Action-Oriented Search: A Better Approach to Making Enterprise Search Work

ACTION-ORIENTED SEARCH

A BETTER APPROACH TO MAKING ENTERPRISE

SEARCH WORK

JOE HILGER

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, EKSEARCH AND CONTENT MANAGEMENT

CONSULTANT

@JHILGERBC, @EKCONSULTING

#KMISHOW

WHO AM I

“Why can’t our search be

more like Google?”

“I can’t find anything on our

company search.”

“Our search would be great

if people would just tag their

content.”

“Everything I find on our

company search is old and

out of date.”

“I don’t trust our company

search.”

“Lets just use Google search

so that we never have to

worry about search again.”

SEARCH COMPLAINTS

Comments I have heard

more than once during

our search workshops.

Know your Search

• Targeted Search

• Discovery

• Legal

Faceted Search

• Business taxonomies

• Focus on findability

Simplify Metadata

Management

• Implied metadata

• Automated Metadata

• Manage through groups

or relationships

User Experience is

Critical

• Avoid dead ends

• Generate trust

• Use a minimalist

approach.

Action-Oriented

Search

Focus on what the searcher

wants to do not on what

he/she is trying to find.

SEARCH BEST PRACTICES

KNOW YOUR SEARCH

Targeted Discovery Legal

One Many All

“Show me the one, specific

document that I need.”

“Help me find what I want, but

also show me other information I

may not have been aware of.”

“Show me every single email or

file that contains information

relevant to a specific topic.”

• Windows

• iOS

• Google or Bing

• Intranets

• Information Websites

• eDiscovery

• FOIA

FACETED SEARCH

“Faceted navigation is

arguably the most significant

search innovation of the past

decade.”Search Patterns by Peter Moreville and Jeffery

Callender (O’Reilly, 2010)

Metadata “Card”

Title

Author

Doc Type

Topic

Department

SIMPLIFY METADATA MANAGEMENT

Free Text Entry

Brochures & Manuals

Memos

News

Policies & Procedures

Presentations

Reports

…

…

Employee Services

Compensation

Retirement

Insurance

Education &

Training

Manufacturing

Safety

Quality

…

1. Minimize manual entry

2. Prefill values based on submitter, Location, content, or Source.

3. Automate tagging using tools.• Auto-Categorization

• Text mining

• Auto-Tagging

FOCUS ON USER EXPERIENCE

Less is better: Use a minimalist approach to design.

Engender Trust: Be as transparent as possible.

Avoid Dead Ends: Make sure users don’t go down the wrong path.

Support Searchers: Guide searchers to their goals.

PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

EK’s Knowledge Wheel

Practical Knowledge Management uses information sharing to support action.

Action-oriented Search is follows these same principles. F

IND

CA

PTU

RE

ACT

ACTION-ORIENTED SEARCH

I HAVE A JOB TO DO…

Think Differently

1. Search is a detour from what I want to do.

2. Everything I have is a knowledge asset.

3. Each asset has a different purpose.

4. Help me do my job!!

ACT

RESTAURANT SEARCH

MSFT / MICROSOFT

WINTER JACKETS

BUILD YOUR OWNThree Sample Action-Oriented Searches

• Training Course

• People

• Company Policy

TRAINING COURSE

Course: Fundamentals of JavaScript

Dates: 1/13-1/15; 6PM – 9PM

Online; Instructor Led Course: 6 remaining spots

Register Add to Calendar View Comments

PEOPLE

Steve Smith Manager, IT Department

Skills: JavaScript, Java, Project Management,

Web Content Management, Taxonomy

Reports to: Lisa Myloff

Email: [email protected] Phone: 703-555-1212

COMPANY POLICY

Supported Web Platform Policy

IT Department Implemented 1/1/2015

All web products must be 508 compliant and

work with modern browsers. JavaScript is

allowed as long as it is tested against….

Submit Question Request Exception

GREAT WORK

Search: JavaScript

QUESTIONS?

HTTPS://WWW.LINKEDIN.COM/IN/JOSEPH-HILGER-

4767131

@JHILGERBC, @EKCONSULTING

571-436-0271

[email protected]