Enterprise Search, 2nd Edition

Appendix B. Critical Success Factors

After more than a dozen chapters and over 90,000 words, I thought you might find it useful to have a list of critical success factors:

#1: Content quality is essential for quality search

Good search technology will quickly reveal poor content. There should be guidelines for content and metadata quality. It is of little benefit to the organization if a search lists 20 algorithmically relevant documents with a content quality that renders them unfit to be trusted. Moreover, with poor quality content, the relevancy may be irrelevant to the user.

#2: Invest in a search support team

Without a search support team with the appropriate skills, enthusiasm, and organizational knowledge, any investment in search technology or the creation of content will be wasted. If content can’t be found, it can’t be used or shared. A good search team will make a very significant difference to search satisfaction and business impact.

#3: Get the best out of the current investment in search

There is usually much that can be done to improve the current search applications once the search team and users work together to consider options and define priorities. Only when it is clear that the current technology is not able to support business requirements should a new search application be considered.

#4: Recognize that enterprise search is an approach and not a technology

Enterprise search is about creating a managed search environment that ensures employees find the information ...