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How to Help Increase Ecommerce Sales Using Google Images
Did you know that approximately 75% of internet users in the United States regularly search for visual content before they…
How to Improve User Experience Using Path to Purchase
Each consumer has their own unique customer journey when they buy from your online catalog. Similarly, there are paths of…
Tips and Benefits of Hand-drawn Wireframes
The rapid advancements in technology bring so many benefits to the world of website design and creation. It’s fairly easy to…
What the Dominos ADA Court Ruling Means for Website Owners
For anyone not familiar with the ruling made by the Ninth District Court of Appeals on Tuesday, they found that Domino’s…
What can Marie Kondo and Tidying Up Teach Us About Marketing
If you’re not familiar with Marie Kondo, she is a recently famous organizing consultant, best-selling author and star of the…
What is Google Signals and What Does It Do?
Another new analytical feature from Google? That’s right! Google has really been working hard in 2018, releasing a bunch of…
Can You Afford to Have Your Content Go Unnoticed?
We’ve all heard it a million times - content is king. We get it. Content you post online needs to be relevant, useful,…
A Brief Overview of Google’s New Data Retention Controls
If you’re currently using Google Analytics to track your website’s activity, events and goals, then you should have recently…
Pros & Cons of Craft CMS Security
Website security is one of the most common concerns we hear from our customers. This is particularly true when they are…
It’s All Teamwork
When you’re part of a company that deals in client services, you’re part of a team. It’s important to remember, though,…
GDPR - Are you ready?
GDPR is a new law which replaces the existing EU Data Protection Law, created to strengthen the protection of personal data…
#SPACEDchallenge
Design is in our DNA. We live it and breath it. It inspires our creativity and sparks conversations. Below are some of our…
A Great Alternative to WordPress for Developers & Users
Most people with any sort of digital experience or knowledge have heard of WordPress, the open-source blogging platform.…
A Basic Guide to Featured Snippets
You’ve probably seen and even interacted with a featured snippet even if you don’t know what it is. Have you ever asked…
Oh The HUMANITY!
System Integration: We're working to create a more intuitive world and that doesn't happen without robust integrations.…
5 Tips For Using UX to Ensure Development Success
Your stakeholders are on board. You have your development team scheduled and ready to go. You’ve drafted requirements based…
How To Pick A Topic For Your Blog Post
Many organizations have the best intentions in mind when it comes to the company blog. They research how often to post, the…
What I Learned from Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program
Last October, I received an invitation to apply for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. They describe the…
What is opinionated software?
When considering buying vs. building software, there’s one crucial factor to keep in mind: How closely will the software…
What's the Difference Between a Storyboard, Sitemap and a Wireframe?
Do you know the difference between a sitemap and a wireframe? What about a storyboard? All three are very useful tools that…
Lifespan of Social Media Posts in 2021: How Long Do They Last?
Knowing the lifespan of your social posts can help you better plan your marketing strategy. We explore what those lifespans…
The Refinery Takes 1st Place in Case Weatherhead 100
Each year The Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management recognizes the fastest growing customers in…
The Refinery Recognized with Case Weatherhead Upstart Award
We're proud to be included in a list of so many great entrepreneurial companies in Cleveland, and we look forward to…
Pure CSS3 Accordion UX & Semantics
There are many examples online of pure CSS3 accordions. Many of these accordions use a combination of anchor elements with…
Ruby on Rails Sparkpost RubyGem
If you have a Ruby on Rails app sending email through Mandrill, you may be feeling a bit squeezed right now. Mandrill’s…
How to Manage Budget and Deadlines on Agile Projects
Software projects are notorious for taking longer than expected to deliver. As a result, those projects cost more than…
Refinery and flourish win 2015 Addy Awards
We're proud to announce that The Refinery, in conjunction with our fantastic partners at flourish agency, brought home two…
The Dangers, and Benefits, of Software Fidelity
Cost is a fundamental constraint of all software projects. Engineering software is a complex practice, full of rabbit trails…
Introducing The Refinery
The last 10 years have been an amazing start to our company. Dave and I have grown this little startup from a few pennies in…
Five Things Every Executive Needs to Know about Ideation
All successful people are big dreamers - creative in every aspect of managing their career. However, when in a position of…
Five Things Every CEO Needs to Know about Software Design
There is an old adage, “Design is thinking made visible.” This is an absolute truth in the digital age. As a CEO it is…
Our new office in Colorado Springs
D-I is deeply invested in Cleveland, OH. Our team is all from here and for the last 10 years we’ve been located in the same…
Debunking the Parable of the Product Roadmap
Last year I went on a speaking tour across the United States. During that time, I attended many Agile conferences, meetup…
Build a better product by spending less time planning.
