Build the lexical baseline before adding embeddings
Start with a search path you can explain. A working keyword baseline makes it easier to see what semantic retrieval adds and where it introduces mistakes.
Read articleCobnex blogs / Australia
Cobnex blog
AI implementation, software architecture, cloud operations and Australian technology policy.
512 articles
Page 4 of 29
Preserve heading ancestry when splitting reports
A passage needs to retain the section that gives it meaning. Build a small document model before producing the records sent to the search index.
Read articleCarry source identifiers through answer generation
Build citations from records owned by the application. Keep a generated answer from deciding which URLs or document versions count as its evidence.
Read articleTrack three clocks in the ingestion pipeline
Source change time, processing time and query visibility describe different stages. Keeping all three makes stale information easier to diagnose.
Read articleValidate the proposed action outside the model
A well-formed tool call can still be unauthorised. Build the executor around the user's permitted task, not the model's explanation for its request.
Read articleDefine the smallest order change an agent may submit
Build a delivery-note tool by separating generated input, business validation and the durable write. Each layer answers a different question.
Read articleCreate the proposal before requesting approval
Save a complete proposed change, render the review from that record and execute from the same record. This removes a common gap between what people see and what systems submit.
Read articlePersist the workflow step before continuing the dialogue
Model the next business action as durable state. A restarted worker should know whether to dispatch, reconcile or report a result without asking the model to guess.
Read articleWrite the expected behaviour before tuning the prompt
Start each evaluation case with a clear decision about success. This prevents the current model's answer from quietly becoming the standard it is judged against.
Read articleVersion the prompt and tools with the model
A model identifier alone cannot reproduce an application response. Capture the configuration that shapes its inputs, available actions and accepted outputs.
Read articleKeep page coordinates beside extracted fields
A reviewer should be able to move from a questionable value to the part of the document that produced it. Preserve that connection through normalisation and correction.
Read articleDraw the request path before choosing the region
Start with every service that receives task data. A regional model endpoint does not describe the location or access rules of the rest of the pipeline.
Read articleAttach one budget to the whole task
Give every model call and tool attempt the same task identity, then reserve capacity before dispatch. This makes cost controls work across retries and concurrent workers.
Read articleDesign three outcomes for missing evidence
Give the application explicit answer, clarification and escalation states. Keep access denials separate so uncertainty handling cannot bypass permissions.
Read articleStart a module with an explicit public contract
Define the operation other features need, then hide the rules and persistence behind it. This gives the module a boundary that can survive internal changes.
Read articleWrite the event intention with the business change
Keep the order update and outbox insert in one transaction. Then give the publisher stable event identities and a clear recovery path for uncertain delivery.
Read articleBind the retry key to the original request
Store the key, account scope and material payload together before executing. Matching retries can reuse the outcome, while conflicting reuse receives an explicit error.
Read articleAdd the new field before requiring it
Introduce a field in stages so older callers remain valid while newer ones adopt it. Define omission and conflict behaviour before changing validation.
Read article