Bourke - Product Data Finding It - Using It by Deploying A Search Engine Solution

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An Application Brief
Product Data: Finding It and Using It

By
Deploying a Search Engine Solution
July 2013
A collection of the columns published in John Stark’s 2PLM Newsletter

June 2012 to December 2012
Contents
Introduction 1
The Power of Enhanced Search Engines 3
Answers and Comments – Before Moving Ahead 5
Justifying an Investment 7
Searching Methods 9
The Searching Process 11
A Year End Status Report 13
Product Data: Finding It and Using It – by Deploying a Search Engine Solution
Introduction
Why this Series?

With a vast amount of product data existing in engineering and
manufacturing companies, a critical concern is how to find specific data
for fully informed decision-making – in a timely manner.
The list of problem symptoms seems endless. Readers may easily

recognize such frantic expressions as:
 “Where, oh where did I file those documents?”
 “What, another part number? Don’t we already have one that can
be used or modified?”
 “I found the CAD drawing, but I need all related documentation –
now!”
Surveys abound attesting to the wasted time of knowledge workers,

particularly design and development personnel, constantly seeking
needed data – often a frustrating or futile effort. CIMdata estimates
engineers spend up to 30% of their time searching for data; then they
spend up to 50% total time including validation.
To tackle the problems of product data accessibility, companies can now

deploy technology-based applications that quickly find this data stored in
its many forms throughout the enterprise’s Information Technology (IT)
infrastructure. I call these applications Search Engine Solutions (SESs).
Thus, the purpose of this series is to introduce these searching solutions

and their importance to engineering and manufacturing companies.
Some readers might like to jump immediately for answers to some
important questions, such as, “What’s in it for my company and me?”
First, though, some background must be established about them.
Background
To start, I’ll give a brief description of some basic terms and capabilities.
A key point: SESs use semantic technology. Semantics is the
relationship of words in order to understand their meaning. Suffice to
say, elements of semantics are a fundamental building block for SESs.
Google and Bing are well-known search engines – computer programs

(algorithms) to search files and documents for key words that meet
search criteria – quickly. Search engines proliferate; currently there are
more than 70 of them. They are general purpose, however, and most
are not suitable – as is – for engineering and manufacturing search
applications.
IDC (International Data Corporation) asserts:

“Search-based applications combine search and/or text analytics
with collaborative technologies, workflow, domain knowledge,
business intelligence, or relevant Web services. They deliver a
purpose-designed user interface tailored to support a particular task
or workflow.” (Underlines are mine.)
© Bourke Consulting Associates, 2013 Reproduction permissible provided attribution is retained 1|P a g e
Therefore, developing purpose-designed solutions appropriate for

engineering and manufacturing enterprises is a significant step forward.
Their core is a powerful general-purpose search engine enhanced to

create a focused solution. These necessary and vital enhancements
include a tailored user interface (UI), an array of connectors to provide
widespread searching, and security controls. Other mandatory
capabilities are thumbnail (visual) previews of CAD files, and the ability
to display relationships among all entities in the enterprise databases
and to navigate between them.
Initial enterprise semantic search solutions include Autonomy, Endeca

(Oracle), Exalead (Dassault) and Goldfire (Invention Machine). Recently
announced solutions are Actify, Active Workspace (Siemens), Alcove9,
Inforbix and VisiQuity (Novaquest). Geolus (Siemens) and ShapeSpace
are specialized solutions based on geometric searching to identify
similar parts.1
Are There Issues?