I’m a morning person. I enjoy rising early to plan my day and anticipate what I’ll accomplish. This routine provides clarity…
Why your developers should think more like a designer
Software exists to create an experience for a user, be it solving a problem or some other business value. Any development…
How we designed our Codemash t-shirts
We presented an idea to the Codemash Conference for a new t-shirt design this year. They decided not to print t-shirts this…
Safari to Limit SSL/TLS Certificate Validity to One Year
On February 19th of this year, Apple made a fairly big announcement during a face-to-face meeting of the CA/Browser Forum…
7 Ways to Optimize Your Ecommerce Product Pages
Our Path to Purchase Map provides key metrics, benchmarks and best practices when evaluating the overall effectiveness of…
Use Brand Story to Build Customer Loyalty
Customer loyalty is earned by telling a brand story that emotionally resonates with your customers. We all have our favorite…
Supporting Your Team When They’re Working Remotely
The status of the Coronavirus has now reached the level of a pandemic. Major sports leagues, concerts, schools and…
How to Increase Your E-commerce Conversions & Sales
As any business owner or marketing manager who deals with e-commerce knows, increasing website conversions and sales is…
COVID-19: Free E-commerce Support for Retailers in Need.
The Refinery has felt our share of economic struggle over the last 19 years. I started the company in 2001 during the…
Should You Refine or Redesign?
For any regional or national brand, a website redesign is a substantial project on many fronts. It can take months, even…
A Culture of Caring Part 1: Managing Your Team in a Work from Home World
Not too long ago, the concept of “working from home” was out of reach for the majority of Americans. Resources didn’t allow…
A Culture of Caring Part 2: Managing Your Newly Remote Team in Unprecedented Times
Many of us had no idea that our work worlds would be turned upside down when we first heard “Covid-19” on the news. Yet here…
E-commerce SEO & How to Increase Organic Traffic
Building a strong SEO foundation will give search engines the information they need to determine how relevant your content…
How to Increase Website Traffic & Sales with Videos
A well thought out and professionally executed video strategy can be a game changer for any company. People love to watch…
How to Effectively Communicate with Your Digital Agency
At the start of each new client relationship, we have the ability to foster effective communication, do good work and ensure…
2020 Digital Shelf Virtual Summit Session
Our CEO, Josh Walsh, was invited to take part in a conversation with Salsify as part of their Digital Shelf Institute, the…
How to Create Buyer Personas to Better Understand Your Customers
If you’re selling products or promoting services you offer online, you likely have a good idea who your customers are. This…
10 Ecommerce Holiday Planning Tips for 2020
The year 2020 has been a crazy one to say the least. Covid-19, masks, social distancing, businesses closing, and the list…
5 Unique Holiday Marketing Ideas: Grow Your Fanbase Before Black Friday
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just around the corner. Here are 5 unique holiday marketing ideas for 2020 that can help…
How to Improve Search Engine Ranking in 2021 Using Google Lighthouse
Google continuously makes changes to its algorithm throughout the year, but the first quarter of 2021 should bring some…
Walkthrough of a Google Lighthouse Report
In our recent post, How to Improve Search Engine Ranking in 2021 Using Google Lighthouse, I reviewed Google Lighthouse, how…
What is Customer-Centric Web Design & Why Is It So Important?
