One solution to the challenge of pro- viding contextually relevant knowledge to the co-workers is to introduce a findability solution, based on intelligent search. A findability solution ensures that the information the knowledge worker is pre- sented with is contextually relevant, i.e. it is tailored for the user’s role in the organi- zation and it meets the user’s intent when he first posed the question. A findability solution is built by using an enterprise search solution with intelli- gent search technology capabilities in combination with business knowledge of the specific business domain.

1. Helge Legernes is
Increase Competitiveness one of the co-
founders of
Findwise. He leads
the business
With Intelligent Search development
process at Findwise
as well as being the
CTO. Legernes has
authored articles on
how companies
By Helge Legernes, Founding Partner, Findwise AB Helge Legernes should use
enterprise search
strategically. With extensive experience in
enterprise search as a CEO and a vast career at
different consultancy companies as well as at
T he success of a company depends on its
ability to fully leverage its own information,
actions—such as, for example, customer
service—it is critical to use deep, automatic
FAST Search and Transfer, he has focused on
enterprise search for more than nine years and
is considered an authority within this field in the
knowledge and expertise. At the same time, analytics to parse, process and classify text. Scandinavian region.
the amount of information a company stores Only the ability to understand the true
is doubled every year. Knowledge workers meaning and relationships between people,
are forced to spend more and more time places, things and issues provides accurate such as the GATE framework developed at
trying to extract useful information. In enough output on which companies can the University of Sheffield in the UK.
addition, several studies have shown that take appropriate action. The different text analytics platforms
knowledge workers spend more than twice are applicable to many of the established
as much time recreating already existing enterprise search platforms.
Implementing Findability What is needed in a findability solu-
content as they spend on creating brand new
content. Last but not least, the time spent on How do you implement a true findability tion? First of all a flexible enterprise search
maintaining structures for storing incoming solution and what technology do you need? platform, which serves as a common
unstructured information (e.g. mail and doc- First of all, well-enriched information is the extraction and access layer for both struc-
uments) is increasing rapidly. basis for a findability solution. By use of tured and unstructured information in dif-
Traditional approaches such as imple- advanced text analytics one can gain under- ferent data repositories throughout the
menting a company-specific taxonomy that standing of the content, thus being able to company. The search platform needs to be
the users need to use when storing informa- enrich and enhance the information, i.e per- interoperable, so that a text analytics mod-
tion or introducing enterprise search solutions forming intelligent tagging of the information. ule can be plugged in. Furthermore the
is not enough. In the ever-accelerating com- Unstructured information is automatically platform needs to have a security access
petitive race, knowledge workers need much tagged and relationally organized according module as well as search analytics capabili-
more to be able to fully capitalize on the com- to company-specific taxonomies. ties. Once the tools are there, the findability
pany’s intellectual assets. work looking at business and organizational
requirements can start. The result will be a
Introducing Findabilty “Well-enriched findability solution in which intelligent
search is utilized to support and leverage
One solution to the challenge of pro- the business needs and goals.
viding contextually relevant knowledge to What are the results and effects of a
the co-workers is to introduce a findability information is the findability solution? We implemented a
solution, based on intelligent search. findability solution for a leading industrial
A findability solution ensures that the supplier. The solution has been operational
information the knowledge worker is pre-
sented with is contextually relevant, i.e. it
basis for a findability for four years and has been a success from
the start. In the paradigm shift of this spe-
is tailored for the user’s role in the organi- cific company—in which they turned from
an industrial company among many to a
zation and it meets the user’s intent when
he first posed the question. solution.” true knowledge engineering company—the
A findability solution is built by using search application became a key tool for
an enterprise search solution with intelli- information retrieval available for all
gent search technology capabilities in The text analysis can be used when employees. The tool helped increase work
combination with business knowledge of storing the information or when building efficiency and allows capitalization of the
the specific business domain. the search index. The intelligent tags added in-house corporate wisdom. Today more
What kind of characteristic is required by the text analytics modules are used in than 10,000 unique users per month use the
of the search technology used? The growth the search result set as facets/navigators in application, creating more than 100,000
of unstructured data volumes and the need order to refine the results. The tags are also queries. 96% of the users find the informa-
for just-in-time delivery of information used for enhancing the relevance and for tion that they get both relevant and useful.
requires advanced text analytic capabili- finding related information. 87% save time in their daily work because
ties. The traditional keyword-only data- Where does one find the text analytics of the application. T
mining model for classification can be modules and which enterprise search
Findwise (www.findwise.com) is a vendor-independent
flawed and time-consuming for true busi- platforms should one integrate them with? expert with knowledge and experience from the leading
ness decision-making. For any company or There are several commercial text analytics enterprise search technology platforms in conjunction
organization that requires insights found in platforms on the market, but there are also with advanced text analysis as well as business and
unstructured data to perform different well functioning open source alternatives, organizational understanding.
KMWorld May 2011 S9