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 From outdated metrics like lines of code written to the introduction of Generative AI (GenAI) tools, the conversation has continually evolved.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).

……

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!

……

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.

Honoring Perficient’s Efforts to Enable Colleague Career Growth  

We’re thrilled to share that the St. Louis Business Journal recently recognized Perficient with an Innovation in HR Award for our Growth for Everyone program. Kathy Leijon, director, Talent Development, accepted the award on behalf of Perficient and our Talent Development team during an awards banquet on Thursday, May 16.  Announced annually, the HR Awards honor individuals and organizations for the incredible work they do to make a difference in the field of human resources.  

Each recipient made positive contributions to improve workforce efficiency, enhance recruitment strategy, and further the colleague experience. As mentioned by the St. Louis Business Journal, the 2024 elected winners include a Lifetime Achievement winner, Innovation in HR winner, and eight HR honorees. 

The Innovation in HR Award pays tribute to Perficient and our highly skilled Talent Development team’s effort to provide colleagues enhanced resources through Growth for Everyone. 

“Building a culture and employee experience that values every voice is a primary focal point for Perficient,” said Kathy. “It’s an incredible honor to be recognized with the 2024 Innovation in HR Award, and I’m proud of what we have accomplished since launching Growth for Everyone. Our success would not be possible without the leadership of our executive sponsor, Santhosh Nair, and my team; Hannah Kim, Wendy LaBenne, and Chelsey Hundley.” 

Taking The Professional Development of Our Colleagues to the Next Level 

An integral facet of Perficient’s People Promise is Growth for Everyone, a system of professional development resources, training programs, and tools aimed at guiding every colleague on their own transformational career journey.

Through our Talent Development team’s strategic planning and vision, Perficient has expanded existing programming to include a new, holistic approach that empowers all people – no matter their experience level – to excel in their roles.

In the last year, Perficient created three curated learning pathways for colleagues to continue honing their skillset:

• Consultant Curriculum: specifically created for Technical and Business Consultants and consists of self-paced programming designed to help build important skills for professional growth. 
• Learning to Lead: a professional development program designed for individual contributors interested in exploring career growth in people leadership.  
• Leading with Impact: Perficient’s flagship program for new/newer global people leaders, which includes curriculum focused on building leadership capabilities and fostering relationships with direct reports.  

Our colleagues also have access to Leadership Corner, which offers helpful advice through informational videos and articles that can be applied to everyday routines – in 15 minutes or less! 

To further advance our colleagues’ professional capabilities, Perficient has developed both formal and self-guided resources. These include Career Paths, a tool with materials outlining the steps for career progression, a Career Development Toolkit and Leadership Toolkit, and Perficient Academy, a one-stop shop for career growth with on-demand training materials.  

“We recognize that Perficient can provide the tools to help those colleagues understand the possibilities, and our leaders need to be equipped to confidently have candid, effective career conversations with their team members,” said Kathy. “To me, that’s what Growth for Everyone is all about: helping our colleagues to confidently navigate their own careers.” 

Learn More: Championing the Personal Achievements and Success of Our Colleagues  

Celebrating Our People-First Culture  

Perficient has made a commitment to challenge, champion, and celebrate its people – and that is more than just a promise. We have the brightest colleagues who give their time and talent each day to drive our global business forward. With Growth for Everyone, we’re empowering everyone at Perficient to grow their careers by learning new topics and advancing their knowledge. 

Here are some key highlights from 2023: 

• 91 colleagues completed the Learning to Lead program 
• 177 global leaders graduated from the Leading with Impact program 
• 330 business and technical consultants are actively enrolled in the Consultant Curriculum program.  
• 90% of Perficient colleagues said in our annual Employee Engagement Survey that they have the tools they need for success at Perficient. 

Through our Talent Development team’s commitment to creating a collaborative and people-first employee experience, Perficient colleagues now have access to a volume of leadership and career development resources that place them on the path to success!  

We’re proud to continue making a difference for our colleagues, and our efforts to enhance Perficient’s Growth for Everyone offerings could not be possible without the thought leadership of our Talent Development team.

Congratulations to the 2024 HR Awards recipients! 

MORE ON GROWTH FOR EVERYONE 

Perficient continually looks for ways to champion and challenge our workforce, encourage personal and professional growth, and celebrate the unique culture created by the ambitious, brilliant, people-oriented team we have cultivated. These are their stories. 

Learn more about what it’s like to work at Perficient on our Careers page. Connect with us on LinkedIn here. 

With advanced technology and large language models shaping the future of STEM, it’s evident that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay. Perficient believes that educating the next generation of leaders about AI concepts is vital. Today, we’re thrilled to share that Perficient has received an Innovation in Philanthropy Award from the St. Louis Business Journal for our collaboration with the Mark Cuban Foundation to host no-cost AI bootcamps for high school students.