Of course, there are issues to consider – later, but one perspective
needs highlighting now: the relationship of SES to PLM. Already, there
is a bit of confusion because some have identified data management as
an SES function. But, it does not do data management (a function of the
PDM component of PLM). Its strength is finding and using product data,
not organizing and maintaining it. SES and PLM are complementary.
Additional issues and questions will be tackled later, for instance, to cite
a few:
 How should an SES coexist with PLM?
 How do SESs relate to other product data-oriented systems, such as
Master Data Management?
 How do they negate costly and time-consuming data repurposing
and migrating efforts to obtain search results?
As this series unfolds, I’ll describe in more detail the “how” of purpose-
designed search solutions and their importance to the entire knowledge
worker community, comprising more than just the product development
community. To accept the value (benefit) propositions for an SES
compels more understanding of how these systems work and what they
do – and, for the sake of clarity and understanding – what they can’t do.
In other words, let’s have clear expectations.
Acknowledgement
A big measure of thanks to the staff of The vdR Group, Orange, CA, for their assistance in the
preparation of this series. They are a software development company focused on integration
technologies and solutions for engineering and manufacturing environments. Since the mid-
2000s, the firm has been involved in developing Search-Based Applications.
1
July 2013. Readers should be aware that this list is only representative of a wide range of available options.
Other vendors might be considered if they meet an enterprise’s selection criteria.
The Power of Enhanced Search Engines
Preface
When mentioning search, many readers think first of Google or Bing.
Most general-purpose search engines, however, are not suitable – as is
– for engineering and manufacturing search applications. Nonetheless,
some can be enhanced to find product data scattered throughout an
enterprise in various applications, repositories and files.
In this column, I’ll describe the power of a search engine solution (SES)
as it may be applied to meet the needs of engineering and
manufacturing enterprises. Be aware, though, that software choices
listed in Part 1, make use of a wide range of semantic-based
technologies. The following, therefore, is a generalized description of
SES capabilities.
Enhanced Search Engine Solutions

The Search Engine
A popular general-purpose search engine is Lucene/Solr, an open
source platform. It powers the search and navigation features on
company sites and in software vendor products, including some of those
previously identified. Solr is described as “blazing fast”: A hi-tech
manufacturing company asserts that search results display in less than
two seconds when accessing 16 million items and metadata from within
24 million documents, drawings and images.
Additionally, to boost Solr’s other capabilities, service firms provide

numerous enhancements, e.g., more powerful content classification, for
one. Some enhancements are optional – some are not: A purpose-
designed user interface is an essential enhancement. It must unify
access to multiple product data repositories and formats through a
single user sign-on.
Indexing
Search engines operate with an index – an optimized file format that
supports rapid data accessing and displaying of search results. It is
defined as:
“A systematically arranged list; in computerized systems it is a
representation of content to speed retrieval by the governing
algorithms.” (Outsell/Gilbane)
The usual approach to SES indexing is based on text values. This is in

stark contrast to relational databases, for example, SQL (Structured
Query Language); it stores data in tables, records, attributes and values.
What’s more, an index eliminates any need for an intermediate
relational database to help queries.
In search engines, utility programs (sometimes called a “spider” or

“crawler”) mine the current contents in the enterprise’s IT infrastructure
to create the index. It is separate from – and does not change – the
existing data attributes.
Searching can begin once indexing has been completed during

implementation of the SES. As changes in content occur, the utility
updates the index to assure changes are available for searching.
The Searching Process

Here is a simple frame of reference for searching – within security
guidelines:
 Wide Search – to access all forms of product data stored
throughout the enterprise in multiple repositories by employing an
array of connectors- (to be discussed in a later column)
 Deep Search – to drive past metadata into file and document
contents by taking advantage of “full text” capability
With full text capability:

“The search engine examines all words/objects in every stored
document as it tries to match the search criteria entered by the
user. This distinguishes it from searches based on metadata or
parts of the original texts represented in databases, such as titles or
selected sections.” (Source: Wikipedia).
In other words, full text does not rely on the enterprise’s metadata being
consistent. (A real “gotcha” with a relational database query is that it
does rely on consistent metadata – a questionable assumption.) Users,
therefore, need full text capabilities to drive through various file formats
to access all relevant product data crucial for decision-making purposes.
The significance of full text search becomes more apparent in view of

the two basic types of data: structured and unstructured. Structured data
means defined field formats, for example, a product number, stored in
PLM and ERP systems.
Unstructured text, however, deserves the most attention because of its

overwhelming presence – more than 80% of a company’s data,
according to surveys. It exists in CAD drawings, MS Word, PDF and
emails, to cite a few.
After a user enters a specific search criterion, an initial results list is

presented for further analysis and action. These results can be refined
to narrow the list to the most truly relevant data; additional detail about
this subject will be covered in future columns.
The Value of Full Text Searching

