apHarmony offers search implementation services.  Whether you are looking to add search to an existing website or application, implement advanced search indexing for big data applications, or maintain and support an existing search system, we will be happy to bring our team to your software project.  Please feel free to give us a call at 630-855-7522 for a free evaluation and quote.

Search systems help make large data stores more accessible and easier to navigate.  There are a large variety of search engine paradigms – from direct search, to faceted search, to structured query builders, to natural language processing, search engines can offer users fine-grained tools for searching virtually any kind of data store, whether structured or unstructured.  Through intuitive implementation of the search engine interface, clients can often achieve either improved productivity, or in the case of client-facing applications, increased revenues.

Direct search is the simplest and simplest and most intuitive search.  Similar to the Google engine, users type a query into a single search box, and the software provides a list of results based on the ranking algorithm.  Users can then add additional words to help narrow the search, or scroll through the results until they find the data they were seeking.

Faceted search is often used in conjunction with direct search, and is most prevalent in online stores for retailers.  When searching a large database for an item, such as shoes, faceted search brings a list of categories on the left sidebar to help a user narrow-down to their target item by categories such as brand, price, and color.  Instead of requiring users to rely solely on the single search box, faceted search helps users explore a large subset of items with similar characteristics.

Structured query builders are the traditional workhorse of analytics engines.  Query builders allow users to select individual fields, and build expressions based on logical comparison of those fields.  For instance, users may be able to search for all orders greater than $2,000 and less than $10,000 in the system.  Structured query builders offer different search expressions based on the data types of the underlying field, and are often very useful for “power users” in business applications.

Natural language processing is the simplest search engine to user, however the most challenging to build.  The goal of the search is to allow users to interact with the search similar to a human concierge, asking a question and receiving a direct answer.  Natural language engines are often implemented in automated telephone systems to help direct users to the correct department.

For a free evaluation and quote on a search implementation project, please feel free to give us a call at 630-855-7522.