Week 5 was about decisions. Last week laid the backbone, and this week we focused on choosing the path that would define how we move forward. With infrastructure discussions largely settled, our attention shifted to the architecture and security decisions that will carry us through implementation. As a team, we came together for Project Work Day to discuss key decisions that would help shape and strengthen the architecture of our final deliverable.

A major milestone came when the team evaluated server access options for building our Vector Database in Azure. We spent dedicated project time analyzing the trade-offs of different approaches. After weighing complexity, cost, and scalability, we decided to move forward without Azure AI Search and instead implement a simpler, more cost-effective Azure-based database solution. The choice reduced technical risk and clarified the next steps for the team.

Security planning also took center stage. We designed a role-based access strategy using Microsoft Entra ID, ensuring users only see the information they are authorized to access. These discussions highlighted that security isn’t just a checkbox—it shapes how every component of the system interacts and protects the data it holds.

Communication with project liaisons reinforced alignment. We walked through the architecture decisions, explained the reasoning behind them, and outlined the next steps. Seeing consensus emerge made it clear that the team and stakeholders are moving forward together, confident in the chosen approach.

On the technical side, planning for data integration began in earnest. With the architecture defined, we can start implementing direct server data extraction, set up the Azure database environment, and validate user access controls. Backend integration and workflow testing are queued for next week, keeping the momentum high as we transition from planning to execution.

Looking ahead, the focus will be on implementation. Server access permissions need confirmation, the security configuration requires validation, and integration testing will bring the system to life. By clarifying the architecture this week, we reduced complexity and created a clear path for the team to execute confidently.

Week 5 was about clarity and alignment. The backbone is in place, the path is chosen, and the team is ready to move forward with purpose. 🚀

Week 4 was less about presentations and more about foundations. If the past few weeks were about alignment and feedback, this week was about infrastructure, security, and making sure what we build can actually stand strong in the real world.

One of the biggest highlights was our strategy session with Ashley’s team and the Comsys Oelrich IT team. This meeting felt like a turning point. We walked through the Azure environment setup in detail and clarified expectations on both sides. For weeks, Azure access had been our biggest dependency. After this session, it finally felt like that risk was under control.

Following the QRB feedback, we also refined our roadmap to include a dedicated worker training phase for the new tool. It was an important reminder that building a technically sound solution is only half the challenge. Adoption matters. Usability matters. Making sure Oelrich employees feel confident using the system matters just as much as the architecture behind it.

Security and access control also took center stage this week. We updated the project plan to clearly define administrative access protocols for admin users, creating a structured security hierarchy. These discussions pushed us to think beyond functionality and focus on governance and long term sustainability.

On the technical side, the team began investigating two possible paths for data ingestion. One path involves direct server extraction, while the other explores integration through Active Directory. Rather than rushing into a decision, we are carefully evaluating feasibility, security implications, and scalability before locking in the architecture.

At the same time, progress on the front end continued steadily. UI and UX improvements are starting to reshape the chat experience, making it cleaner and more intuitive. While infrastructure conversations can get heavy, seeing visual improvements on the interface keeps motivation high.

Looking ahead, next week will be focused on finalizing the list of required Azure services and submitting it to Comsys IT for provisioning. We will also determine the final data extraction architecture after completing our investigation, continue validating data synchronization pipelines, merge UI updates for team review, and update the technical documentation to reflect all recent refinements.

The project remains on schedule. More importantly, this week reduced uncertainty. By parallel tracking infrastructure setup and UI improvements, we kept momentum high while addressing our highest risk dependency.

Week 4 was about strengthening the backbone of the system. Less flashy. More foundational. And absolutely necessary for everything that comes next.

Week 3 felt like the moment the semester is finally starting to test us. The reset was behind us, the momentum was rolling, and now it was time to perform. Everything this week revolved around one major milestone, the Quality Review Board presentation.

Before the big day, the team met and rehearsed our QRB presentation.

Slides were refined, transitions were tightened, and everyone ran through their sections more times than we care to admit. These rehearsals were less about memorizing content and more about building confidence as a unit. By the final run through, the presentation felt cohesive and intentional rather than stitched together.

The formal QRB presentation itself marked a huge checkpoint for the team. We walked the panel through our project scope, system architecture, and Spring roadmap, laying out not just what we plan to build, but how and why. Delivering the presentation felt intense, but also rewarding. It was one of those moments where weeks of preparation finally came together.

