This is the first in a series of articles where we outline our approach to consultancy through the lens of principles we have honed through our experience delivering complex, mission-critical programmes. In this post, we define our approach to Architecture...
Testing
An overview of the essential points to look out for while testing for accessibility, resources for further learning, plus a couple of extra ways to look out for not just accessibility but also diversity issues in testing.
Open Source
FINOS Common Cloud Controls (CCC) is an open standard by FINOS, to describe consistent controls for compliant public cloud deployments in the financial services sector. The project is supported by Scott Logic, aligning with its mission to promote and support open-source initiatives. This is an effort to introduce FINOS CCC and its goals.
Testing
Testing the performance of an application can often give more insights than expected. From improving security, to cutting costs, performance testing ultimately contributes to user satisfaction and business success.
Artificial Intelligence
Having worked on developing Machine Learning skill definitions and L&D pathway recently, in this blog post I have tried to explore the evolving role of test engineers in the era of machine learning, highlighting the key challenges ML brings, strategies for effective model evaluation and finally tried to outline a roadmap for developing the necessary skills to excel in ML model testing.
Sustainability
Scott Logic's Technology Carbon Estimator helps organizations assess their tech-related carbon footprint by providing an accessible, proportional view of emissions. It highlights high-impact areas and allows users to explore how changes can reduce their environmental impact.
Describing LLMs as 'hallucinating' fundamentally distorts how LLMs work. We can do better.
Artificial Intelligence
Our team set out to investigate if we could use Binoculars, a method of detecting LLM-generated text, to detect AI-written code, and learnt some valuable lessons on the importance of data quality along the way.
Artificial Intelligence
As the government progresses from prototype to production to ongoing operation with AI-assisted services for UK citizens, how can it minimise the risk of replicating structural biases? In this blog post, I’ll explore key elements of what’s involved in ensuring that services are as representative, fair and impartial as possible.
Artificial Intelligence
I reflect on recent discussions with civil servants and our own research to consider how AI might increase productivity and offer new capabilities. At the same time, I’ll explore the necessary checks and balances on how far AI should be applied in delivering services to UK citizens.
Artificial Intelligence
Data is important to every element of the safe and successful harnessing of AI. For the government, data challenges are not new, nor are they insurmountable. In this post, I’ll look at some of those challenges across the data lifecycle, and share insights from our recent work and conversations with government about practical ways forward.
Sustainability
This is the second of a series of blog posts that examine the various methods of measuring carbon emissions on end-user devices. In this post, we look at methods and tools for power profiling and measuring the energy use of devices with a bottom-up approach.
Podcast
In this episode, I'm joined for a discussion on observability by Scott Rowan, Senior Developer at Scott Logic, and Daniel Gomez Blanco, Principal Engineer at Skyscanner. Our conversation explores what observability means in modern distributed software architectures, how it differs from traditional monitoring, and the challenges of implementing observability at scale.
Artificial Intelligence
Government departments are not alone in struggling to move artificial intelligence (AI) prototypes into production. Here, I reflect on some of the reasons for this and share some insights from our client work which I think point towards how the government can harness AI with greater confidence.
Delivery
We often talk about how to be agile, about particular ceremonies and processes but what problem is it we are trying to solve? In this post I'll take a look at what we mean when we talk about agile, what it's come to represent and what the point is behind aiming for agility.
Tech
Mobiumata (a concatenation of Möbius strip and cellular automata) is a small interactive art piece that allows folk to play god to 1,500 LED cells wrapped into a Möbius strip.
Testing
Many organisations mistakenly think Behaviour-Driven Development (BDD) is simply about writing test cases in Given-When-Then format or using test automation frameworks. While automation is a valuable by-product, the true essence of BDD lies in enhancing team collaboration and understanding business requirements. BDD includes three practices- discovery, formulation, and automation, with the discovery phase being foundational. Adhering to best practices ensures that BDD scenarios are clear, focused, and valuable, ultimately creating living documentation that accurately reflects the system's behaviour.