In essence, full text searching gains significant benefits for the
enterprise – among them:
 Achieving higher-quality decisions
 Negating the need for users to remember where the needed data is
stored
 Avoiding costly reorganizing and migrating data to satisfy relational
database retrievals
Answers and Comments – Before Moving Ahead
Preface
Search Engine Solutions (SESs) have been leveraged to help
engineering and manufacturing companies in their constant struggle to
find relevant product data – for timely decision-making. Finding it –
Using it supports strategic initiatives, such as Design Re-use, for
minimizing the risk, time and cost of product development.
As stated before, the content of this series is geared to readers

interested in an overview of the basic concepts and issues of deploying
semantic-based SESs. This includes all forms of deployment: on-
premise, cloud, mobile and all combinations of these alternatives.
Readers have posed a variety of questions that have been categorically

grouped and addressed below. A few selected references are offered
throughout this article, also. Among them, at the end, are those
pertaining to semantic technology concepts and terminology.
More on the Definition of Search Engine Solution

Currently, there is no widely-accepted definition appropriate for SESs in
engineering and manufacturing enterprises. Undoubtedly, we’ll see
variations in terms, definitions and descriptions as the market for search
applications becomes more active.
IDC’s description of Search-Based Applications (SBAs), cited in Part 1,

is “Search-based applications combine search and/or text analytics with
collaborative technologies, workflow, domain knowledge, business
intelligence, or relevant Web services. They deliver a purpose-designed
user interface tailored to support a particular task or workflow.”
(Underlines are mine.)
The original definition of SBAs comes from Wikipedia. It is “Software

applications in which a search engine platform is used as the core
infrastructure for information access and reporting. SBAs use semantic
technologies to aggregate, normalize and classify unstructured, semi-
structured and/or structured content across multiple repositories, and
employ natural language technologies for accessing the aggregated
information.”
These definitions and descriptions are a worthy start. But, as a more

widely-acceptable definition evolves, it must identify the informational
needs of collaborative product development (CPD) activities of the
enterprise, within not only engineering, but also manufacturing process
planning, quality and other functions involved in CPD.
In addition, to emphasize an earlier comment about definition: An SES

is not a data management solution – and should not be perceived that it
creates and manages product data. The real value of an SES is that it
finds data based on what already exists rather than creating and
managing metadata that is found in structured data repositories.
Awareness is Growing
As engineering and manufacturing enterprises become overwhelmed
with unstructured product data, there is growing awareness of the
persistent pressure for search solutions.
Consulting firms are chiming in. In a recent newsletter titled Analytics,

PLM Converge Amid Data Tsunami; A Ceaseless Search for
Sustainable Advantage, CIMdata stressed the importance of finding and
using the many forms of unstructured data required for effective product
development.
Marc Halpern of Gartner issued On the Frontiers of Product Design and

Life Cycle Management, citing search software as critical. And, in Jos
Voskuil’s Blog, the author comments frequently on its value.
One of the most definitive reports yet, however, is Best Practices for
Managing Design Data, published recently by Tech-Clarity. Of the best
practices identified in this comprehensive survey, sponsored by
Siemens, fast product data searching and retrieval is paramount.
Moreover, software providers fuel awareness as they spot market

opportunities, develop solutions and publicize them.
Search Software Providers

A selected list was given in Part 1. Since then, PTC’s Index Search,
based on Solr, has been added to it, and IHS has acquired Invention
Machine. Other providers – not listed – may address
engineering/manufacturing search requirements, though, in a limited
manner. Furthermore, as the need is further recognized, more providers
likely will enter the market space.
Semantic Technology: Selected References

