The major search engines are continuously introducing new and improved capabilities, which, although great in their own regard, carry a major side effect. Users are getting more and more spoiled by all these options, always looking for faster data processing, better recommendations, more personalization, and other nifty features.
The biggest casualties of this trend aren’t companies such as Google or Yahoo! Instead, the need for sophisticated search engines mostly affects other brands whose business isn’t directly connected to search engines. For example, it affects smaller web shops that now have to provide excellent browsing experience just to remain competitive in the market.
In this article, we’ll take a look at all the challenges that companies face when introducing modern AI-driven enterprise search. We’ll also explain the benefits of this technology and how it can differentiate your brand on the market.
What Is Enterprise Search?
Enterprise search refers to systems that allow company employees and external users to parse through their relevant data and documents. With this technology, your business can index large quantities of data and present it to anyone who enters a query into the search bar.
Although many companies have introduced enterprise search, creating this system isn’t easy. It requires customized coding that will fulfill your organization’s specific needs. You can also opt for a ready-made platform, which will significantly cut the necessary time. Introducing enterprise search also presumes proper data governance and hygiene, ensuring that all your data is ready to go.
The Benefits of Enterprise Search for Employees
Most people think of search engines as something that is only used by people browsing the web. The truth is that these systems are equally important for internal company teams whenever they’re looking to acquire data quickly. Here are a few main reasons why you need to introduce them:
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Increased Efficiency
The biggest thing about enterprise search engines is that they’ll make your internal processes much more efficient. Instead of looking for data by browsing numerous folders and files, you can quickly retrieve valuable information as long as you have direct access to the search tab.
To make things even better, many systems come with “search-as-you-type” functionality. In other words, employees are given a list of suggestions and auto-complete while looking for answers to their questions.
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Better Decisions
By proxy, enterprise search will help company management make better business decisions. As it will be much easier to access certain data, higher-ups will be able to make conclusions in real-time. This makes the software vital for industries where quick thinking relates to success.
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Increased Productivity
Knowledge management systems are extremely potent as they allow employees to access valuable data that will assist them with various day-to-day tasks. That way, not only will your staff be faster, but it will reach a higher level of autonomy, which is vital for newbies.
Perhaps the best example of that is customer service. When employees get answers to specific questions, they no longer have to waste managers’ time. Instead, they can tap into internal resources via enterprise search and provide valuable answers within seconds.
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Easier Archive Access
This type of software also makes it easier to access archived content. Employees can find historical information and tap into it regardless of its format. Enterprise search shines when used for older company information that hasn’t been used for a while.
The Benefits of Enterprise Search for Clients
Enterprise search is every bit as fantastic when used by clients and other external entities. With it, users can easily find company data, learn more about products and services, or find employees. As such, the software is invaluable for creating a more immersive, customized experience and expediting the process of information tracking.
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Personalized Customer Journey
Nowadays, people want all their products and services on-demand, without necessarily having to get involved with company representatives. They want to have full control over the buying process, even if it means investing some extra time to learn about the brand’s offer.
By leveraging analytics, companies can gather data about each current and potential customer. They can provide a more personalized customer journey that will simultaneously put users in charge. The best thing yet is that the software continuously improves its recommendations by collecting fresh data about a client.
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Improved User Experience
Among other things, enterprise search will significantly boost user experience by providing accurate, lightning-fast responses to their questions. People can find any archived piece of content on the company’s website without having to browse numerous pages or contact customer support.
How to Select Enterprise Search Software?
Although introducing enterprise search will always carry benefits, it’s also vital that you use the right software. Here are the main three things you need to consider when choosing a system for your company:
1. Connectors
The connectors help us establish relationships between words and narrow down or expand the search. In this particular case, you need to ask yourself how many data sources you’ll need for indexing. Generally speaking, most companies will include all current data sources as well as future ones.
2. Predictive AI
It’s hard to imagine a good search engine in 2024 that doesn’t rely on artificial intelligence technology. Predictive AI allows the software to learn from previous interactions with clients, constantly improving its output.
Not only can predictive AI improve results for an individual user, but it can also analyze patterns for larger demographic groups and audiences. Based on their behavior, the AI enterprise search software can tweak its results to match both criteria.
3. Security and Privacy
For the enterprise search process to provide maximum value, you need to ensure the highest possible privacy and data security. Your IT team needs to configure the software so it complies with your current policies and the government’s tech regulations. Among other things, you need to ensure full integrity and confidentiality of data.
Conclusion
Enterprise search has become an invaluable tool for companies in 2024. This software will make your employees’ lives much easier, but it will also improve user experience tenfold.
