results.

The Tantalizing Idea of Perfection

Most of us love the concept of perfection. The idea that something out there can be perfect is comforting – the perfect diamond with the perfect wedding. We search for perfection in the world with symmetry, circles, triangles, and the golden ratio. Maybe you still try to stop the gas pump on a round number when you fill your car.

As a designer in my early career, I sought perfection. The dimensions in the design would be perfectly round numbers. The typography would be perfectly kerned, with hanging punctuation, and the proper quote marks and dashes! I’ve ruined my family members who now share the same disdain for sub-par designs we see. But honestly, no one else cares. Even many designers overlook the same nuances.

I remember hearing the story of a watchmaker known for exceptional craftsmanship. He would inscribe the smallest of gears with the words, “God is in the details.” This was seen by almost no one, left only as a testament to his meticulous nature. I had once admired this story – whether true or not.

A Perfectionist’s Agony

As we see in Macbeth, a desire for such perfect outcomes can turn sour. One can become so focused on perfection that the vision can’t be realized. If it is attainable, the cost may be too high.

An author, artist, or musician who endlessly adjusts their work and is never satisfied to release it to the world. It becomes a mental block where the vision is likely impossible to achieve.

There is always more to do and more that can be done. Perfection is a moving target, and the pursuit can be an endless endeavor.

Destructive Perfection

Much like Macbeth’s ambition leading to his downfall, a perfectionist can suffer the same fate if the pursuit gets in the way of the goal.

Apologies to Shakespeare for making a comparison between Macbeth (1606) and a goofy modern comedy, but I think it’s fitting here. I love the diner scene in the movie Tommy Boy (1995) with Chris Farley. Tommy is the main character who is trying to become a great salesman. In this scene, Tommy describes how he inevitably ruins his perfect sale. He destroys his chance of closing the deal because he loves the idea of the sale too much.

Here at Perficient, we do a lot of digital and web work, and the same can play out in this industry. I’ve seen groups focused so heavily on earning perfect scores from scanning tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, Siteimprove, or other validation services. Someone on the client team wants to arrive at perfect front-end performance, accessibility, or security marks. Any site you put into these tools will fall short of a perfect score. The effort devoted to trying may prevent other improvements from being made.

Not Perfect Enough

That’s not to say we shouldn’t ever strive to be better. Of course we should!

You may be familiar with the frequently shared idea around 99.9%. Two million documents will be lost by the IRS each year if 99.9% is good enough. Over a thousand phone calls will be incorrectly routed every minute, and twelve babies will be given to the wrong parents each day. I have no idea if these numbers are accurate, but you get the idea.

There is a time and place where the goal is near perfection. Risk, regulation, and legal compliance, for instance, need to be near perfect. But in all cases, there should be checks and balances to make sure that the pursuit is justified. Does the level of effort make sense? Is the juice worth the squeeze?

The Happy Medium

We want to encourage healthy ambition but not let it become a destructive obsession. With the pursuit of perfection, you do not want to cause more harm than good.

Are there times when something can be perfectly imperfect? I think so.

There is a popular meme format that describes the cycle of a beginner, an intermediate-level professional, and an expert. The joke is that a beginner will be naïve and not understand something important that an intermediate-level person obsesses over. But as one becomes an expert, they realize the obsession wasn’t that important.

Conclusion

“Out, out brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow…” is the line where Macbeth realizes the futility and limited extent of his achievements. Is the long path worth the result? Could the results be as sweet and sometimes attained more quickly if we let up on perfection just a little bit? Yes.

Facebook once publicly stated that they “move fast and break things.” But with more scrutiny around regulations, they’ve stopped saying that. There is a time and a place for both. Find your perfectly imperfect zone of success and ensure that you spend time where it makes sense (consider the Eisenhower Quadrants of Productivity).

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If you are looking for a perfect fit for your next project, reach out to your Perficient account manager or use our contact form to begin a conversation.