Afterward, we received detailed feedback from the panelists covering everything from technical design decisions and deployment strategy to security considerations and scope clarity. Instead of feeling overwhelming, the feedback felt constructive and actionable. Soon after, we regrouped as a team to review every comment and identify where refinements were needed in both the project plan and technical milestones.

One of the most important parts of the week was our liaison meeting. We walked through panelist concerns together, clarified expectations, and made sure our proposed changes stayed aligned with Oelrich Construction’s requirements and internal constraints. That conversation helped validate our direction and ensured that any adjustments we make continue to serve real client needs rather than just academic checkboxes.

Looking ahead, the next week will be focused on incorporating QRB feedback into our roadmap and technical design. At the same time, we will continue coordinating with Oelrich IT on EntraID and SSO feasibility and Azure proof of concept discussions, while resuming planned technical work such as Azure stack migration, Knowledge Store setup, and early UI enhancements.

As of now, the project remains on schedule. More importantly, Week 3 gave us clarity. The expectations are clear, the feedback is in, and the path forward feels solid. The pressure was real this week, but it sharpened our focus rather than slowing us down.

QRB is behind us. Now comes the part where we turn feedback into progress. 🚀

If Week 1 was about resetting and finding our footing again, Week 2 was about momentum. The kind that comes from clarity, alignment, and finally seeing the semester take real shape. Things moved fast this week, but in a good way. The kind of busy that feels purposeful rather than chaotic.

One of the biggest highlights was volunteering for a mock QRB presentation in class. Putting ourselves out there early gave us valuable feedback and helped us identify gaps before the formal review. It was slightly nerve wracking, but exactly what we needed. The mock session forced us to tighten our story, refine our slides, and think more critically about how we communicate our technical decisions.

Midweek, we held our Spring kickoff meeting, which really set the tone for the rest of the semester. This was our chance to zoom out, finalize the project plan, and confirm the roadmap moving forward. By the end of the meeting, roles were clearly defined, ownership was established, and everyone knew exactly where they fit. That clarity alone made a huge difference in how confident the team felt.

We also laid out our semester action plan, identifying major technical milestones including EntraID and SSO integration, Knowledge Store migration, Azure stack migration for the RAG framework, and UI enhancements. Seeing everything mapped out made the workload feel manageable and helped us understand how each piece connects to the larger system.

Looking ahead, next week is a big one. Our top priority is finalizing and delivering the formal QRB presentation on Tuesday. At the same time, we plan to initiate discussions with the Oelrich IT team to dive deeper into the feasibility of EntraID and SSO integration and explore the possibility of a proof of concept Azure subscription. Parallel technical work will also begin, with Azure migration efforts starting for the RAG framework, Knowledge Store setup and indexing kicking off, and UI enhancements moving into early development.

We do have a few open items that depend on liaison input, particularly around EntraID feasibility, Azure subscription access, and scheduling a stakeholder sync to ensure our Spring roadmap aligns with updated priorities. These conversations will be key in unlocking the next phase of execution.

As of now, the project remains on schedule. More importantly, the team feels aligned, motivated, and ready to execute. With the QRB presentation around the corner, this week felt like the calm before a productive storm.

The foundation is set. The direction is clear. Now it is time to build.

Coming back after winter break always feels a little strange. Alarms go off earlier than we would like, calendars suddenly fill up again, and the words project timeline re enter our vocabulary. But this first week back did not feel overwhelming. It felt intentional. Rested. Refreshed. And most importantly, reset.

The break gave us the breathing room we did not realize we needed after the intensity of last semester. When we came back together as Team Cemantics, there was a noticeable shift in energy. Conversations were sharper, ideas flowed more naturally, and everyone seemed ready to move forward with purpose rather than pressure.

Our main focus this week was getting aligned for the semester ahead. We reviewed the overall project plan and took a deep dive into the January work breakdown structure, making sure every milestone actually made sense in practice and not just on paper. From there, we identified the critical path by closely examining major milestones and high risk dependencies, especially approvals related to Azure Entra ID. This helped us understand where delays could occur and how to plan around them early.

Risk identification also played a major role this week. Instead of treating risks as distant possibilities, we discussed mitigation strategies upfront. This approach felt proactive rather than reactive and helped establish a strong foundation for the rest of the semester.

Looking ahead, next week is where things really begin to move forward. We plan to finalize the project plan after team wide validation, begin Azure infrastructure and single sign on setup pending approvals, and initiate preparation for RAG optimization. Each of these steps brings us closer to execution while keeping dependencies in check.