People that are unable to identify what a company actually does, or if they grow frustrated while trying to find out more…
Designing a Website Around Customer Intention
Before we dive into the topic above, I want you to think of some recent purchases you made, whether they were online or in a…
The Trouble with Bugs
The debate on bugs and who’s responsible for them within a software or web development project is one that comes up in just…
HIPAA Compliance Considerations in the Work From Home Era
Working remotely from home isn’t new, but now it’s much more common compared to the past. When the Covid pandemic hit the…
What is the Difference Between HIPAA Compliance & PCI Compliance?
PCI and HIPAA standards both have high requirements to meet, but what is the difference between the two, and why are these…
9 Types of Web Applications & What They’re Used For
When most people hear the term “web application”, they think of applications made for mobile devices. Did you know that web…
Am I Responsible for HIPAA Compliance Even if I Don’t Store PHI?
If you’ve recently been to a doctor's office or hospital, you’ve signed a piece of paper regarding HIPAA (The Health…
5 Rules You Need to Know About HIPAA Compliance for Web Apps
Keeping medical data safe and secure is more crucial than ever these days, and this is why HIPAA compliance continues to…
What is Software as a Medical Device (SaMD)?
Technology has progressed faster over the past two decades compared to any other span of time in history. Today, even…
The Big Stick - Thoughts from Our CEO
After reading this article titled Big Sticks, some key points really stuck with me because of my own experiences owning a…
What are the 4 Risk Categories of SaMDs?
There are many variables that go into identifying and classifying software as a medical device. It’s important to remember…
What are the 4 Types of System Integration
Many companies use multiple systems in their everyday business operations. One system might act as a CMS for ecommerce…
Designing HIPAA Compliant Websites
A well-designed and user-friendly website is a necessity for any business or organization today. This includes hospitals,…
AI in Medical Devices May Transform Healthcare
The article When We Put AI in Medical Devices, Magic Starts to Happen recently came across my news feed. It’s hard not to…
Why We Love Building SaMD: BloodHub
At The Refinery, we have designed and built a huge variety of software, applications, portals, websites, etc. for multiple…
Prepare Your Manufacturing Business for a Recession
Although not officially announced yet, it seems likely that our economy will be going into a recession (2 consecutive…
7 Examples of Software as a Medical Device (SaMD)
Software as a medical device is a relatively new and revolutionary tool in healthcare. It can collect massive amounts of…
7 Steps in the System Integration Process
Companies in the advanced manufacturing space commonly use multiple systems in their daily operations. One system may…
What are Progressive Web Applications (PWAs)?
Progressive web apps are defined as “web apps that use service workers, manifests, and other web-platform features in…
How SaMD is Regulated in the US
There are many different medical markets around the world, with the largest two being the US and the EU. In this article, we…
What’s the Difference between ERP and CRM Systems?
You’ve likely heard the terms CRM (customer relationship management) system and ERP (enterprise resource planning) system…
The 10 Most Common HIPAA Violations
All HIPAA violations could be considered potential threats to your medical-related organization, but there are some that are…
Categorizing & Comparing Examples of SaMD
In the recent past, we reviewed examples of software as a medical device (SaMD) as well as how SaMD is categorized in two…
What to Consider When Creating a Portal for Healthcare
There are plenty of reasons for a healthcare organization to create a portal, whether it’s for patients, employees or both.…
The Risk of Using Legacy Medical Devices with Outdated Software
The healthcare industry is a prime target for cyberattacks and has been for years. The main reason being that personal…
What is Data Encryption and Why Is It Important?