Both of the following two publications provide extensive background,
including glossaries.
1. Semantic Software Technologies: Landscape of High Value
Applications for the Enterprise, available at www.lwmtechnology.com.
2. The New Landscape of Enterprise Search, available for purchase
($20) at www.pandia.com/enterprise-search.
The LinkedIn group, Enterprise Search Engine Professionals, is a

source, nevertheless, with a caution: Most of the discussions are
oriented to those deeply involved in this technology. It’s helpful for those
readers eager for more technological depth of understanding.
Justifying an Investment
Introduction
With any emerging information technology (IT), a key question arises: What’s
in it for us? Fortunately, there are compelling reasons for companies to invest
in a search engine solution (SES). Now, let’s explore this subject – before
returning to the “How to” of SESs.
Overview – Developing a Business Case

Here is a three-step approach:
1) Identify the time lost in frantic, frustrating and often futile searching for
needed information
2) Recognize other time outlays and costs of not having adequate
searching capabilities
3) Relate the SES justification to its effect on strategic objectives
Step 1 – Identify time lost

As an initial step, conduct an internal survey to estimate and document the
potential time-savings of all knowledge workers.
Numerous surveys over the years have noted the excessive time lost by
knowledge workers searching for needed product data. Consulting firms and
manufacturing companies have identified figures as high as 25% in a day
because of wasteful and often futile efforts to find data. Moreover, CIMdata
cites that engineers spend half or more of their time searching for data and
then validating it.
Knowledge workers, however, include those in many other functions in an

enterprise. For example, customer service personnel in one company
indicated losses of tens of thousands of dollars due to inability to answer
customers’ questions. The root cause: inability to find critical information in a
timely manner.
A major assumption, though, is that claiming time-savings will be just a

starting point for a comprehensive SES justification.
Step 2 – Recognize other time outlays and associated costs

An SES justification case should be enriched by identifying costs that can be
eliminated by deploying and taking advantage of adequate searching
capabilities. Most likely, many companies are incurring the following time
outlays and costs every day, to name a few:
 Recreating product designs or documents (Can be as high as 11 times
the cost of the original)
 Creating/maintaining duplicated part numbers (Past surveys estimate the
cost from $6,000 to $25,000.)
 Struggling to maintain current part classification/coding schemes and file
systems to support data retrieval
These time outlays and costs are avoidable and should be estimated as an
essential element for justifying an SES investment.
Another category of “Costs to Avoid:” Those that have not yet incurred, even if
under consideration, or already budgeted. One prime example, from above, is
the potential costs for repurposing/migrating existing classification/coding
conventions and data. This approach is supposedly considered necessary for
effective information retrieval. Avoiding such expenditures, nevertheless, is a
valid and significant benefit for deploying an SES.
Step 3 – Relate an SES justification to strategic objectives
An investment analysis will probably be mandatory in these difficult times. So,

put on the marketing hat. If you’re the evangelist, know your C-level executive
motivations and tap into their hot buttons.
Claiming just time-savings, though, may not resonate sufficiently with those
who approve new IT projects.
Therefore, think in terms of a hierarchy of company objectives, starting with

the day-to-day (operational) time-savings that contribute to the next higher
level objective, such as improved personnel productivity. Certainly, such
objectives carry greater weight for gaining project acceptance than the valid,
but more illusory, time-savings.
The value of taking advantage of improved personnel productivity can be

substantial. For instance, reducing product development times, risks and
associated costs contributes to achieving a company’s strategic objectives,
such as, “Reducing time-to-market.”
The many research/analyst firms in the engineering and manufacturing space

also constantly reiterate the above sentiments, e.g., Aberdeen, CIMdata,
Tech-Clarity, Gartner and others. Design Reuse is often stressed.
Another justification point is to support innovation. It is still garnering

significant interest as a driver of growth and competitive excellence. And,
innovation requires timely and complete access to all relevant data –
facilitated by an SES.
Furthermore, this discussion has focused on the “gross” numbers for savings
and values. For a complete justification case, however, a “netted” number
would account for costs of software, training and implementation.
Searching Methods
Preface
This part expands on the earlier discussion of the two dimensions of
product data searching methods: Deep and Wide. Together they
comprise the power to discover all structured and unstructured data in
an enterprise.
First, some perspective about them, carried forward from Parts 1 and 2:
 Structured data is usually already accessible in current systems;
however, unstructured data is the most prevalent form
 Most unstructured data is not reachable by PLM systems that do not
have SES capabilities
 Searching implies lost data; though it is not really lost – just
undiscovered
 Data that can’t be discovered has no value
Searching Methods: Two Dimensions – Deep and Wide