The award program honors local partnerships for going above and beyond standard philanthropic practices and initiatives to improve the community. Bill Davis, a Senior Vice President at Perficient, recently sat down with the St. Louis Business Journal to share more information about our award-winning partnership and what’s ahead for 2024. Read the published article to learn more. 

“We do a lot of work across many disciplines, but certainly around machine learning, and artificial intelligence for many years,” said Bill. “Our partnership with the Mark Cuban Foundation is an opportunity for [our employees] to give back in an area where they have an innate interest, passion and experience and expertise already.”   

READ MORE: Perficient’s 2023 Community Impact Report Spotlights Our AI Bootcamp Partnership  

Perficient Expands Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp Partnership 

Since 2019, the Mark Cuban Foundation has hosted AI Bootcamps in more than 30 cities in the United States, with a mission to educate students on AI capabilities so they can create a more equitable future. The four-week AI Bootcamps are designed to introduce students in grades 9-12 to foundational AI concepts through educational presentations, interactive lessons, and lab exercises.

This marks Perficient’s third consecutive year collaborating with the Foundation to provide free AI Bootcamps to underserved constituencies and communities. Through the AI Bootcamps program, Perficient is addressing the inequality in access and availability of AI educational resources by providing students with food, laptops, transportation, and educational materials that will assist them in their future careers. 

Our Innovation in Philanthropy Award recognition follows Perficient’s partnership extension with the Mark Cuban Foundation to continue offering AI Bootcamps in Dallas, Houston, Detroit, and St. Louis, while creating additional programs in Minneapolis, Atlanta, and Fargo, North Dakota.  

READ MORE: Learn About Perficient’s 2023 Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps 

Our Colleagues Are Making a Difference Through Mentorship  

Perficient colleagues are incredibly passionate about giving back and strive to make a collective impact on the communities in which they live and work. With each Perficient-hosted AI Bootcamp, our colleagues can volunteer as mentors and share their knowledge with participants. By volunteering their time and talent to educate and prepare students for future STEM careers, many colleagues leave the AI Bootcamp programs feeling inspired to continue giving back. 

“The bootcamp was incredible,” said Alex McBride, a senior project manager in Perficient’s Houston office. “From an educational perspective, it was a great opportunity for kids to see basic theories and principles around AI design. The kids learned enough in four days to participate in a capstone project that gave them the opportunity to pitch their own AI-based concepts and solutions.” 

LEARN MORE: Watch The Video to Discover How Our Colleagues are Mentoring Tomorrow’s Leaders 

Parents and students interested in attending a Perficient-hosted AI Bootcamp can learn more about the program and find applications on the Mark Cuban Foundation website. Explore the pictures below to see first-hand experiences from our award-winning partnership and Perficient-sponsored AI Bootcamps.

READY TO GROW YOUR CAREER? 

At Perficient, we continually look for ways to champion and challenge our talented workforce with interesting projects for high-profile clients, encourage personal and professional growth through training and mentoring, and celebrate our people-oriented culture and the innovative ways they serve Perficient and the community. 

Visit our Careers page to see career opportunities and more! 

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

In the dynamic realm of investment management, maintaining a competitive edge is paramount. Our client, a dynamic, independent investment management and strategic advisory firm, recognized the rising significance of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) metrics in shaping investment decisions and reporting.

ESG became a cornerstone in our client’s investor relations strategy.

The firm needed to meet client and investor demand for swift ESG reporting, but an outdated spreadsheet-based system was holding the financial services leader back. We partnered with this client to design custom, cloud-based ESG reporting dashboards on Microsoft Azure, streamlining data extraction and analysis.

Platform + Social Shifts

The cloud-based digital infrastructure’s impact was immediate. Advisors’ ability to share ESG metrics in near-real time allowed for personalized portfolio recommendations based on individual values and appealed to a diverse range of investors. The shift not only aligned with ethical investing trends but also contributed to revenue growth.

Further, the success of this transformation demonstrated the power of a well-constructed Azure Landing Zone to foster agility, security, and scalability. Our work helped to catalyze broader cloud migration initiatives for the firm.

Read the Full Story: Elevating ESG in Wealth Management Portfolios

The Transformative Power of Digital Expertise

As a trusted end-to-end digital provider, our industry-oriented mindset proved instrumental in helping this client embrace a modernized data platform, setting the stage for continued success in a rapidly evolving industry.

Interested in how we can help you? Contact us today!

In the fast-paced realm of finance, the significance of regulatory risk and compliance management practices cannot be overstated.

This blog post delves into the pivotal role these practices play in ensuring the stability and success of financial institutions and banks.

By adopting a proactive stance and leveraging technological advancements, financial entities can navigate the regulatory landscape with greater resilience and efficacy.

The Role of Regulatory Risk and Compliance

1. Legal Obligations and Regulatory Frameworks 

It is well-known that financial institutions operate within a complex web of laws and regulations. Compliance with these legal obligations is not only mandated by regulatory authorities but also necessary for maintaining an institution’s reputation.