A majority of businesses today have quite a lot of private information and data stored digitally, whether it’s in the cloud…
The Pros and Cons of Custom Software Devices in Healthcare
The healthcare industry is quite unique when it comes to technology. One of the main reasons for this is that industry…
5 of the Top Medical Technologies in 2022
Technology has been a main factor in the advancement of healthcare for many years. These advancements in the medical field…
The 5 Elements of a HIPAA Compliance Checklist
When working with people’s personal health information, whether you’re a healthcare company or not, it’s essential to be…
The Cart Before the Horse: How System Integration Needs an Overhaul
What do you think when you hear this analogy? Probably you’re doing something out of order. How do we determine order? I…
The Refinery Refined
Since its founding in 2005, The Refinery has been a software design and development agency. We’ve worked with clients from…
Manufacturing to MedTech
As a sales professional with a background in manufacturing, I had spent years working in the industry, gaining experience in…
Top 10 Mistakes Made When Writing an RFP
One of the keys to being successful in life is by learning from mistakes. In my experience it’s always better to learn from…
5 Things to Always Include on an RFP
On Monday I posted a blog about the top 10 mistakes I see on RFP’s when I receive them. Today I want to talk about the key…
Problems with Using RFP Templates
A document that is known as a request for proposal, or RFP, is what an organization will use to interact with potential…
My Journey to The Refinery
In today’s market you have to make it your job to find a job. You have to be diligent and not get discouraged, because…
RFP in's and out's
So your company has decided to go forward with a digital solution. The team has been put together and the idea has the green…
What are the best resources to build an RFP
When building an RFP, some of the best resources include: Industry standards and best practices: Research industry standards…
Custom Software or Out of the Box For Your Manufacturing Process
Improving throughput on a plant floor can be a challenging task in any manufacturing process. The most effective way to…
Extracting Business Intelligence from SAP
SAP builds some of the most widely used software for businesses in the world Concur, BTP, Arena, Aktie, and Hana as…
Top 10 Advancements in Tech Manufacturing
3D Printing: The ability to produce complex shapes and structures using additive manufacturing techniques has revolutionized…
How Has AI influenced Advanced Manufacturing
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has had a significant impact on manufacturing technology, leading to improvements in…
10 Ways MedTech Will Reduce Healthcare Cost
By streamlining processes, increasing efficiency, and making it possible to administer treatments that are both more…
Electronic Health Records Pros and Cons
Electronic health records, also referred to as EHRs, are digital representations of a patient's medical history that are…
Advancements in MedTech to Disrupt Healthcare
It is anticipated that personalized medicine, telemedicine, artificial intelligence, and wearable devices will each have a…
3d Printing In The Med Tech Field
3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is a technology that enables the creation of complex three-dimensional…
Biggest Advancements In Med Tech Field
There have been several significant advancements in the field of medical technology in recent years, here are some of the…
Time and Material Death Spiral
In the custom software business time and material implementations are by far the most common implementations. A "time and…
Discovery and Implementation Phases in Software Development
The discovery and implementation phases of custom software development are both critical step’s in ensuring the success of…
Emerging Tech Industry 4.0
New technologies have the ability to completely alter how business is conducted, from the production of goods to the…
Revolutionary Technologies in Industry 4.0
Firms can now take advantage of a variety of potent technologies to improve their operations thanks to the digital age,…
Steps to Successful ERP Implemenation
It is possible to organize the implementation of a new ERP system for the entire manufacturing facility into reasonable…
Challenges When Finding The Right Implementation Partner
When it comes to implementing software solutions, organizations often face the challenge of finding a suitable…
The Complexities of Software Implementation
Software implementation is a complex process that requires careful planning, development, testing, and deployment. Despite…
Time for Discovery to be a First Class Citizen
It’s time to recognize the immense value of the discovery process within the software development workflow, and to make it a…
How Companies Manage Tech Manufacturing
Technology has become an integral part of our lives, and companies that produce technology products need to ensure that they…
How Manufacturing Companies are Failing to Transition to the Tech World
Despite the rapid advancement of technology, many manufacturing companies are still struggling to transition to the tech…
Craft CMS Benefits
Craft CMS is an all-in-one content management system that is intended to make content management simple and efficient. It…
MedTech Impacts on Healthcare
Personalized medicine, telemedicine, artificial intelligence, and wearable devices are expected to have a significant impact…
MedTech Revolutions