Data discovery is the heart of the two dimensions of searching methods
(what SESs do). The searching process (how users work with an SES)
will be explained further in Part 6. But, it starts with entering search
criteria in the user interface (UI), triggering the simultaneous actions of
Deep and Wide Searches.
Deep Search
The goal is to drive past metadata into file and document contents by
taking advantage of “full text” capability.
“The search engine examines all words/objects in every stored
document as it tries to match the search criteria entered by the
user. This distinguishes it from searches based on metadata or
parts of the original texts represented in databases, such as titles or
selected sections.” (Source: Wikipedia).
In other words, full text does not rely on the enterprise’s metadata being
consistent. A real “gotcha” with a relational database query is that it
does rely on consistent metadata – a questionable assumption. Users,
therefore, need the full text capabilities of an SES to access all relevant
product data crucial for decision-making purposes. And, the depth of the
search may extend even into notes on CAD drawings.
It is important to recognize, moreover, that there are software solutions

to convert unstructured data to meaningful metadata. These may be
part of the SES package or available from third party sources, such as
the community of developers focused on enhancing Solr/Lucene, one of
the most popular search engines.
Wide Search
Its purpose is to unify access to all forms of product data stored
throughout the enterprise in multiple repositories by employing an array
of appropriate “connectors.” These individual software modules extract
metadata, data relationships and file contents. They allow users to
discover product data previously hidden in isolated silos.
Therefore, searching facilitates Design Reuse when the search entries

focus on parts and accessing identical or similar designs.
The ability of an SES to search widely across the enterprises many files
and systems is dependent on the availability of connectors. Some SES
vendors offer many connectors; however, an SES suitable for
engineering and manufacturing must support collaborative product
development (CPD).
Thus, in addition to the “usual suspects,” e.g., MS Word files, and other
unstructured documents, the ability to open CAD files is mandatory.
Cracking these files will expose textual data and relationships among
files as they reference one another. In the future, this capability probably
will be extended to include cracking rich media files, such as video.
Sounds simple enough to add more data sources. But, determining the
inclusions and exclusions is not a matter to be taken lightly. There will
be trade-offs. Some exclusion decisions should be relatively simple. For
instance, security guidelines must be maintained for personnel records
and sensitive Intellectual Property information.
More inclusions should lead to greater user acceptance, though, with

the disadvantage of adding potentially massive amounts of data.
Accordingly, before deciding what not to include, the risk of incomplete
data for decision making must be evaluated.
SES Selection Criteria

Recognize that widely acceptable criteria for an engineering and
/manufacturing SES do not yet exist. As they evolve, the criteria must
account for the informational needs of all CPD activities of the
enterprise. This includes not only engineering, but also manufacturing
process planning, quality and other CPD functions. Bear these selection
criteria in mind when evaluating searching capabilities.
As the capabilities of an SES are explored in general terms, remember,

“The devil may be in the detail.” These current software solutions range
from simple to sophisticated use of semantic technology – of course,
with commensurate pricing. Furthermore, the prospective vendor list,
offered in Part 1, was representative only; other vendors might be
considered, if they meet enterprise selection criteria.
The Value of Deep and Wide Search

In essence, these two searching methods enable significant benefits for
the enterprise – they include:
• Allowing valid and credible mashups
• Encouraging higher-quality decisions because more relevant data is
discovered
• Avoiding costly reorganizing and migrating data to satisfy relational
database retrievals
© Bourke Consulting Associates, 2013 Reproduction permissible provided attribution is retained 10 | P a g e

The Searching Process
Preface
In Part 5, brief descriptions of the two dimensions of searching methods
were presented: Deep (full text) and Wide (unified access). The purpose
of this Part 6 is to describe the general searching process in two
phases: Initial and subsequent. For readers who have done on-line
shopping, these processes will look familiar. With SESs, however, the
navigational aids are more extensive.
Initial searching Process

