Search lab seeks the ideal enterprise search experience

Martin WhiteBy Martin White.


There is a great deal of science behind the process of searching. Search is big business and anything that can improve the search experience could be of enormous value to both the search vendor and the user.

Since the advent of search technology over 50 years ago, thousands of research papers have been published which seek to optimize every element of the search process. As a result, ‘good practice’ is well established but most search managers are not aware of the work that has been done because it is not easily accessible.

As an information scientist who has been tracking research into search for almost 40 years the idea of running a search lab appeals to me, and I’m looking forward to my Intranet Now search lab in London on April 6.

My objective is to give attendees an introduction to search good practice through looking at how website search has been implemented.

A feature of the search lab is that participants will be able to work together at PCs to assess a number of different sites, and from these begin to appreciate what works and what does not. The lessons learned can be applied to enterprise search applications and of course to intranet search in particular.

The primary objective is to solve the problems faced by the organisations represented in the room. I always start my workshops by asking everyone what they want to learn, putting all the requirements up on a flip chart and then visibly working through them so that at the end every one of them has a completion tick. I also offer a life-time guarantee on my workshops; at any time in the future you can ask for further information or clarification on anything I have talked about. All too often it is not until attendees get back to their office and talk to colleagues that they realise they have forgotten to ask an important question.

Lab flasksAs far as I am aware this is the only workshop of its type in the UK and I have not come across anything similar in the rest of Europe or the USA. So this is a unique opportunity to find out what good practice is in search, learn from the experience of other attendees and walk away with a collection of resources on how to make intranet, enterprise, and website search work to the complete satisfaction of users.

Martin White (visit the new Enterprise Search website)


 

Early-bird tickets will sell-out soon, but we offer a fantastic Team Rate. Please talk to your colleagues about booking together now.

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