Introduction
This month team Tribus has been busy attending industry events discussing sustainability, digitising knowledge management in construction, and focusing on how businesses can make AI work for them. Read more in our November monthly newsletter.
Digitising Knowledge Management @ London Build Expo 2024
This month, Tribus attended the London Build Expo, one of the UK’s leading construction events. Adam, Tribus’ director, joined forces with Hayley Coe, head of knowledge at Willmott Dixon to discuss how digitising knowledge management systems can provide efficiency and improve accuracy to ultimately win more work.
Tribus has played a key role in delivering bespoke digital solutions for the construction and supply chain sector and continues to look forward as we roll our AI tools that aim to drive continuous industry innovation.
We are always grateful to be given opportunities to share these innovative platforms at events like the London Build Expo and explain to leaders how Tribus built digital platforms that have transformed the way companies understand and use data, offering valuable insights into their work across various areas.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) GenAI & Data Conference Manchester
Tribus Digital is an AWS certified agency. As part of our work with Amazon Web Services Mark, Tribus’ development director and Adam, director of Tribus, attended the AWS GenAI and Data Conference in Manchester, bringing back valuable insights for the team & our clients.
A key takeaway was the importance of starting small when introducing AI into any business. The advice is to focus on a single, manageable use case, create a basic version of the solution, and grow it from there. Trying to tackle everything at once is a quick way to fail.
The concept of "human in the loop" was another highlight. It emphasises the need for human oversight in AI processes to ensure accuracy and reliability, rather than expecting AI to operate entirely on its own.
The event also reinforced the idea that good AI relies on good data. Systems like knowledge bases and chat tools aren’t magic solutions; they require well-structured, accurate information to function effectively.
Mark Spilsbury, development director at Tribus shared some real-world applications that stood out. Companies are using AI to process challenging tasks like interpreting handwritten legal documents and turning them into usable formats.
Retailers, like Very.co.uk, are experimenting with AI to generate initial product descriptions, which are later reviewed by their teams. AI is also making waves in customer support, helping both clients and support staff with quick, reliable answers to questions.
These examples show that AI is not about replacing people, it’s about working smarter and enhancing what we can do together.
WordPress and WP Engine: An Update
Last month, a dispute arose between Automattic, the company behind WordPress, and WP Engine, a major hosting provider. The conflict centres on WP Engine’s alleged misuse of WordPress trademarks and its methods of monetising open-source tools.
In response, Automattic restricted WP Engine’s access to updates and downloads from WordPress.org. This move disrupted WP Engine customers and sparked widespread debate in the WordPress community.
Recent Updates
The disagreement persists. WP Engine has filed legal action to restore access, arguing that Automattic’s actions harm its users and overreach. Automattic defends its stance, claiming it is safeguarding WordPress’s brand and open-source values.
This standoff is affecting the community. Some developers and businesses are rethinking their dependence on WP Engine, while others criticise Automattic for being too aggressive. The situation underlines the tension between open-source principles and commercial interests, impacting plugin compatibility, updates, and reliability for WordPress users.
What This Means for Tribus
Our Head of Development, Richard Blyth, explored this topic in his recent blog, shedding light on how this dispute could affect hosting choices, plugin updates, and the wider WordPress ecosystem. You can read his full take here.
Stay tuned to Tribus’s monthly newsletters for the latest on this conflict & if it affects our clients.
Annual Tribus Christmas Game
It's that time again! During November, Team Tribus began working on the annual Tribus Christmas project. Last year we launched Cyber Clause, an AI image generator that would create your perfect Christmas scene. Other Christmas favorites like Sprout Flicker continue to still be a favourite amongst the team; you can still play Sprout Flicker here.
This year, our Christmas project is all about pushing the boundaries of our AI and digital design practices. Using the Vue 3 JavaScript framework alongside Tailwind CSS, we’re crafting something fast, efficient, and innovative - skills we’re excited to bring to future client projects.
Our team has already developed new digital skills through this journey, and we can’t wait to share the results. For now, though, it’s staying under Christms wrapping paper - but trust us, it’ll be worth the wait. Keep an eye on the Tribus LinkedIn page for the big reveal!
November Google Core Update
Google has started rolling out its latest core update this November, marking the third one this year. These updates aim to improve search result quality by prioritising content that is genuinely useful and pushing down material that adds little value, including spammy or AI generated pages.
This update may cause fluctuations in keyword rankings and organic traffic for some websites over the next couple of weeks. It’s essential not to make any major changes to your site or content while the update is still rolling out, as these shifts are part of the adjustment process.
Google continues to stress the importance of creating valuable content tailored for users. Websites impacted by earlier updates, like the helpful content update from 2023, are unlikely to see significant recovery from this release.
To stay up to date with the most recent Google changes & core updates - make sure to subscribe to Tribus’s newsletter & keep an eye on our LinkedIn!
Sustainability @ Tribus Digital
Tribus has worked with sustainable partners and clients for many years. From building bespoke environmental risk platforms to supporting to deliver green website builds for green companies.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve started ramping up internal discussions that have been focused on sustainability and what it means for us as a company.
We plan to focus more attention on how we support green partners and provide them with sustainable digital solutions that will align with their business objectives and ensure the product and service they are selling is just as environmentally friendly as the digital solutions that sit behind it.
These steps are just the beginning, and we’re committed to finding new ways to reduce our footprint while supporting others to do the same. Stay tuned for updates on how we’re putting these ideas into action.
Lest We Forget
Lastly, On the 11th of November 2024, we paused to honour those who have sacrificed so much for our freedom.
The team at Tribus has been selling poppies to raise funds for the Royal British Legion, supporting veterans and remembering those who’ve bravely served. It’s our way of showing gratitude and ensuring their efforts are never forgotten.
Beyond fundraising, many of us took time to reflect personally, whether by attending remembrance services, observing the silence, or sharing stories. This collective moment of remembrance was a reminder of the resilience and courage shown by so many.
We’re proud to contribute to this cause and to stand together in recognition of their sacrifices.