In the modern era, medtech has revolutionized patient care by providing healthcare providers with the tools and technology…
Top 10 Medical Device Innovations
The healthcare industry has witnessed several groundbreaking medical device innovations in the last few decades. Here are…
Med Tech Loss Prevention Issues
Medical technology (medtech) plays a crucial role in the healthcare industry, providing cutting-edge devices and equipment…
Importance of Inventory Management
The effective management of inventory is an essential component of operating a productive manufacturing operation. Inventory…
SAP and Oracle ERP's
Inventory tracking that is accurate and efficient is critical for businesses to remain competitive. SAP S/4HANA and Oracle…
Algorithms and Inventory
Inventory tracking algorithms, sorting algorithms, and shipping algorithms are the most common algorithms used to track,…
IoT and Inventory
IoT devices can be used to manage inventory in a variety of ways. RFID tags and readers are one method for tracking…
The Top Ten Challenges In Inventory Management
Inventory management can be a complex process that presents a number of challenges for businesses. The top ten challenges in…
Challenges Ahead for Inventory Management
Inventory management has always been a critical aspect of business operations, as it affects profitability and customer…
ERP's and Efficiency
As their company expanded, ABC Manufacturing, a regional manufacturer that creates a large array of items, ran into a…
Investments in Technology to Improve Process
To stay ahead in the manufacturing industry, companies must constantly look for ways to improve their production processes.…
Top 5 things to consider when ERP shopping
Functionality: When looking for an ERP system, it's critical to consider your company's specific requirements. Because…
Robotics and Automation Advancements
The field of robotics and automation has seen remarkable advancements in recent years. Thanks to the development of…
Advancements in Internet of Things
The Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly advancing with technological innovations that have changed the way we live and work.…
Warehouse Improvements
Modern day warehousing can be a highly efficient system and produce higher throughput by implementing the right changes. One…
Ways to Improve Advanced Manufacturing
The manufacturing industry is becoming increasingly complex. When profits are at stake, one of the most important things to…
Cobots a step towards Industry 4.0
Collaborative Robots, also known as cobots, are robots that are meant to operate in tandem with human operators to enhance…
Advancements of Warehouse Logistics and IoT
The advancement of warehouse logistics and IoT technology has completely transformed the way businesses operate. With the…
Med Tech Start Ups
Med tech start-ups are companies that focus on developing innovative technology solutions to address the challenges faced in…
Top Ten Challenges for Med Tech Start Ups
As the field of medical technology continues to advance rapidly, med tech start-ups face a unique set of challenges and…
Future of Industry
The world of manufacturing has undergone significant changes over the past decade due to advances in technology. The ability…
Software Success
At the Refinery, one of the biggest obstacles to developing new software is figuring out how to incorporate it into the…
Customize SAP
SAP has created some of the most popular business applications like Concur, BTP, Arena, Aktie, and Hana. Even though their…
How Venture Capital Decides On The Start Ups They Work With
Venture capital (VC) firms are known for their critical role in funding and supporting early-stage start-ups with high…
Challeges in the Future for Manufactoring Industry
As technology continues to advance, so does the manufacturing industry. With the development of advanced manufacturing…
From CAD to Finished Product: The Manufacturing Process of Medical Devices
The manufacturing of medical devices has advanced significantly thanks to the latest manufacturing techniques. In this blog…
The Future of Healthcare: How Wearable Medical Devices are Changing the Game
Wearable medical devices are revolutionizing healthcare by providing patients and healthcare providers with real-time data…
Collaborative Robots: The Benefits of Human-Robot Collaboration in Manufacturing
Collaborative robots, or cobots, are a type of robot designed to work safely alongside human operators. These robots are…
The development of personalized medicine and its potential to improve patient outcomes
In recent years, the healthcare industry has seen an explosion in the amount of data generated from patient records, medical…
Brain-Computer Interfaces for the Treatment of Neurological Disorders
Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) have emerged as a revolutionary technology that enables direct communication between the…
How to Block and Counter Sales Objections Like a Black Belt
Selling software is a lot like martial arts - bare with me here. As a salesperson, handling objections can feel like going…
Lessons from the Orchard: When Selling, Think Like a Farmer First
As long as I've been in sales the one thing that always rings true is - investing in customer relationships is like planting…
"Cooking up" The Right Team
Hey everyone, it's your pal Steve Fox here. And I've got a piping hot business tip for you - treating your employees right…
Manufacturing Success Runs on Teamwork, Just Like Football
Game Planning for the Plant Floor As a veteran of manufacturing, I've learned that overseeing a smooth-running production…