The escalating popularity of ChatGPT has raised concerns about privacy among companies, as its widespread usage increases the risk of inadvertently sharing sensitive company information. Because ChatGPT logs every conversation, it leaves organizations vulnerable to potential data leaks. 

This happened to Samsung in April when their employees mistakenly leaked confidential information on 3 different occasions over 20 days. Samsung has since taken a decisive step by prohibiting the use of ChatGPT within their organization. The move has prompted other companies to adopt similar approaches to safeguard their data.

However, instead of resorting to such drastic measures, there are several best practices you can follow to keep you information safe while using ChatGPT. 



1. Use strong and unique passwords: Create strong and unique passwords for your ChatGPT account and avoid using the same password for other accounts. Use a password manager to generate and store your passwords securely.

\

2. Enable two-factor authentication: Enable two-factor authentication on your ChatGPT account to add an extra layer of security.

\

3. Avoid sharing sensitive information: Do not share any personal or sensitive information that you wouldn't want to be made public. ChatGPT is designed to provide assistance, but it's still a machine and can't be trusted with sensitive information.

\

4. Use general terms: Avoid asking specific questions that could reveal sensitive information. Instead, use general terms and phrases to ask your questions.

\

5. Use encrypted communication channels: Use encrypted communication channels such as HTTPS or SSL to ensure that your communication with ChatGPT is secure.

\

6. Update your software regularly: Keep your operating system, web browser, and antivirus software up-to-date to ensure that you have the latest security patches.

\

7. Use a secure internet connection: Use a secure internet connection, such as a VPN, when accessing ChatGPT from public Wi-Fi or other unsecured networks.

\

8. Don't store sensitive information: Avoid storing any sensitive information on ChatGPT or any other third-party application.

\

9. Log out when finished: Always log out of your ChatGPT account when you're finished using it, especially if you're using a public computer.

\

10. Review ChatGPT's privacy policy: Read ChatGPT's privacy policy to understand how your data is being used and stored. Make sure you're comfortable with the terms before using the service.

At Cognits, we take security and privacy very seriously. Our teams abide by these guidelines. We recommend you follow these best practices in order to safely and effectively protect your information while using ChatGPT. 

Ready to get started? [Contact Us](https://cognits.co/contact/).

### About Cognits

Cognits is a design and development company that specializes in user centric digital products which improve your value chain. Our mission is to empower your company by using design and development best practices to improve your existing processes in an agile, efficient, and affordable way. We strive by making your company succeed in the digital world.

References: 

**[Mashable](https://mashable.com/article/samsung-chatgpt-leak-details)**

[CyberNews](https://cybernews.com/security/chatgpt-samsung-leak-explained-lessons/)

Here's 10 tips to keep your data safe while using ChatGPT

Prevent Data Leaks with ChatGPT

Cognits | Blog - Prevent Data Leaks with ChatGPT

As the business world becomes increasingly complex, companies are looking for ways to stay ahead of the competition. In the tech industry, one approach that's gaining traction is Agile methodology, which emphasizes collaboration, flexibility, and continuous improvement. But at Cognits, we take Agile a step further with our holistic approach to product development.

### Agile is Everywhere



Agile methodology has been around for over 20 years, but it's still evolving. Originally developed for software development, Agile is now used in a wide range of industries, including finance, healthcare, and manufacturing. 



At its core, Agile is about breaking down projects into smaller, more manageable pieces, with a focus on collaboration and rapid iteration. Instead of working in silos, cross-functional teams work together to solve problems and deliver value to customers.



### A Holistic Approach



At Cognits, we've taken Agile methodology to the next level with our holistic approach. Our teams are trained to work together, build on each other's skills, and achieve results. 



We believe that product development is not just about writing code or designing user interfaces, it's about understanding the bigger picture and how all the pieces fit together. That's why we take a holistic approach to every project we work on, from product strategy to user experience to development and beyond.



Our holistic approach has several key benefits for our clients. 



1. **Project Alignment:** it ensures that everyone on the team is aligned on the project goals and understands how their work fits into the overall vision. This helps to prevent silos and ensures that everyone is working towards the same end result. 



2. **Identify Roadblocks Early:** it enables us to identify potential roadblocks early in the process and address them before they become bigger issues. 



3. **Be more Nimble:** it allows us to be more nimble and adaptable as the project evolves, ensuring that we can pivot quickly if needed.



4. **Foster Innovation:** it helps us to deliver better products for our clients. By taking a broad view of product development, we're able to identify opportunities for improvement and innovation that might be missed by a more narrow approach. We're able to bring together diverse perspectives and skills to create truly groundbreaking products that meet the needs of our clients and their customers.