A key component of an SES is a purpose-designed user interface (UI)
that is focused on the needs of engineering and manufacturing users. A
single point-of-access eliminates the need for multiple sign-ons.
When a user enters a search criteria – a word or phrase – in the UI, the
SES presents an initial results list to the user for further analysis and
action. To facilitate this process, an SES may use powerful techniques
for normalizing and classifying data by use of thesauri – think synonyms.
The means to relate similar terms include 1) Taxonomy (hierarchical
relationships) and/or 2) Ontology (a network of relationships)
methodologies.
To supplement this discussion, look at some representative vendor

offerings, for example, Actify, Alcove9, Exalead (Exalead ii) and
Siemens (Active WorkSpace). Notice, their displays that appear will be
remarkably similar. These initial search results are surrounded by
several navigational aids and refinement methods showing possible
areas to explore further. Claims of “intuitive” are valid. New users should
be able to quickly grasp the exploration possibilities with minimal
training.
Using Deep/Wide search capabilities, the presented results are

generated by driving past metadata to access desired content in every
relevant record; the search criteria are highlighted in each listed record
containing it. Typically, thumbnail previews of images will also be
shown. These displays of retrieved results then can be iteratively refined
to narrow the results list to find data that is most “relevant” – a key
capability in semantic technology and in an SES.
Relevant
Relevant – the desired search end is an “a ha” moment. Two factors
come into play: 1) SES algorithms and 2) user actions. In the world of
semantic technology, the end is still the same; the means are based on
various algorithms.
These determine the ranking of the results to be presented by taking

into account any number of factors, such as frequency and proximity of
the criteria to other words. Relevant ranking methods can range from
simple to highly complex – based on sophisticated mathematical logic.

In addition to the displayed results, a user will see filtering choices to

narrow subsequent searches, e.g., dates and file types are two
examples of many. Further exploration is highly likely; a typical initial
search may reveal hundreds of choices.
Thus, the second factor is the ability of a user to determine the correct
choices for further discovery and ultimately, decision-making.
Subsequent Searching Process

Getting to the relevant data needed for a timely decision, therefore, is a
function of the user’s ability to take advantage of the displayed
navigational aids, e.g., the capability of an SES to show relationships as
an aid to decision-making, such as all related documents for a CAD
drawing.
Moreover, further refinements to the selection criteria may be in order.

Some familiar refinements include:
1. Boolean logic with AND/OR/NOT operators
2. Wild card entries
3. Mandatory, prohibited, and optional clauses
4. Sub-expressions – use parenthesis to compose a query of smaller
queries
5. Field qualifier – explicitly search a particular field
6. Phrase query – a series of words to be matched in a stated order
Faceted navigation is also a key discovery tool. Facets are the

categories into which the SES has grouped relevant records, with a
number of them in each category. In turn, the records in a particular
category may include several types. Thus, faceted navigation helps the
user to identify and select a specific category for further exploration.
Now, the significance of Deep and Wide searching should be more

obvious. With Deep, a user is assured that all search criteria have been
identified; with Wide, a user is assured that all designated files have
been accessed.
From a user’s standpoint, the SES will have done its job when relevant
data is presented. To keep the power of an SES in perspective, though,
bear in mind that algorithms can’t judge quality and any duplications
aren’t removed, just identified. Well-informed users are crucial to getting
results with an SES.
The essence of using an SES, therefore, is to make timely decisions

that markedly and positively affect the enterprises strategic objectives,
such as improving “Time-to-Market” by reducing the costs, times and
risks of product development.