Adopting regulatory risk and compliance practices ensures that banks adhere to the prevailing regulatory frameworks, avoiding legal repercussions and potential financial penalties.

2. Reputation Management 

Trust is the cornerstone of the financial industry. Any erosion of trust can have severe consequences, including loss of customers and investors.

By implementing robust regulatory risk and compliance measures, financial institutions can demonstrate their commitment to ethical business practices.

And by adhering to regulatory standards, banks build and maintain a positive reputation, crucial in attracting and retaining clients.

3. Financial Stability

One of the primary lessons learned from the financial crisis was the importance of financial stability. Regulatory risk and compliance practices act as safeguards against systemic risks that could jeopardize the financial health of institutions.

Banks can better insulate themselves from economic downturns and unforeseen shocks by conducting thorough risk assessments and adhering to regulatory guidelines.

4. Operational Efficiency and Effectiveness

Adopting regulatory risk and compliance practices is not merely a box-ticking exercise. Rather, it fosters operational efficiency and effectiveness within financial institutions.

By streamlining processes and ensuring compliance with regulations, banks can reduce the likelihood of errors, fraud, and other operational inefficiencies that could threaten their stability.

5. Globalization and Cross-Border Transactions

In an era of globalization, financial institutions often engage in cross-border transactions. This internationalization introduces additional layers of complexity and regulatory challenges.

To successfully navigate this intricate landscape, banks must integrate regulatory risk and compliance measures that account for varying regulatory requirements across jurisdictions. This ensures a seamless and compliant global operation.

6. Technological Advancements and Cybersecurity

As the financial industry embraces technological advancements, the risk of cyber threats and data breaches has escalated. Regulatory risk and compliance practices extend to cybersecurity, requiring financial institutions to invest in robust systems and protocols to protect sensitive data.

Adherence to cybersecurity regulations not only safeguards customer information but also fortifies the institution against reputational damage.

Success In Action: Risk and Regulatory Expertise

Our client, a highly regarded financial service holding company, sought a comprehensive enterprise system to:

• facilitate various regulatory compliance initiatives and customer remediation efforts, and
• more effectively manage consent orders and matters requiring attention (MRAs).

In response, we seamlessly transitioned the on-premises data warehouse to Microsoft Dataverse. Leveraging Power Platform automation, we streamlined data capture and ingestion into Power BI dashboards. To enhance accessibility and visibility, we integrated all modules into a SharePoint portal, resulting in a marked improvement in regulatory reporting and auditing processes.

The outcomes were impressive. We were able to increase user adoption, create swift access to critical insights, implement modern and scalable workflows, and establish a unified and centralized portal.

See Also: How Process Mining Accelerates Efficiency for Highly Regulated, Customer-Obsessed Industries

Interested in learning more? Leading financial institutions count on our financial services and insurance expertise to solve complex digital challenges and compliantly drive growth.

Contact us to jump-start your journey today!

Introduction Automatic Speech recognition:

In the world of artificial intelligence, one of the most fascinating advancements is the ability to convert spoken language into written text. This process, known as Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), has a wide range of applications, from transcription services and voice assistants to real-time captioning and more. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to use OpenAI’s Whisper ASR system to transcribe an audio file into text using Python.

What is Whisper? 

OpenAI developed Whisper as an Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) system. It trained on a substantial volume of multilingual and multitask supervised data gathered from the web. Whisper offers a Python library that makes it easy to transcribe audio files into text.

Getting Started :

Before we can use Whisper, we need to install the openai-whisper Python package. This can be done using pip:

The ! at the beginning is used to run shell commands in Jupyter notebooks. If you’re running this in a regular Python environment, you can omit the !.

Loading the Model :

Once you install the package, you can import the whisper module and load the model:

Whisper provides different model sizes to balance between speed and accuracy as follow :-

Whisper’s model sizes, computational power is a key consideration when assessing the system’s ability to handle different model sizes efficiently. The required VRAM and relative speed mentioned in the table showcase how different model sizes demand varying computational resources, impacting performance and the ability to process tasks with differing degrees of efficiency and accuracy.

In our case, we’re loading a “small” model.

Transcribing an Audio File :

With the model loaded, we can now transcribe an audio file. Here’s how:

The transcribe method takes the path to the audio file as its argument. Furthermore, the fp16=False argument specifies that the model should not use half-precision floating-point format (FP16) for computations. Consequently, this can speed up the process but might slightly reduce accuracy.

The transcribe method returns a dictionary that includes the full transcription and other information.

Detailed Transcription :

Additionally, Whisper offers a detailed breakdown of the transcription, encompassing the start and end times of each segment. This feature can be particularly beneficial for comprehending the chronological occurrence of each part within the audio file:

Conclusion:

OpenAI’s Whisper Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) system provides a powerful and easy-to-use tool for transcribing audio files into text. If constructing a voice assistant, developing a transcription service, or requiring transcription for audio files in a project, Whisper is adept at handling these tasks. If you have any query, you can directly discuss in with the community link

Happy transcribing!