When companies begin looking for a search solution, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the variety of software and vendor choices available, and the complexity of the technology. The benefits of enterprise search, however, are clear.
Improved decision making
Don’t make decisions in the dark. Find the answers you need from sales records, internal memos, research, financial reports, relevant industry web sites and more.
Lower call center costs
With enterprise search implemented on your external web site, customers are able to find answers to technical or sales questions easily, so they don’t need to call. And when they do call, you spend less on call center costs when when your representatives are able to find information quickly.
Higher productivity
An enterprise search solution can reduce the time your employees spend looking for information by 15 to 30 percent*, and reduce time employees spend recreating documents that are ‘somewhere out there in the system’ but which are too difficult to locate. (*IDC: ‘The High Cost of Not Finding Information,’ Susan Feldman and Chris Sherman, April 2003, IDC #29127)
Better communication
With the rise of telecommuting and outsourcing, you may have workers in different time zones and on different continents. When your London office needs an answer, and it’s 3:00 am in NY, calling the manager in NY may not be the best option. Wouldn’t it be better if that answer was available through internal search?
Regulatory Compliance
Reduce the cost and the time invested in complying with government or industry regulations.
Web based revenue
Advertiser driven? Subscription based? Retail transactions? Whether you profit by selling information, ads or bungee cords, enterprise search can help. With enterprise search, you can easily offer different levels of access for subscribers. Increase advertiser revenue by coordinating banner ads with customer data. Selling shoes? Have the search engine suggest a pair of matching socks. No matter what the business, customers want to find things quickly. As many as half of prospective customers will leave after two to three clicks if they can’t find what they need. Implement enterprise search, make search easy, and turn prospects into sales.
Proven ROI
A landmark IDC study showed that “an enterprise with 1,000 knowledge workers wastes $48,000 per week ($2.5 million per year) due to an inability to locate and retrieve information.”* $2.5 million is a lot to pay for lousy search. Even though this study is nearly a decade old, as content grows at a staggering pace, the message only gains value. Organizations will need a powerful search engine tuned to there business to unlock the information they need buried inside their own enterprise. (*IDC:The High Cost of Not Finding Information, Susan Feldman and Chris Sherman, April 2003, IDC #29127)