A Year End Status Report
Preface
The stated intent of this Search Engine Solutions series was to
introduce the basic concepts of Search-Based Applications for
engineering and manufacturing enterprises.
Moreover, I suggested that experienced practitioners might benefit by

"standing back from the trees to look at the forest.” A well-experienced
industry consultant, Laura Wilber of Exalead affirmed, “Your pragmatic
overview of this subject will be of much use to many.”
My thanks to her for the kind thought.
Comments about Definitions

Since the series began on June 18, 2012, I have gained added insight
into enterprise search, SESs, SBAs and more. I would like to share
some comments about definitions.
1. Definition of Search Engine Solution

There is no known widely-accepted definition of Search-Based
Applications (SBAs) focused on the needs of engineering and
manufacturing enterprises. Therefore, I coined Search Engine Solution
(SES) for this series to encompass search and discover, but don't
analyze – with a qualification.
To qualify as an SES, I posed a criterion, one of many. It must support a

collaborative product development (CPD) environment.
Another term (or label) gaining traction is Unified Information Access,

which identifies software with a full range of search, discover and analyze
powers. By definition, therefore, UIA falls into the Big Data scene.
Big Data
I purposely avoided this subject, as there is an overwhelming amount of
information now available. Besides, most current applications of Big Data
seem focused on customer-facing activities, such as sentiment analysis.
Growing Awareness
Interest in applying to product development is on the rise according to a
recent report: “Product Lifecycle Management and the Data Deluge:
Transforming Data to Enhance Performance,” CIMdata, November 2012.
**********************************************************************************
Postscript: July 15, 2013

The scope and depth of future publications are now under consideration. Direct any
questions or comments to dickb@bourkeconsulting.com.

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www.bourkeconsulting.com 1.888.461.

Product Data: Finding It and Using It

A collection of the columns published in John Stark’s 2PLM Newsletter

Why this Series?

The list of problem symptoms seems endless. Readers may easily

Surveys abound attesting to the wasted time of knowledge workers,

To tackle the problems of product data accessibility, companies can now

Thus, the purpose of this series is to introduce these searching solutions

Google and Bing are well-known search engines – computer programs

IDC (International Data Corporation) asserts:

Therefore, developing purpose-designed solutions appropriate for

Their core is a powerful general-purpose search engine enhanced to

Initial enterprise semantic search solutions include Autonomy, Endeca

Are There Issues?

The Power of Enhanced Search Engines

Enhanced Search Engine Solutions

Additionally, to boost Solr’s other capabilities, service firms provide

The usual approach to SES indexing is based on text values. This is in

In search engines, utility programs (sometimes called a “spider” or

Searching can begin once indexing has been completed during

The Searching Process

With full text capability:

The significance of full text search becomes more apparent in view of

Unstructured text, however, deserves the most attention because of its

After a user enters a specific search criterion, an initial results list is

The Value of Full Text Searching

Answers and Comments – Before Moving Ahead

As stated before, the content of this series is geared to readers

Readers have posed a variety of questions that have been categorically

More on the Definition of Search Engine Solution

IDC’s description of Search-Based Applications (SBAs), cited in Part 1,

The original definition of SBAs comes from Wikipedia. It is “Software

These definitions and descriptions are a worthy start. But, as a more

In addition, to emphasize an earlier comment about definition: An SES

Consulting firms are chiming in. In a recent newsletter titled Analytics,

Marc Halpern of Gartner issued On the Frontiers of Product Design and

Moreover, software providers fuel awareness as they spot market

Search Software Providers

Semantic Technology: Selected References

The LinkedIn group, Enterprise Search Engine Professionals, is a

Overview – Developing a Business Case

Step 1 – Identify time lost

Knowledge workers, however, include those in many other functions in an

A major assumption, though, is that claiming time-savings will be just a

Step 2 – Recognize other time outlays and associated costs

Step 3 – Relate an SES justification to strategic objectives

An investment analysis will probably be mandatory in these difficult times. So,

Therefore, think in terms of a hierarchy of company objectives, starting with

The value of taking advantage of improved personnel productivity can be

The many research/analyst firms in the engineering and manufacturing space

Another justification point is to support innovation. It is still garnering

Searching Methods: Two Dimensions – Deep and Wide

It is important to recognize, moreover, that there are software solutions

Therefore, searching facilitates Design Reuse when the search entries

More inclusions should lead to greater user acceptance, though, with

SES Selection Criteria

As the capabilities of an SES are explored in general terms, remember,

The Value of Deep and Wide Search

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The Searching Process

Initial searching Process

To supplement this discussion, look at some representative vendor

Using Deep/Wide search capabilities, the presented results are