So if you're looking for a partner who can help you take your product development to the next level, consider Cognits. Our holistic approach, combined with our deep expertise in Agile methodology and other cutting-edge technologies, makes us the perfect partner for companies looking to stay ahead of the competition. 



Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you achieve your product development goals. Ready to get started? [Contact Us](https://cognits.co/contact/).



### About Cognits



Cognits is a design and development company that specializes in user centric digital products which improve your value chain. Our mission is to empower your company by using design and development best practices to improve your existing processes in an agile, efficient, and affordable way. We strive by making your company succeed in the digital world.

Agile methodology emphasizes collaboration, flexibility, and continuous improvement. 

The Future of Product Development

Cognits | Blog - The Future of Product Development

Low-code development platforms have become increasingly popular in recent years, as businesses seek to accelerate their digital transformation and reduce their dependency on traditional software development methods. Gartner predicts that by 2024, low-code application development will be responsible for more than 65% of application development activity.

Low-code platforms provide a simpler and more efficient way to build enterprise-grade applications, with benefits ranging from faster development times to increased collaboration between IT and business teams.

Low-code development platforms can help businesses streamline their application development process.

### Faster Development Times

One of the primary benefits of using a low-code platform is that it can significantly reduce the time it takes to develop new applications. Low-code platforms use visual modeling and drag-and-drop interfaces to simplify the development process, eliminating the need for complex coding and reducing the time it takes to build and deploy new applications. This not only accelerates the development process but also reduces the potential for errors and bugs, improving the overall quality of the application. 

### Increased Collaboration

Low-code platforms also enable greater collaboration between IT and business teams, allowing them to work together more effectively to build and deploy new applications. The visual modeling interface used by low-code platforms makes it easier for business teams to communicate their requirements to IT teams, who can then quickly translate those requirements into working applications. This increased collaboration not only improves the quality of the final application but also speeds up the development process by reducing the need for extensive back-and-forth communication.

### Improved Scalability and Flexibility

Low-code platforms provide a modular and flexible approach to application development, allowing businesses to quickly modify and add new features as needed. This makes it easier to keep up with changing business requirements and stay ahead of the competition.

### Reduced Costs

Finally, low-code platforms can help businesses save money by reducing the time and resources required to develop new applications. By simplifying the development process and enabling greater collaboration between teams, low-code platforms can reduce the overall cost of application development. This is particularly beneficial for small and medium-sized businesses that may not have the resources to invest in large-scale software development projects.

### What are the Best Low Code Platforms? 

Mendix is one of the leading low-code development platforms on the market, and for good reason. Mendix offers a powerful and user-friendly visual modeling interface that enables businesses to quickly build and deploy enterprise-grade applications. Its modular architecture and flexible deployment options make it easy to scale and customize applications to meet changing business requirements. Additionally, Mendix offers a wide range of pre-built integrations and connectors, making it easy to integrate with existing systems and third-party applications.

OutSystems is another great platform for low-code development because it offers a user-friendly visual modeling interface that enables developers to build and deploy applications up to 10 times faster than traditional coding. It also provides a flexible and scalable architecture, pre-built integrations, collaborative features, and built-in security features to ensure that applications are secure and compliant. 

The Cognits team has certified Mendix and Outsystems developers ready to help you with your development needs. 

\
Ready to get started? [Contact Us](https://cognits.co/contact/).

### About Cognits

Cognits is a design and development company that specializes in user centric digital products which improve your value chain. Our mission is to empower your company by using design and development best practices to improve your existing processes in an agile, efficient, and affordable way. We strive by making your company succeed in the digital world.

References: 

* [Gartner Magic Quadrant](https://www.mendix.com/resources/magic-quadrant/)
* [Gartner press release](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2022-12-13-gartner-forecasts-worldwide-low-code-development-technologies-market-to-grow-20-percent-in-2023)

Low-code development platforms can help businesses streamline their application development process.

Build FAST with Low Code

Cognits | Blog - Build FAST with Low Code

In today’s world, Cloud Computing is the clear way to go. It delivers the same on-demand computing services we all expect, but over the internet which provides the following benefits: 



* Only pay for what you are using.
* Grow your infrastructure in minutes according to the load that your customers need.
* Create entire applications in the same way. 
* All the changes you need to add can be deployed automatically by using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) + Serverless applications.
* Minimize cost overhead of management of servers and packages. 



In addition, your developers will be able to focus on creating the functionalities that actually add a business value right away, instead of first preparing all the infrastructure they guess you'll use, buy it, configure it and only after all this start to focus on what actually your business needs. 



Let’s get technical. In this blog, we’ll walk you through how to set up your serverless architecture in this step-by-step guide. 



How to get set up on the cloud?



