Intrateam Event

Copenhagen - February 2015

What you

can not find,

does not

exist …

What you can not find, does not exist …

What you do find, maybe you shouldn’t see

And it’s not always easy to know what the user wants

Actual search hit

from the public

web site

”I just want to find everything that

is relevant to me at the moment.”(Answer from a user interview during the feasibility study)

Enterprise Search at Chalmers

Andreas Hallgren

Digital communication and online channels

Chalmers University of Technology

CONTACT: andreas.hallgren@chalmers.se TWITTER @hallgren ... Or search for me on chalmers.se...

Chalmers University of Technology

Located in Gothenburg, Sweden

Founded in 1829

Private, foundation owned, university in 1994

18 departments,

working within 8 key areas of advance:

• Built Environment

• Energy

• Information and Communication Technology

• Life Science

• Materials Science

• Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

• Production

• Transportation

11,000 students

2,000 teaching and research staff

800 technical support and administrative staff

VISION

Chalmers

for a sustainable future

Anyway,

let’s get back to search…

Starting point

chalmers.se

Student Portal

Intranet

Staff database

ONE SEARCH FOR EACH PLATFORM

USERS IN AGREEMENT

Co-workers, students and website

visitors are all unhappy with search

chalmers.se

31.000 web pagesStudent Portal

3.300 web pages

+ 1.300 courses

Intranet

6.000 web pages

Staff database

5.200 members

“ To deliver easy and efficient

access to the relevant

information needed to perform

desired activity ”

VISION

Effect mapping

EFFECTS / GOALS

KPIs and tools for measuring

development are created or

planned.

MEASURING

Generic:

• Easy access to relevant information

• Increased satisfaction with search and increased use of

search at Chalmers

Students:

• Improved self service for current students

Staff:

• Facilitate task solving for staff by use of search

External visitors:

• Present Chalmers’ core business and strengths to external

visitors

METHOD

Workshops and interviews reveal

user behavior and user needs

Project phases

Launch basic search

functions

Technical solutions and

platform in place

PHASE 1

Develop and adapt

search applications

based on user needs

and behavior

Create tools for

analysis and

administration

PHASE 2

Add additional sources

Develop advanced

search driven

functionality to the

sites

PHASE 3

Feasiblity study and

choice of technical

solution

PHASE 0

Project phases

Feasiblity study and

choice of technical

solution

PHASE 0

Summer 2012

Launch basic search

functions

Technical solutions and

platform in place

PHASE 1

Develop and adapt

search applications

based on user needs

and behavior

Create tools for

analysis and

administration

PHASE 2

Add additional sources

Develop advanced

search driven

functionality to the

sites

PHASE 3

Launch basic search

functions

Technical solutions

and platform in place

Project phases

PHASE 1

Feasiblity study and

choice of technical

solution

PHASE 0

Summer 2013Sommar 2012

RESULT

Develop and adapt

search applications

based on user needs

and behavior

Create tools for

analysis and

administration

PHASE 2

Add additional sources

Develop advanced

search driven

functionality to the

sites

PHASE 3

The result was good…

New and improved!

Phase 1 search solution

Our students do not care

what website they are on.

Neither does our new

search.

Far greater relevance than

before.

An independent search

platform creates

possibilites for the future

Contact us – it’s easy!

Phase 1 search solution

Easier to find staff

Searcheson ext. numbers

Connects to profile pages for more info

Contact info, photos and mapsin search results

Launch basic search

functions

Technical solutions

and platform in place

PHASE 1

Feasiblity study and

choice of technical

solution

PHASE 0

Summer 2013Sommar 2012

RESULT

Develop and adapt

search applications

based on user needs

and behavior

Create tools for

analysis and

administration

PHASE 2

Add additional sources

Develop advanced

search driven

functionality to the

sites

PHASE 3

The result was good… 6 months delayed and at double the

development time compared to the estimated

time.

Why?• Overly optimistic estimate

• A complex organisation

• Difficulties in finding the right people

internally

• Comprehensive testing was required

• Vague requirements specification

• No project manager at Chalmers

• No ”product champion” to promote search

within the organisation

, but…

Launch basic search

functions

Technical solutions

and platform in place

Project phases

PHASE 1

Feasiblity study and

choice of technical

solution

PHASE 0

Summer 2013Summer 2012

Loss of focus Loss of funding

Change in planning and ambition

Develop and adapt

search applications

based on user needs

and behavior

Create tools for

analysis and

administration

PHASE 2

Add additional sources

Develop advanced

search driven

functionality to the

sites

PHASE 3

Hand-off from project to

governance organisation…

Who owns search?