We are also coordinating closely with our liaisons to validate the overall project plan and approve Azure Entra ID integration, which will unlock several downstream tasks.

At this point, the team is officially on schedule. More importantly, we feel grounded and aligned. This week was not about big presentations or visible milestones. It was about resetting our foundation, reconnecting as a team, and setting the tone for a focused and productive semester ahead.

Winter break did its job. We are back and ready.

The final review day finally arrived. The System Level Design Review. The event everyone in IPPD had been slowly building toward. The day started earlier than usual for all of us. Students were picking the right tie, polishing shoes, making sure the shirt collar actually stayed in its place. Faculty were preparing their notes, reviewing their teams, and getting ready for what would be a very long afternoon. The IPPD staff, who had been preparing for months, were piecing together the final touches for the big day.

The Grand Ballroom at the Reitz Union was already buzzing by the time we walked in. The setup was beautiful and formal, with refreshments, networking spaces, and the familiar faces of liaisons and students from every team. Before anything officially started, we took a few pictures with our liaisons near the green screen with the giant Gator chomping backdrop.

<We are still waiting on the media from IPPD staff and will be adding the pictures soon.>

At 1 pm, everyone settled at their assigned tables. The seating was mixed so that each table had one or two liaisons and four or five students from different teams. It was a refreshing change to interact with people outside our usual circle. The interactive session soon began, focusing on topics like Engineering Connections, Professional Skills, leadership, and industry readiness. The conversations were surprisingly engaging.

After the keynote and interactive session wrapped up, at 3:15 pm we all started moving toward our meeting rooms on the second floor. Our room was RU 2335. The presentation lineup in our room was Brick By Bit, Loyalty, Cemantics, and LuminaTech. As we sat waiting for our turn, we watched Brick By Bit and Loyalty deliver strong, confident presentations. Their Q&A responses were sharp, and they set the bar high. We wanted to match that energy.

But the moment it was our turn, things quickly took a dramatic turn. The room was packed with experts talking among themselves. A camera was pointed directly at us. Dr Silva and Dr Salgado walked in just in time to add a little more pressure. And then right when we were about to start, someone tripped over the projector cable and the entire display bailed. Black screen. Silence. Eyes turning. Not the best start.

We had to act fast. We fixed the cable and tried to bring the room back together. In a moment of panic mixed with confidence, I half yelled “Perfect!” which somehow pulled back half the room’s attention. “Let’s start,” I said, looking at Hritik, our IPPD Course Assistant. He gave us the go signal with just his eyes. That was all we needed.

The presentation began. It was not flawless. No final review presentation ever is. We skipped a few points, mispronounced a word or two, stuttered at times, and went over the time limit by six minutes. But we kept going. We stuck to the story we had built over weeks. And we delivered it proudly.

The best part came during the Q&A. The team was confident and sharp. Everyone stepped in naturally. We answered before our liaisons needed to, and every time they nodded along, it felt like we were earning their trust even more.

When we wrapped up and walked back to our seats, Ashley, our liaison, leaned toward us and said, “Great job, guys!”

In that moment, every bit of tension left our shoulders. All the long nights, stress, and pressure suddenly felt worth it.

SLDR was not perfect for us. But it was real. It was human. It was our best. And we walked out proud. 🚀

We were not rushing, not scrambling, but slowly and steadily stirring the pieces that will shape the next phase of our project. After wrapping up the Peer Review SLDR, the team settled into a nice rhythm of refining, thinking, and planning the steps ahead.

We started with more updates to the UI. These changes were small but meaningful, the kind that make the system feel a little clearer and smoother every time you interact with it. It is always nice to see the interface become more natural to use because it reminds us that the project is growing in the right direction.

One of the main highlights of the week was delivering the Peer Review SLDR presentation. It felt good to finally put everything out there and walk the reviewers and other teams through our design decisions. The feedback we received was valuable and gave us a clear sense of what to improve as we move forward. It was one of those moments where you feel both relieved and motivated at the same time.

We also started laying the foundation for the minimal viable flow for submittal processing. This part of the project needed a lot of careful thought. During our meeting with the liaisons, we asked the questions that mattered and made sure we understood their expectations. Now we have concrete action items and a clearer direction for how the submittal flow should work.

For next week, we will keep working on defining the architecture for the submittal MVF. We will also continue improving the UI, including the ability to view past chats, and strengthen the backend with better reference tracking and increased reliability.

