CRM - March 2008 - (Page 35)

Once the system is selected, implemented, and up and running, though, it’s usually easy for everyone in the enterprise to put it to use. Many enterprise search engines are based on the familiar, Google-style white text box to enter a search term, Brown says, so “if people can use the Google search box, they can certainly use enterprise search.” THE USES At its heart, enterprise search is pretty straightforward: You need a document, and the search product’s job is to help you find it. But enterprise search is more than just finding the single document that’s right for a single situation: It’s part of an overall strategy to make information more accessible and usable throughout the enterprise. Quebec City–based enterprise search vendor Coveo has several implementations where the flow of information generated by search helped the enterprise function better. CA, one of Coveo’s biggest customers, used the company’s enterprise search solution to more quickly respond to customer questions and problems that come into the contact center. Haley & Aldrich, the engineering firm that designed Boston’s Zakim Bridge, used Coveo’s software to distribute information to the people working on the project. Another major implementation was with the U.S. Navy, which used Coveo’s software to automate repair manuals for its fleet of aircraft. Manuals for aircraft are monstrously complex and can be an acute challenge to sort through when a plane comes in with a specific problem. While repairing military vehicles may not be the first use that comes to mind for search, the technology allows technicians to quickly find the information they need, all the way down to videos of how the job needs to be carried out. Eric Negler, Coveo’s executive vice president for business development, says that one customer described the benefits of enterprise search to him this way: “Good search is like electricity—our system doesn’t run without it.” Enterprise search has a variety of practical applications beyond the finding and www.destinationCRM.com sharing of documents in the clutter of a company using the application to see computer system. Search has become an what models are becoming more or less important part of e-discovery, the process popular based on searches. That can help by which documents are searched, in- determine inventory. “It’s not supremely accurate, but it’s better dexed, and secured for the than flying by the seat of purpose of legal proceedyour pants,” he says. ings. If a company gets Many smaller sued and needs critical companies buy documents, it is an exTHE MARKET powerful and tremely laborious process Analyst Matthew Brown to have technology staff hasn’t done a formal surexpensive going from machine to vey of the market, but he enterprise search machine digging them estimates that the top engines that are out. Search can turn up seven enterprise search relevant documents with companies (including simply more just a few keystrokes. SevAutonomy, Endeca, and software than eral analysts note that Fast Search & Transfer— recent revisions to the which was snapped up they need. Federal Rules of Civil Proby Microsoft in January) cedure mandate stricter have a combined revrecord-keeping of electronic documents, enue of just shy of $1 billion, and have driving more companies to start looking seen double-digit revenue-growth rates. into enterprise search. According to Brown, there are three Other uses include online retailers that tiers of enterprise search: the client marput enterprise search to work helping cus- ket, midmarket, and entry level. The clitomers find products on their Web sites, ent market includes hardware-based and offering suggestions based on what search engines with a wealth of funcother people have searched for—a feature tions that can search billions of records, that will be familiar to anyone who has and is dominated by players like Autonshopped on Amazon.com or similar sites. omy and Fast. The average price of a deal (The popularity of those sites has shaped to bring in a client-market server is expectations among new enterprise between $300,000 and $400,000, and search users in business: If it’s not as ac- usually requires professional-services curate as Google or as user-friendly as support to configure metadata and creAmazon.com, users may declare a search ate custom interfaces. product to be a failure.) Media sites use Midmarket enterprise search offers less similar technology to help readers find functionality—searching a smaller numthe stories and videos they’re looking for. ber of records for smaller businesses— E-government initiatives also rely heavily and includes vendors familiar for their on enterprise search to make documents general software products: Microsoft available online, from city council agen- SharePoint, SAP, and Google are among das to federal reports. Enterprise search the players. A midmarket installation can can also be used to manage document cost between $30,000 and $40,000; storage, searching for duplicate copies, or extensive professional services may not updating newly created documents. be needed, but you’ll require at least an Some companies are learning how to IT administrator to make sure connecuse search as a way to make business tions are secure. decisions. A Boston-based company called The entry-level market includes enCompete has a product that allows busi- gines with considerably less functionalnesses to keep an eye on competitors by ity, which can often be downloaded for tracking what customers are searching for free and installed by skilled analysts on and clicking on. (Compete’s catchy slogan: their own, without major technical sup“Track your rivals. Then eat their lunch.”) port, in a few hours. Google pioneered Analyst Creese offers the example of a car this market five years ago, and now offers CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT | MARCH 2008 35 http://Amazon.com http://www.destinationCRM.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CRM - March 2008

CRM - March 2008 Contents Front Office Feedback Reality Check Customer Centricity The Tipping Point Re-shoring Contact Centers NetSuite’s Sweet Ride Takes Another Turn SaaS X.0? destinationCRM Dashboard Retailers Dream Big Detroit: Driven to Distraction Required Reading The Markets Within the Masses In Search of... Selling CRM to Your Sales Force Quixtar’s Quick Fix Travelocity’s New Traveling Companion Chasing Down First-Call Resolution Governing Better Marketing Secret of My Success Re: Tooling Connect Pint of View

CRM - March 2008

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