1. Design your solution based in a serverless approach.
2. Define the language you’ll team will use to build it (Java, Go, PowerShell, Node.js, C#, Python, and Ruby).
3. Select the tool you will use for your Infrastructure as a Code (IAC), like: 



* Serverless Framework
* AWS CloudFormation
* AWS The Serverless Application Model (SAM)
* ZAPPA
* Claudia.js
* Terraform
* CDK
* CDK + SST



In this guide we will show you how you can build and deploy in minutes a simple API Rest application using API Gateway + Lambda (.nodejs) using AWS The Serverless Application Model (SAM).



## Prerequisites

To use SAM, you will need to do the following before start developing:

1. Install AWS CLI by following the next steps: [Install](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/userguide/getting-started-install.html)
2. Verify that you AWS CLI was successful, run the following command in the terminal: $ aws --version
3. Install SAM CLI by following the next steps [Install](https://aws.amazon.com/es/serverless/sam/)
4. To verify that your installation was successful, run the following command in the terminal: $sam --version

## How to start?

SAM is very useful for starting a project and offers a list of templates that we can use based on the  type of architecture of your project. 



To use this guide, you can use the following command in the terminal: $sam init



With this option, you can select an AWS template that has been created using AWS best practices or use a template that you have previously created (very useful when you already have your development team and want to create standards around your serverless applications).

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/q21Hw0dVc-tQB28zH4ZgE1bsfkfyuhCNwDMMLos1KxUymxJE8c6Hqb_5gD2D3cDM66dWTupoFMYV6VIgiVhjYHCf9BsPiKwZppiZ3KFp6kZ33ktyC-XOl3GwhESsPDwt-poNVamFY-1qNkgjGP4b88L784S1Nj6yipIh9M-F8NcyIxJW0m5k40e3yfd4kg)



At the time of writing this article, if you choose option 1 you can use any of these templates:

![Image description](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/1RrRqNwCScc1Q4x9ZVwokYiU-PoaG0xo1lmlY9v25HB_Kv40OgHY5oAJUgkZRZiRem_TNJ5_9F2Hx9mm8wxFCUeINmbRqILgXFnXhzrKBpoHln5yJOGRekGes2xx5Mom3aQXJyxuOPl1M_ss4CaiNPnpQkk8u9DiB9C0aErB8eS35kDztlG5SD6ujr5Qxw)

In this exercise, we will not use any of these templates but they are very useful when starting a project, and they also have examples of unit testing for Lambda functions which we liked a lot.



Something we need to be clear about with SAM is that when you use it you will have two key components:



1. AWS SAM template specification: This is used to define all the infrastructure required in your project. See: [Template structure details](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/serverless-application-model/latest/developerguide/sam-specification.html).
2. AWS SAM command line interface (AWS SAM CLI), which we will use to deploy our applications. More info here: [Command reference](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/serverless-application-model/latest/developerguide/serverless-sam-reference.html#serverless-sam-cli)

## Hands on

Now, let's get into the matter of deploying a REST API with SAM. You can find an example of the code here:: <https://github.com/hsaenzG/ApiWithSam> which was made with SAM version 1.67.0 so you can play with it. 



With this code you can deploy the API, test it, and delete it using the free data layer of AWS at no cost. Just don't forget to delete it when you're done using the command: $sam delete ApiWithSam

### File structure

For this exercise, you will need the following file structure:

![Image description](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/BrMs-vZzQQ87VHTmM46az_BYQwpIroLkc7ubZsJ3ZBkTsErWvcDxVXVKLjhdJjm_uwI4X-bZxL2_2srp5cswZl8YbMCtH7X7EWrzOQckg7xodIXeYPPJhVmpBovp7TGjMnl2sGynsgxAwJNVVwLhoEBKuzu7S8meiIWqVWBAPVTGKmfHFsNbS5oCSFrttw)

### Architecture

In this exercise, we will create the following architecture:

![Image description](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/JUjzyDJ7ocBSIZg4JGHbW7MS3HVyAz2bqwY_16Oalq2lpeAOMp6LUxK5crXm43kaqM-lQUZmrH8W1L7ieN-yeoevQPqeRMO6iYaezEsxFHibRrlbAcwIFLCMLM3QVwBIJPYiIPBD_-7FUX494tivsKzspf6YSE35WwxYxQRldy5wwszUHx6WVSmInWKhBg)

### Template

To do it with SAM, place the following code in the template.yml file:

AWSTemplateFormatVersion: '2010-09-09'

Transform: 'AWS::Serverless-2016-10-31'



Resources:



 SaveHelloFunction:

   Type: 'AWS::Serverless::Function'

   Properties:

     Handler: handler.saveHello

     Runtime: nodejs14.x

     CodeUri: ./greeting

     Policies:

\- DynamoDBCrudPolicy:

           TableName: !Ref GreetingsTable

     Environment:

       Variables:

         GREETINGS_TABLE: !Ref GreetingsTable

     Events:

       Api:

         Type: Api

         Properties:

           Path: /greeting

           Method: POST

 GetHelloFunction:

   Type: 'AWS::Serverless::Function'

   Properties:

     Handler: handler.getHello

     Runtime: nodejs14.x

     CodeUri: ./greeting

     Policies:

\- DynamoDBCrudPolicy:

           TableName: !Ref GreetingsTable

     Environment:

       Variables:

         GREETINGS_TABLE: !Ref GreetingsTable

     Events:

       HelloAPI:

         Type: Api

         Properties:

           Path: /greeting

           Method: GET



 GreetingsTable:

   Type: AWS::Serverless::SimpleTable



Outputs:

 MyApi:

   Description: "API Gateway endpoint URL"

   Value: !Sub "https://${ServerlessRestApi}.execute-api.${AWS::Region}.amazonaws.com/Prod/greeting/"



Here we are creating an API Gateway with two verbs: POST and GET. 

* POST: used to create a new resource. The request must include the resource data in the body in JSON format. Example: POST /greeting, with body { "name": "John" }



* GET: used to obtain information about an element. The request must include the resource ID, the name of the person entered for this example, in the URL. Example: GET /name/?name=John



Each of these has an associated Lambda function, and they write to and read from a table in DynamoDB. In addition, it creates a policy that allows creating, modifying, and deleting records in the DynamoDB table.



An IAM user was created on an AWS account with only the necessary permissions for creating Lambda, DynamoDB, API Gateway, and IAM (to create all the  security policies required). It's a good practice to assign only the minimal permissions to your IAM user that you will use in your IaC processes to avoid vulnerabilities in your account.

### Lambda functions

In this exercise, both functions were created in the same handler.js file, but a good practice is to create a different file for each one.

const AWS = require('aws-sdk');

const dynamo = new AWS.DynamoDB.DocumentClient();

const TABLE_NAME = process.env.GREETINGS_TABLE || '';



exports.saveHello = async (event) => {

   console.log(event);

  

   const name = event.queryStringParameters.name;



   const item = {

       id: name,

       name: name,

       date: Date.now()

   }



   console.log(item);



   const savedItem = await saveItem(item);



   return {

       statusCode: 200,

       body: JSON.stringify(savedItem),

     }

}



exports.getHello = async (event) => {

   const name = event.queryStringParameters.name;



   try {

       const item = await getItem(name);

       console.log(item);

  

       if (item.date) {

           const d = new Date(item.date);

          

           return {

               statusCode: 200,

               body: \`User created on :  ${d.getDate()}/${d.getMonth()+1}/${d.getFullYear()}\`

           }

       }

   } catch (e) {

       return {

           statusCode: 200,

           body: 'There is no one with that name.'

       }

   }

}



async function saveItem(item) {

   const params = {

       TableName: TABLE_NAME,

       Item: item

   };



   console.log(params)

  

   return dynamo.put(params).promise().then(() => {

       return item;

   });

};



async function getItem (name) {

   console.log('getItem');

  

   const params = {

     Key: {

       id: name,

     },

     TableName: TABLE_NAME

   };



   console.log(params);

    return dynamo.get(params).promise().then(result => {

       console.log(result);

       return result.Item;

   });

};



### Deployment

Now, to deploy the greeting app at your AWS account, simply run the command:

 $sam deploy.



Once the deployment is finished, you will be able to see the URL of your API in the terminal like this:

![Image description](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/nAmQjYZcyVPiKT-sWPnz342MObbqKxXc1JETdyFHUYHZojFJlpD-KKkyeVIZ4UUN-oi3fl5HE1g2Ss6W4KKTxGjujDt2hblcvPbEK-9RQlHys4lsqH-B1GeoJ1Gn61BxUwmT2pyskEAktVYPwYjUoZFtDebk_FTK_aSfYz291dqyFELBE2-OZe7N1OAv1Q)

### Testing

To test them, simply copy this URL and use any application to execute HTTP requests.  Postman was used for these examples, but you can use whatever you prefer.

#### POST

![Image description](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/qO8oEsPi2f9qJa9t25YkQTJO-2__f2TrC407xbx-jixUoTebyMgVsVABRPY3HFEME31iHFhe8JUY9j98Wsnv7O458gL-oVSlirIPEyZRK-CJxoBxL7GmJ3ZXVpqsbKHf_UXKMbW7YngEViegNl6N3uBL8KQYzVYrimfeiwNXJUTtAwaM8QKR4s_z2JbqQQ)

#### GET

![Image description](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/3nIowDKS1hGwWVSD6aRdlF1B88Mt4YHP_wEYMyS45xkfsToU8UfaSQzL8Itd5_9V-uPoa5-v3T_np379qrndVaFVKFNyZzDmq9iUpY11KJkdgg9EvKB7fSgkxLM0ANKw3ngDVO-dQnu2dJv15Kg_EL848FsDj_PZznRQaHywtqb9LO61tDMjH8BOBPAHOQ)

You now have a functional Serverless REST API on AWS. 