Everything is still on schedule, and it feels like the project is settling into a strong stride. With each week, the system becomes a little more refined and a little more real, and Team 18 is ready to keep it moving.

This week felt a bit like being in the kitchen before a big family dinner. We were not serving anything yet, but we were prepping, tasting, fixing, and making sure everything would come together perfectly for the System Level Design Review. There was a quiet excitement in the air as Team 18 focused on getting every piece ready.

We began with the UI, making small but meaningful updates. These little changes made the interface clearer and easier to follow. It felt like adjusting the seasoning in a dish. Nothing dramatic, but you know it is better than before. The team spent time thinking through the user’s point of view, making sure every button, label, and screen made sense.

On the backend side, we started cleaning things up and refining the core logic. This work is not flashy, but it is the foundation. Smoother performance now will make future features fall into place more easily. It was satisfying to see parts of the system get a bit more stable and efficient with each update.

A big part of the week was also spent preparing for the upcoming System Level Design Peer-Review. We started shaping the slides and organizing the material. This felt like arranging the ingredients before the final cook. We wanted the story of our system to be easy to follow, and for our decisions to be backed by clarity.

Looking into next week, the plan is to finalize the Peer Review SLDR report and present it. We will also continue enhancing the UI, especially by adding a way to view past chats. On the backend, we will focus on reference tracking and improving the system’s reliability. We will also discuss our integration plan with the liaisons, especially how to work with Microsoft Entra ID for access control and Single Sign-On.

The Setup:

The long-awaited Prototype Inspection Day finally arrived, and Team Cemantics was ready to showcase all our hard work. As we reached the Rion Ballroom on the third floor of the Reitz Union, we were met with an impressive and sophisticated setup. A large front desk with volunteers kept everything running smoothly. The atmosphere was filled with excitement and nerves as some teams were still setting up while others looked calm and confident.

We greeted Dr. Edward, who wished us the best for the event, and quickly got to work. Using the monitor, extension box, and cables we got, we set up our station with three displays — one showing our AI Days poster, one for our prototype implementation, and another for our pitch presentation. Within minutes, we were ready to begin.

First Interaction:

Our first judges were Professor Cheryl Resch and PhD student Roubin Chen. The presentation flowed naturally from introduction to requirements, theory, solution, and implementation. It felt authentic since we had not rehearsed it before. Their questions focused on backend functionality and testing methods, helping us refine our answers for the next rounds.

Second Interaction:

Next, we presented to our coach, Dr. Sanethia V Thomas, and Professor Andrea Goncher. Wanting to be perfect in front of our coach made us a little anxious, and our delivery lost its smoothness. We received valuable feedback on security validation, data access control, and model choices for vectorization and retrieval. This helped us realign our structure for the next session.

Third Interaction:

Our final session was with a former IPPD student and Professor Rhog Zhang. They shared that our poster was crowded and encouraged more visuals for large screen readability. They also reminded us that having all six members present would better reflect teamwork, even though our two person approach kept the pitch seamless.

In the end, the day was a great success. The feedback we received was thoughtful and practical. We immediately used it to improve our implementation and later gave a demo to our liaisons on the following day, who were very happy with our progress. Their encouragement keeps us motivated as we continue refining the system for the upcoming SLDR.

**Pat **Pat Team 18! The poster presentation was a super hit, just a bit over-populated. Students, faculty, and visitors who came along showed genuine interest in our work, and shared encouraging feedback. It was such a proud moment to see our team’s efforts appreciated and our project gaining well deserved attention.

That was not the only highlight. We also completed Phase 1 of our prototyping successfully as planned. After weeks of planning, refining, and testing, it felt amazing to finally see our ideas take shape. Every team member played a vital role in making this happen, from setting up the cloud architecture to integrating the first components of our system. Seeing everything come together was a moment of real accomplishment.

Now our focus shifts to November 4 when we will present our work on Prototype Inspection Day. With the core structure in place and a clear plan for improvement, the team feels confident and ready. The goal is to polish the prototype, make sure everything runs smoothly, and present our progress with the same energy and enthusiasm we brought to AI Days.

This week reminded us of how much we have grown together as a team. From the excitement of presenting our poster to the satisfaction of completing a major project phase, it truly felt like a milestone moment. Each achievement brings us one step closer to our vision, and Team 18 is more motivated than ever to keep the momentum going as we prepare for the next big challenge.