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Perficient is made up of talented colleagues from around the world who are building the leading global digital consultancy. Every colleague has an incredible story to share, and we’re showcasing the diverse perspectives, unique paths, and incredible journeys of the people impacting Perficient, the communities in which we live and work, and each other.

We recently sat down with Yanina Viera, a people-oriented team member based at our site in Montevideo, Uruguay. Yanina is always ready to assist with questions or advice, and her warmth and problem-solving skills shine through in every interaction. She thrives in our diverse culture groups and actively participates in Perficient’s Women in Technology Employee Resource Group (ERG), Giving ERG, Cultural Connections ERG, PRISM ERG, Agile Community, and Tech Talks.

On June 20, 2024, I will be celebrating my second anniversary at Perficient. I am currently a Scrum Master for a client in the United States. I start the day by checking the messages I received overnight as many colleagues work in PST and others in Australia.Then, I check the meetings in my calendar and the topics we are going to discuss so I can plan what information I will need easily accessible. I usually have around four or six hours of meetings per day. After those verifications I go to Azure DevOps, which is where I spend most of my time tracking the work within the sprint, reading comments, and updating tasks. 

In short, my day is based on ensuring as much transparency as possible between members of the project through the communication of verifiable data, empowering the development team, and removing roadblocks that prevent us from moving forward in different areas.   

Whether big or small, how do you make a difference for our clients, colleagues, communities, or teams?  

 I make a difference by being honest, guaranteeing transparency, and proposing process optimizations that improve the relationship between the different parties involved in the project and the overall system level. I create bridges of communication between people who do not get along very well at work by empowering everyone to speak up, express themselves, and share their opinion.  

What are your proudest accomplishments, personally and professionally? Any milestone moments at Perficient?

Personally, I am very proud of the bonds I have built with different people over the past few years. Professionally, I am proud that my work with my client is highly valued and recognized.   

What advice would you give to colleagues who are starting their career with Perficient?  

Everything comes in its time, and for a seed to grow, it must be watered every day.

Why did you choose Perficient? What keeps you here? 

I chose Perficient because of the growth opportunities and that’s what keeps me here. I learn by taking courses and going through the challenges that arise daily.  Personally, I would like to continue cultivating quality relationships, and professionally, at some point, to be a reference for agile and innovation in organizations.   

READ MORE: Learn About Perficient’s Enhanced Growth for Everyone Programming 

Describe what it’s like working with your team, BU, and/or office location. What’s the culture like? 

On Wednesdays, we coordinate with the people who are also in the project and in Montevideo to work together from the office. After the daily meeting, we have lunch together and take advantage of the opportunity to strengthen our working relationships.   

Why are you #ProudlyPerficient? 

For how inclusive, resourceful, and communicative we are in the company. 

What motivates you in your daily work? 

People are my daily driving force. Knowing that I will interact with them, and that I will be able to solve their problems or make them feel heard, is what moves me. 

With Perficient’s mission statement in mind,  why do we obsess over client outcomes?

Because we prioritize quality at every step, integrity in our solutions, both at the individual and systemic levels, is crucial for progress and satisfaction across all levels. That is why integrity is my favorite Perficient value.

What are you passionate about outside of work?

I have a passion for both yoga and extreme sports. I am also interested in understanding the different ways people express themselves through their culture. 

Perficient believes in a strong work/life balance. What is one way you accomplish this? 

Plan your tasks for the day, week, and month. In my case there are some tasks that happen every three months and I can implement them with time. Taking 10 minutes for meditation after a difficult conversation is always useful. 

SEE MORE PEOPLE OF PERFICIENT

It’s no secret our success is because of our people. No matter the technology or time zone, our colleagues are committed to delivering innovative, end-to-end digital solutions for the world’s biggest brands, and we bring a collaborative spirit to every interaction. We’re always seeking the best and brightest to work with us. Join our team and experience a culture that challenges, champions, and celebrates our people.