Congratulations! And don't forget to delete all of your infrastructure after you finish testing with: 

$sam delete ApiWithSam.





About Cognits



Cognits is a design and development company that specializes in user centric digital products which improve your value chain. Our mission is to empower your company by using design and development best practices to improve your existing processes in an agile, efficient, and affordable way. We strive by making your company succeed in the digital world.



## References

[AWS Documentation](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/es_es/serverless-application-model/index.html)

[Getting Started with AWS](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_TQubcn0hM)

[Deploy Serverless API with SAM](https://dev.to/hsaenzg/despliegue-api-serverless-con-sam-17gp)

Our development team can help move your company to cloud computing using serverless applications.

Step-by-Step Guide to Setting up your Serverless Architecture

Cognits | Blog - Step-by-Step Guide to Setting up your Serverless Architecture

2023 has been noted by Forbes to be a growth year for many freelancers. **78% of companies will rely on freelancers instead of adding staff**. An outsource partner is a great option for software development. 

But, it’s important to choose the right partner for your company and unique needs. When choosing an outsource software development company, there are a few key factors to consider. 





1. ### Experience and expertise

Look for a company with experience in developing the type of software you need, and make sure they have the necessary technical expertise to deliver high-quality results.



2. ### Communication and collaboration

It's important to choose a company that has good communication and collaboration skills, as this will be key to the success of your project. Look for a company that is willing to listen to your ideas and provide regular updates on progress.



3. ### Cost and value 

While cost is certainly an important factor, it's not the only one. Be sure to look for a company that offers good value for money, rather than just the lowest price.



4. ### Flexibility and scalability

Your needs may change over the course of the project, so it's important to choose a company that is flexible and able to adapt to your changing requirements.



5. ### Reputation and references

Do some research to find out what others are saying about the company, and be sure to ask for references from previous clients to get a sense of their work and how satisfied others have been with their services.



6. ### Security and confidentiality

If your software will be handling sensitive data, it's essential to choose a company that takes security and confidentiality seriously. Look for a company that has experience working with sensitive data and has robust security protocols in place.





Ready to get started? [Contact Us](https://cognits.co/contact/).





 ﻿

### About Cognits



Cognits is a design and development company that specializes in user centric digital products which improve your value chain. Our mission is to empower your company by using design and development best practices to improve your existing processes in an agile, efficient, and affordable way. We strive by making your company succeed in the digital world.



References

[Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonyounger/2022/12/22/the-trends-shaping-the-freelance-revolution-in-2023/?sh=7749209322a3)

Cognits is a design and development company that specializes in user centric digital products which improve your value chain.

Checklist for Choosing your Outsourcing Partner

Cognits | Blog - Checklist for Choosing your Outsourcing Parnter

Imagine you order an Uber, as usual you see the approximate time and cost for the ride, but once your driver arrives, he tells you that there is a 50% chance that he can have an accident while driving. He also tells you that he will charge you triple the amount of your quote and will actually take 5 times longer than quoted. 

Would you still get in the Uber? 

This is an unfortunate example of the experience many have when buying traditional software development… they get an initial estimate, but it ends up costing much more, taking more time and with a very high risk of not completing the project. 

According to an analysis of 50,000 software projects conducted by The Standish Group, **77% of traditional software development projects either failed or were challenged (**went over budget, over time, were not completed, etc).

In traditional project management, we usually find ourselves immersed in a detailed, meticulous and rigid set of processes to follow in order to achieve a certain goal. We work rigidly, following a strict long list of requirements, until our product is completely finished, so there isn’t much room for flexibility and the ability to adapt is majorly absent. 

On the other hand, agile focuses on responding to change rather than following a plan. Agile also focuses on working “software” over comprehensive documentation. We do not see deadlines as dates set in stone. We face the fact that the market is changing day to day, so we rely on the power of iterations, gathering constant feedback and adapting while staying true to the product vision. This ensures that we achieve the best outcome for our customers.

Software development inevitably places you in changing environments. We know that VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) environments will be our day to day. This is why we have invested so much into Agile training for our teams. We truly believe that Agile is the perfect match to deliver your project or product. 