• Relevance models

• Administation user interface

• Additional data sources

DEVELOPMENT

• Key matches

• Synonyms

• Handling information deficiencies

(in cooperation with web editors)

SEARCH MANAGER

Search

manager

25%

The search manager’s mission

Analyzing search usage and user behavior

Improving relevance through synonyms, key matches etc

Lifting search improvment needs to development groups

Setting guidelines for search tools and SEO

Handling feedback from users

Having coffee with web editors

and information producers

Basic tools for

search managers

Basic tools for search managers

• Relevance models

• Administration user interface

• Additional data sources

DEVELOPMENT SEARCH ANALYSIS

• Key matches

• Synonyms

• Handling information deficiencies

(in cooperation with web editors)

SEARCH MANAGER

Search

manager

25%

JUST A FEW FIGURES

Focus on

tools/services –

the user has a

task to solve.

Search is seasonal

EXEMPLES FROM SUMMER 2013

July

• vpn (working from home)

• Schedule , scholarships, preparatory

studies (before the semester)

• New York (?)

August

• Schedule, student centre, mail. Student

union fees (the semester starts)

September

• matlab, pingpong, mail, eduroam (practical

tools used for the studies)

Topp 100 searches is

14,2% of all searches (feb 2014)

20.000-30.000 Searches/month (3-4%)

Search analytics

Information that we ought to have

Information that we do have,

but is hard to find

Information that we perhaps should not have,

but that the visitor think we could have

What your visitors doWhat they want to do

Analysing search behavior gives us tools

to work with structure, navigation and design

as well as information quality and information deficiencies on our sites.

Web analyticsSearch analytics

What kind of

web should

we give our

visitors?

Customer

satisfaction

questionnaires

Example:

Chalmers.se

Built

exclusively

for external

audiences

Current student

> Student Portal

Staff

> Intranet

60%

current

students

17%

staff

Visitor

questionnaire

reveals:

Visitor questionnaire autumn 2013

23%

external

visitors

Promote good discussions

in the organisation

What do our visitors expect from us,

and what should our brand deliever?

but base decisions

on facts, not guesses

and only measure

what you will act on

Chalmers.se

is not our home page,

it is the visitor’s web site

• No one likes a bad dinner party.

• All visitors have a task to solve.

Our job is to make this as easy as possible

• Good search and good navigation is key to a good experience

(Good content helps as well…).

• Most things are constantly changing.

To follow up and improve is a process, not a project

A common search solution is harder than you might think

Search “ownership” internally is important

The real job starts when the technology is in place.

A good search solution shows the information you have got.

For better or worse.

A search manager is needed from day one.

A good search solution is invisible.

Measure, evaluate and improve. All the time.

Lessons learned…

IMAGES

• Hiding? Susanne Nilsson CC BY-SA (https://www.flickr.com/photos/infomastern)

• Search sign: Pleuntje, CC BY-SA (https://www.flickr.com/photos/pleuntje)

• Thumbs down: Juhansonin, CC BY-SA (http://www.flickr.com/photos/juhansonin/)

• Long road ahead: Jon Rawlinson CC: BY-SA (http://www.flickr.com/people/94571281@N00)

• Diffussion of knowledge: Quinn.Anya, CC: BY-SA (http://www.flickr.com/photos/quinnanya/)

• Hoover Dam Construction: Alan Stark CC-BY-SA (https://www.flickr.com/photos/squeaks2569/)

• Coffee cup: LexnGer CC BY-NC (http://www.flickr.com/photos/lexnger/4482568463)

• Books: Thorsten Becker CC BY-NC-ND (https://www.flickr.com/photos/alternatewords/)

• Stats. Lendingmemo CC BY (https://www.flickr.com/photos/lendingmemo/)

• Dandelion Wish: John Llu CC-BY (http://www.flickr.com/photos/8047705@N02/5572197407)

• Tape measure greyscale: antony_mayfield CC: BY-SA (http://www.flickr.com/photos/antonymayfield/)

• Facts, not opionions: John Lord CC BY (https://www.flickr.com/photos/yellowbookltd/8530136053)

• Hippo bin: Eli Duke CC BY-SA (https://www.flickr.com/photos/elisfanclub/4577865478)

• Graphs: See-ming Lee: CC: BY-SA (https://www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/)

• Tape Measures: musicisentropy CC: BY-SA (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bandfan/)

THANK YOU

FOR LISTENING!