Visit our Careers page to see career opportunities and more!

Go inside Life at Perficient and connect with us on LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.

Quality innovation is not for the weak at heart! Innovation myths may have you thinking it is for the lucky or the extremely talented – that’s not true. Pablo Picasso said, “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” Thomas Edison quipped, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

In this blog post, I want to focus on a different quote with the same intent. Linus Pauling was an American scientist who was awarded a Nobel Prize not just once, but twice! You might not recognize his name, but New Scientist called him one of the 20 greatest scientists of all time. He once shared, “The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas and throw the bad ones away.” Pauling’s career overlapped those of Picasso and Edison and included the same concept that working hard generates quality innovation.

Let me walk you through how steady effort (work) creates a lot of possibilities (quantity) and then how you can churn out great ideas (quality innovation) through your idea factory (innovation system).

Working for Innovation Quantity

In my experience, the level of innovation correlates to the effort put in. There’s a reason for this. Lots of people (your competitors) are willing to put in a little bit of work. Far fewer are willing to put in significant work – most people won’t.

Furthermore, what I’ve found to be true is that your first ideas are seldom the ground-breaking ones. Your first ideas are the easy connections. The first-round ideas are often the same solutions everyone else can easily produce. Your goal is to connect the dots that others have not.

Significant innovative solutions come from stress testing the ideas and iterating. Not once. Not twice. But continually. Have a hundred ideas and throw away the bad ones. Things aren’t going to be perfect anyway. Take the best ideas and try to poke holes in them until you can evolve them to be strong.

When Quantity Goes Wrong

I wrote another blog post on lessons learned while managing corporate innovation. Lessons #1 and #2 explain what can go wrong when you have a large quantity of ideas being generated by a team. Either people toss out ideas they don’t intend to pursue themselves (they just want credit), or others won’t search if someone else has already shared the same or similar idea (redundancy).

You don’t want the quantity of ideas to become another barrier. You’ll be swimming in a sea of half-baked ideas with no connection between related concepts. You’ll drown. It needs to be managed in order to be successful.

In this blog post, I won’t focus on the management of team innovation – that’s what my lessons learned post was about – so instead, I’ll discuss what Linus Pauling was referring to when he said you should have lots of ideas.

Your Idea Factory

The benefit of having lots of ideas yourself, rather than as a team, is that your train of thought inherently has some relation from one concept to the next. One idea begets the next, and then you can mix-and-match and quickly iterate without considering outside opinions.

This form of “lots of ideas” is fantastic because you can move fast and throw away bad ideas without worrying about what others will think of the concept. You can have really bad ideas that are simply not feasible, but then those unrealistic thoughts can spur others that will work.

Free yourself to experiment. Suspend reality without fear of failure. You’ll surprise yourself with the ideas you generate! Have a bunch of these ideas, then throw away the bad ones. It takes work but you can then find the signal among the noise.

Quality Innovation

The quality of an innovative idea is measured against what else is out there (competition). The quality is perceived differently when it first comes out versus years later when your competition has emulated or evolved in response. It isn’t just an initial effort, but an ongoing one.

There are stories from Apple, Google, Facebook, Tesla, and many more about their crunch times, trying to separate themselves from the competition. Even Thomas Edison talked about working through thousands of iterations to land on one good one.

And for good reason…consider the story of Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray racing to the patent office, only for Bell to file mere hours earlier, locking his place in history as the inventor of the telephone. Quality innovation is valuable, there is urgency, and you want to iterate through ideas as quickly as possible.

Conclusion

Quality innovation is a rarity, but it is attainable for anyone. If you view it like winning the lottery, then you can appreciate how buying more tickets (generating more ideas) gives you an advantage in finding the one that wins.

So, give it a try! If you feel blocked, I have suggestions on getting unstuck. They say that practice makes perfect, so hop in and practice generating ideas!

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If you are looking for a quality innovation partner, reach out to your Perficient account manager or use our contact form to begin a conversation.