Some things to consider when thinking of adapting agile:

* Prioritizing feedback and learning, promotes flexibility and collaboration. Agile seeks to have clients and decision makers actively involved in each phase of the product development, which ends not only in stakeholder satisfaction but also of final customers.
* Agile frameworks are suitable in changing environments because of new practices and principles that enable a team to develop a product in a short duration.
* People who work in agile environments tend to improve employee engagement and job satisfaction, teams are led through influence and not authority, making them feel part of something big and valuable.

Ready to get started? [Contact Us](https://cognits.co/contact/).



### **About Cognits**

Cognits is a design and development company that specializes in user centric digital products which improve your value chain. Our mission is to empower your company by using design and development best practices to improve your existing processes in an agile, efficient, and affordable way. We strive by making your company succeed in the digital world.

References: 

[M﻿ountain Goat Software](https://www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/blog/from-project-manager-to-scrum-master-3-tips-for-making-the-transition)

[A﻿gile Manifesto](https://agilemanifesto.org/)

[L﻿inkedIn Article](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/70-software-development-projects-fail-yours-doesnt-/)[](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/70-software-development-projects-fail-yours-doesnt-/)

Agile in software development means a collaborative, iterative approach to building software. Our team uses Agile methodologies to deliver top-notch products.

77% of Traditional Software Projects Fail (and why yours doesn’t need to)

Cognits | Blog - 77% of Traditional Software Projects Fail

For the last decade, agile frameworks have become more and more popular. But its growth skyrocketed in 2021, growing from 37% to 86% of teams in the software industry use agile (a 132% increase!). 

Companies that have adopted agile performed far better during the Covid-19 outbreak than others. 93% of agile companies reported better customer satisfaction than the non-agile competition, according to a McKinsey 2020 study. 

Clearly, the ability to adapt and move quicker has proved its value. 

You have many options in your delivery partners, and likely many of them work in agile. At Cogits, our agile teams operate a little differently. Here are a few benefits of working with us: 

### 1. Self Organized 

Our team members are highly efficient, goal-oriented individuals who thrive by being part of self-organized teams. With less of a need for management, you’ll experience increased efficiency and time to market as we spend less time on project management and more time on solving problems and completing work. 

### 2. Multi-Frameworks 

We don’t limit ourselves to just one framework. Whether you prefer Scrum, Kanban or something else, we can work in the framework that works best for your team. We are flexible in our approach, but can also guide you on what framework will work best for your specific needs.

### 3. Team Performance Metrics

In order to constantly improve our teams and polish the products we develop, we apply a variety of metrics to help measure the process and work quality. These include velocity, sprint goal completion, release burn down, lead time, among others.

### 4. Certified Members

We are passionate about continuous learning in all areas. And our teams are certified through the top world recognized certification institutions like Scrum Alliance, Scrum Inc and Kanban University certified with the following certifications: 

* Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster
* Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner
* Scrum at Scale
* Certified Agile Leadership
* Kanban System Design

Our agile teams are ready to bring your ideas to life. The best practices we employ on a daily basis help us understand our customers better, section out the work in a strategic way, and receive early feedback to redirect our forces in the right direction. 

Ready to get started? [Contact Us](https://cognits.co/contact/).

### About Cognits

Cognits is a design and development company that specializes in user centric digital products which improve your value chain. Our mission is to empower your company by using design and development best practices to improve your existing processes in an agile, efficient, and affordable way. We strive by making your company succeed in the digital world.

References:

[Trust Radius](https://www.trustradius.com/buyer-blog/agile-methodology-statistics-trends)

The Cognits Agile team are Certified Scrum Masters and self organized teams that use Scrum or Kanban.

Get the Right Agile Team

Cognits | Blog - Get the Right Agile Team

There is a famous saying – Prevention is better than a cure. 



We believe this to our core, especially when it comes to Quality Assurance (QA) and testing. QA Test Engineers play such an important role in the success of any project. A simple mistake can cost millions. A QA Test Engineer will complement the project team and make the developers much more efficient. 



Adding a testing phase in the development life cycle can reduce the risk of failures occurring during operation. The quality management team is responsible for testing components and systems and creating associated documentation for future use. 



Testing can accomplish the following objectives: 

* Prevent defects by evaluating requirements, user stories, design, and code.
* Verify whether all specified requirements have been fulfilled.
* Check whether the test object is complete and validate if it works as expected.
* Build confidence in the level of quality of the test object.
* Find defects and failures by reducing the level of risk of inadequate software quality.
* Comply with contractual, legal, or regulatory requirements or standards.



 

Using the best practices of QA ensures that your product complies with the requirements and works as it should. When used at the right points in the software development lifecycle, it can give you a huge sense of relief by saving you time and money, making your product competitive, and helping maintain a good reputation. 

