Articles on the work the studio does: custom software, AI and LLM systems, and Google Ads. Each one is written or reviewed by Savas Tutumlu, founder of Stratagem Systems. The date on each card is the article's last update, and the editorial standards explain how articles are sourced and checked.
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The long-form guide, and how the articles on this site are written
Custom Software Development Guide: Process, Cost and Partners
How custom software gets built: when to build instead of buy, realistic budgets and timelines, how the process runs, and how to choose and manage a partner.
Read it How these are writtenEditorial Standards: How Savas Tutumlu Writes and Checks
How the articles on this site are written, sourced and updated: who writes them, how numbers are checked, how prices are dated and how to report a mistake.
Read itAI and LLM Engineering
Fine-tuning, retrieval and AI grading, with current costs
LoRA Fine-Tuning Cost in 2026: Real GPU Prices, QLoRA Math & Free Calculator
Current GPU prices for LoRA and QLoRA fine-tuning, a cost calculator, and the data and engineering costs that usually outweigh compute.
Read the articleRAG Implementation Cost 2026: Real Pricing + Free Calculator
What a retrieval-augmented generation system costs to build and run: the cost drivers, a calculator and the monthly bills to plan for.
Read the articlePEFT vs LoRA Explained: Methods Compared for 2026 (QLoRA, DoRA & More)
How PEFT methods such as LoRA, prefix tuning and adapters differ from each other, and when to use each one.
Read the articleAI Answer Sheet Grading: How It Works (We Fine-Tuned a VLM to Do It)
How the answer-sheet grading pipeline built for an Istanbul school works: YOLO row detection, a fine-tuned vision-language model and human review.
Read the articleOMR Software in 2026: Traditional Scanners vs AI Grading Compared
When a classic bubble-sheet OMR scanner is the right choice, when AI grading of ordinary answer sheets wins, and what each costs over three years.
Read the articleLLM Fine-Tuning Business Guide: Cost, ROI & Implementation Strategy 2026
When fine-tuning a language model beats prompting or retrieval, which method to choose, and how to plan the data and the budget.
Read the articleAI API Integration Best Practices 2026: OpenAI, Anthropic & Google
Production patterns for the OpenAI, Anthropic and Google APIs: authentication, error handling, rate limits, cost control and monitoring.
Read the articleAI Model Security & Compliance: HIPAA, SOC 2 and GDPR Guide
How to deploy AI under HIPAA, SOC 2 and GDPR: the deployment options, the steps to a compliant setup and the common mistakes.
Read the articleConversational AI & Chatbots: Complete 2026 Business Guide
How LLM-powered chatbots differ from rule-based ones, where they fit in a business, and how to plan, build and run one.
Read the articleCustom GPT Development for Business: Complete Implementation Guide 2026
What a custom GPT is, how it differs from ChatGPT and from a fine-tuned model, and how to build one that knows your company.
Read the articleCustom Software
Choosing a developer, pricing, contracts and timelines
Software Development Contract: 10 Essential Terms & Red Flags [2026 Guide]
The clauses a software development contract needs, from IP ownership to payment milestones and termination, and the red flags to refuse.
Read the articleSoftware Development Timeline: How Long Does It Really Take? [2026 Guide]
How long mobile apps, web applications and larger systems take to build, what slows projects down, and how to plan a realistic schedule.
Read the articleHow to Choose a Software Development Company: 8-Step Framework [2026]
An eight-step way to choose a software development company: requirements, evaluation criteria, red flags, pricing models and contracts.
Read the articleSoftware Development Company Pricing Guide 2026 | Cost Breakdown
What software development costs: hourly rates by location, the main pricing models, and typical budgets by project type.
Read the articleBuild vs Buy ERP for Small Manufacturers (2026): Costs and Trade-offs
Build or buy an ERP for a small manufacturer: licence and implementation costs against a custom build, from an ERP that runs a real factory.
Read the articleBuild vs Buy vs Hybrid in 2026 | When Custom Software Actually Wins
A simple scoring model for deciding when to build custom software, when to buy SaaS, and when to combine the two.
Read the articleWhat is an MVP (Minimum Viable Product)? Complete Guide 2026 | When You Need One
What a minimum viable product is, what it costs and how long it takes, which features to include, and when not to build one.
Read the article25 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Software Development Company (2026)
Questions to ask a software company before hiring it, grouped by experience, architecture, team, delivery, pricing and ownership.
Read the articleAgile vs Waterfall: Which Development Methodology Is Right for Your Project? [2026 Guide]
How agile and waterfall differ in practice and in cost, when each one fits, and the hybrid approaches that work.
Read the articleFixed‑Bid vs Time & Materials vs Dedicated Team (2026 Comparison)
When to choose a fixed bid, time and materials or a dedicated team, and the hybrid models that often work best.
Read the articleHow to Compare Software Development Proposals in 2026 (Beyond Hourly Rate)
How to compare development proposals beyond the hourly rate: normalise the scope, check the approach and risks, and score total cost.
Read the articleHow to Manage Remote Development Teams: Complete Guide [2026]
Running a remote development team: tools, communication, time zones, onboarding and tracking progress without surveillance.
Read the articleOffshore vs Onshore Software Development: Complete Comparison Guide 2026
The real cost difference between offshore, nearshore and onshore development, the hidden costs, and when offshore makes sense.
Read the articleSoftware Development RFP Template 2026 | Step‑by‑Step Walkthrough
A walkthrough of an RFP for a software project: the sections to include and what to ask vendors to send back.
Read the articleStaff Augmentation vs Dedicated Team: Cost, Control & When to Use Each [2026]
Staff augmentation or a dedicated team: cost, management overhead, contract terms and when each one fits.
Read the articleGoogle Ads
Management pricing, automation and lowering cost per acquisition
Google Ads Management Pricing 2026: Fees, Cost Models & What Agencies Charge
How Google Ads management is priced: flat fees, a share of ad spend and hybrids, plus the hidden costs to check before signing.
Read the articleGoogle Ads Scripts vs API in 2026: Which to Use, From a $1M+/yr Account
When Google Ads scripts are enough and when to move to the Google Ads API, based on the automation built for a medical practice's account.
Read the articleGoogle Ads Budget Optimization: How to Reduce CPA
Ways to lower cost per acquisition in Google Ads: budget allocation, smart bidding, negative keywords, bid adjustments and pacing.
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