Sam Mefford Enterprise Search Practice Lead Avalon Consulting, LLC. Changing ‘Hide and Seek’ to...

Sam MeffordEnterprise Search Practice Lead

Avalon Consulting, LLC.

Changing ‘Hide and Seek’to ‘Index and Find’

© 2008, Avalon Consulting, LLCProprietary & Confidential

Changing ‘Hide and Seek’ to ‘Index and Find’

• Successful Search is Simple•Connect Users -> Information

• How to Implement•Education is key

© 2008, Avalon Consulting, LLCProprietary & Confidential

Successful Search is Simple

• Industry messaging too complex• Users want Information• How do we connect Users ->

Information?•Focus on the User needs•Focus on the Information•Focus on the UI!

Search Features UI

• OSFA is bad for the user• Constant innovation

distracting• Google is a bad & a good

example• Search Engines are not the

solution, they are a part of the solution

© 2008, Avalon Consulting, LLCProprietary & Confidential

Faceted NavigationFaceted NavigationFaceted NavigationFaceted NavigationFaceted NavigationFaceted Navigation

Focus on UI!

• What do Monster, Amazon, and Kayak have in common?•Faceted Navigation•Targeted Search Applications•User-Experience Driven

• Data from many sources well integrated

Faceted NavigationFaceted Navigation

Faceted NavigationFaceted Navigation

Faceted NavigationFaceted Navigation

© 2008, Avalon Consulting, LLCProprietary & Confidential

Focus on Information

• Organize index on user needs, not available sources• Mashups / Virtual Documents

• Increase the Signal (more right information)• Make it easier to add info—consider self-service• Audit—percent information searchable?

• Overcome the Noise (less wrong information)• Structured data powers faceted navigation• Extract structured data• Focused search applications• Custom relevancy

© 2008, Avalon Consulting, LLCProprietary & Confidential

Focus on User Needs

• Search Engine = Application platform•Search Engine != complete solution

• Give users the customized UIs they need

• Give users the information they need• Give users the speed they need• Give users the feedback loop they need

© 2008, Avalon Consulting, LLCProprietary & Confidential

How to Implement?

• Educate Search Decision Makers• Conduct Interviews• Present realistic plan• Set expectations of ongoing

improvement

© 2008, Avalon Consulting, LLCProprietary & Confidential

How to Implement?

Educate Search Decision Makers• Conduct Interviews• Present realistic plan• Set expectations of ongoing

improvement

© 2008, Avalon Consulting, LLCProprietary & Confidential

Educate Search Decision Makers

• Search is not a black box

•Evangelize great UI features like facets

•Explain indexing, query, results, security

• Use important initiatives to frame search capabilities

• Institutionalize search experience feedback loop

© 2008, Avalon Consulting, LLCProprietary & Confidential

How to Implement?

• Educate Search Decision MakersConduct Interviews• Present realistic plan• Set expectations of ongoing

improvement

© 2008, Avalon Consulting, LLCProprietary & Confidential

Typical Interview

• What search terms?• What expected results?• “payroll calendar”

•Received most recent calendar for another division

•Solution: sort by date, boost by user’s division

• “hedis access to care report”•No meaningful results•Solution: index reports, apply security

© 2008, Avalon Consulting, LLCProprietary & Confidential

Typical Interview, cont.

• “EBT”•No useful results•Solution: update synonyms from posted

list

• “performance evaluation forms”•want it to prompt “Did you mean:

performance agreement form”•Solution: custom key match (outside

search engine)

© 2008, Avalon Consulting, LLCProprietary & Confidential

How to Implement?

• Educate Search Decision Makers• Conduct InterviewsPresent realistic plan• Set expectations of ongoing

improvement

© 2008, Avalon Consulting, LLCProprietary & Confidential

Present a Realistic Plan

• Take time to match user needs to available features

• Start with search applications, not Enterprise Search

• Plan for IA, L&F, UI Toolkits, SSO, SEO, CM, UAT

© 2008, Avalon Consulting, LLCProprietary & Confidential

How to Implement?

• Educate Search Decision Makers• Conduct Interviews• Present realistic planSet expectations of ongoing

improvement

© 2008, Avalon Consulting, LLCProprietary & Confidential

Set Expectations of Ongoing Improvement

• Benchmarking & measurement• Include feedback forms & user surveys

• Search Center of Excellence•Bandwidth to focus•Experience•Ongoing evangelism & education

• Governance Committee(s)

© 2008, Avalon Consulting, LLCProprietary & Confidential

Conclusion

• Search is Simple•Connect Users -> Information = UI

• Search Engine is a part of the solution

• Education is key• Search nirvana is available NOW

Contact Info: Sam MeffordEnterprise Search Practice Lead

meffords@avalonconsult.com