Here are some examples of how testing contributes to success:

* Include testers in requirements reviews or user story refinement to help detect defects. 
* Work closely with system designers and testers while the system is being designed to improve each party's understanding of the design and how to test it. 
* Work closely with developers and testers while the code is being developed to reduce the likelihood of defects in the code and tests.
* Have testers verify and validate the software prior to release to detect failures that might otherwise have been missed and support the process of removing the defects that caused the failures (i.e., debugging). 



We have a full team of experienced quality management experts and our engineers at Cognits that can dramatically improve the quality of your software development. 



Ready to get started? [Contact Us](https://cognits.co/contact/).



### About Cognits



Cognits is a design and development company that specializes in user centric digital products which improve your value chain. Our mission is to empower your company by using design and development best practices to improve your existing processes in an agile, efficient, and affordable way. We strive by making your company succeed in the digital world.



References: 

I﻿TSTQ: <https://www.istqb.org/certifications/certified-tester-foundation-level>[](https://www.istqb.org/certifications/certified-tester-foundation-level)

Our Quality Assurance (QA) and QA Test Engineers ensure your product complies with requirements and works properly.

The Importance of Quality Management

Cognits | Blog - The Importance of Quality Management

It can be hard to justify extra project costs when you are already stretched with a razor-thin budget. However, investing in user experience design will not only save you money at the end of the project, but it can also increase your ROI. 

Before we dive into how user experience (UX) can increase your revenue and bottom line, let’s get aligned on the basics. When we say “user experience” we’re referring to how people interact with a product or online experience. The UX designer’s role is to make a product or service more usable, enjoyable and accessible. 

Take a look at this path.  

![User Experience vs Design](/images/frame-6-2-.png "User Experience vs Design")

Clearly nobody was thinking about the end user when this sidewalk was produced. This happens all too often. Usually it’s just that business needs and due dates don’t allow for a UX design team to take the necessary time that it takes to understand their users.\
\
But that is a big mistake and a decline of your return on investment. Good design improves revenue, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and retention.

And as Einstein said – we cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.

### Benefit #1: UX can improve revenue

Brands that provide a good customer experience generate 5.7x more revenue than competitors with a poor experience.\
\
A good example is Bank of America who increased their customers by 45%. Yes, you read that right, 45%. How did they do it? They first investigated why they have such a low amount of new customers. During their Discovery and Design Thinking Phase, they discovered that most people dropped off during their onboarding flow. 

Then they researched and redesigned the onboarding flow to a simple five step onboarding process, and were able to gain 45% of new users. The time they invested in this investigation, research and redesign was a long term investment that had a huge positive ripple effect.

### Benefit #2: Investing in UX upfront can significantly reduce overall project costs

More and more companies are starting to realize that doing a little due diligence on the onset is much less expensive than fixing problems or bugs after development is completed. In fact, 55% of development time is reduced by investing in good user experience design. 

Most of the bugs spotted within a product launch are actually problems – the majority can be fixed with better design. This is why even post launch support can decrease by up 90% with good UX design. 

### Benefit #3: UX design can improve customer satisfaction and customer loyalty 

Customers have high expectations of brands and want a seamless experience when they purchase. If you build a brand that customers like, they will continue to do business with you and even refer their friends. Customers with a positive experience are 140% more likely to spend than those that have a poor experience. 

### Benefit #4: User Experience can improve customer retention 

User experience is key to your online success and customer retention. When customers have a positive experience, they will keep coming back. Conversely, and this is the scary part – 89% of users purchase from a competitor after a poor user experience. 

To end on a positive note, 43% of consumers said they would pay more for a better experience. So, now is the time to start investing in a good user experience. \
Our experience and design team is ready to help you improve your current products or work with you on building the next big thing on the market. You’ll give us the time and we’ll give you happy end users in return.\
\
Ready to get started? [Contact Us](https://cognits.co/contact/).

### ﻿

### About Cognits

Cognits is a design and development company that specializes in user centric digital products which improve your value chain. Our mission is to empower your company by using design and development best practices to improve your existing processes in an agile, efficient, and affordable way. We strive by making your company succeed in the digital world.

R﻿eferences: 

[F﻿orbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakemorgan/2019/09/24/50-stats-that-prove-the-value-of-customer-experience/?sh=127970794ef2)

[U﻿X Planet](https://uxplanet.org/how-to-calculate-the-roi-of-your-ux-activities-b7ba7023246a)

[R﻿elevant](https://relevant.software/blog/good-ux-design/#:~:text=Investing%20in%20good%20UX%20design,term%20benefits%20of%20UX%20design.)

[U﻿X Matters](https://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2021/04/how-ux-designers-can-add-value-to-a-business.php)

[C﻿X Services 360](https://www.cxservice360.com/customer-experience-statistics-you-need-to-know-in-2022/#:~:text=89%25%20of%20consumers%20have%20switched,than%20competitors%20who%20fall%20short.)

[P﻿WC](https://www.pwc.com/us/en/services/consulting/library/consumer-intelligence-series/future-of-customer-experience.html#:~:text=Customers%20are%20willing%20to%20pay,more%20influential%20than%20great%20advertising.)

[T﻿opTal](https://www.toptal.com/designers/product-development/user-flow-analysis)

The Cognits user experience (UX) team can increase your revenue and bottom line.

Why Invest in User Experience?

Cognits | Blog - Why Invest in User Experience

Companies are increasingly choosing to outsource their development now more than ever. Outsourcing can play a vital role in recession-proofing your business. According to Forbes, the best time to outsource is during a recession because it can: 

Enable cost savings

* Create flexibility in resourcing
* Reduce burnout and errors
* Provide more value for the dollar

When you choose to outsource, you have a few different options: onshore (US), offshore (foreign country overseas) or nearshore (LATAM). Wired has reported that more and more companies are turning to Latin America to find talent. A 2022 report estimated that offshoring software development roles would increase by 70% this year. 

So, with all the different options available, why are so many companies choosing LATAM?

 ﻿  

### 1. Access to Vast Talent Pool

The US market can be saturated and pricey. Nearshoring can allow you access to a global network of experts that are nearby and significantly more affordable than onshore. 

Cognits has been in business for over 8 years and has a large pool of talent not only in Guatemala, but also throughout LATAM. We have built up a reputation for producing high-quality work, as well being a great place to work which has attracted the most qualified talent in the area. 

 ﻿

### 2. Cost Savings

Nearshore developers in LATAM are significantly more affordable than regional developers in the US, without sacrificing quality. We handle administrative headaches of getting employees set up to work and have a rigorous onboarding process. This allows our customers to maximize utilization of the resources on their team and hit the ground running from day.

 ﻿ 

### 3. Time Zone Alignment

Communication is much more effective when your outsourced development team is close in proximity to the rest of your company. Communication can be more instantaneous, ensuring the teams operate in lockstep with each other.

One of the main complaints about offshoring is the lack of overlapping time zones. Partnering with developers in places like Eastern Europe and India can involve a 10+ hour work time zone difference, which can mean even some quick communications and issues can take over a day to be addressed.

Guatemala is in the Central Time Zone which means we can easily join meetings or respond to requests in the same day.

Travel is also easy. Some meetings are better and more effective in person. Guatemala City is a short plane ride away from the States. Easily being able for teams to be together for planning sessions or important meetings can be invaluable for efficiency, alignment, and project success.  

 ﻿  

### 4. Shared Language

Our teams share English as a common language making communication with our partners and clients seamless. Cognits also offers English courses to employees in Guatemala to further expand and continually advance their communication skills. Sharing the same language empowers our teams to truly work collaboratively with yours and we encourage our people to bring a point of view to the table as often as possible.

 ﻿ 

### 5. Become More Agile 

Deadlines are harder to make with an overworked staff. Being able to quickly scale up or down your team can give you a huge competitive advantage. With Cognits, you’ll gain from hiring diverse experts with the latest technology skill sets needed to take your product to market and accomplish all your development and design goals. 

Ready to get started? [Contact Us](https://cognits.co/contact/).

 ﻿  

### About Cognits

Cognits is a design and development company that specializes in user centric digital products which improve your value chain. Our mission is to empower your company by using design and development best practices to improve your existing processes in an agile, efficient, and affordable way. We strive by making your company succeed in the digital world.

 ﻿ 

R﻿eferences: 

[F﻿orbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/09/26/why-a-recession-is-the-best-time-for-outsourcing/?sh=24d0aedf6068)

[W﻿ired](https://www.wired.com/story/techs-offshore-hiring-has-gone-into-overdrive/)

[2﻿022 Commit Survey](https://www.commit.us/survey)

Outsourcing can play a vital role in recession-proofing your business.

5 Benefits of Nearshore Software Development

Cognits | Blog - Benefits of Nearshore Development

Product Development + Staff Augmentation

Accelerate your time to market

Cognits is a leading provider of software product development services. Our team of experienced developers, designers, and project managers deliver high-quality software products.

Product Development

Product Development & Staff Augmentation

Platform Integration Services

Integrate faster, get up and running sooner

Our platform integration services seamlessly connect your business systems for improved efficiency and productivity. Trust us to handle your integration needs.

Platform Integration

Managed Services + Maintenance

Keep your systems running flawlessly

Our teams provide managed ongoing services and maintenance that keep your business moving forward.

Managed Services

Managed Services & Maintenance

Website Development

Engage and attract new customers online

Our website development services create stunning, user-friendly sites that drive traffic and sales. Let us build your online presence today.

Cognits Blog

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