Nearly every search solution includes a taxonomy component today, but not every application is suited to the use one. Sharon Flank suggests that in the long run, taxonomies may even disappear, and that they are a patch to tide us over until searching gets better. If you are careful, you can avoid taxonomies entirely, or at least minimize the amount of time they suck away from more productive endeavors—like finding what you need and acting on it. This provocative session discusses some of the weaknesses of taxonomies, how to get the most out of them when you do use them, and about strategies and tools than may replace them in the future.

DuPont has been extremely successful in forming a unique team that blends people from both information science and information technology to create and support taxonomies. Technology can help with the taxonomy creation process, however, it must be used appropriately, with an understanding of its benefits and limitations. Hear several case studies from actual projects that have been implemented inside DuPont over the last 3 years, along with missteps and key learnings discovered along the way.

Metadata is one of the key enablers to effective enterprise search. The effort and cost of creating useful metadata often result in metadata being ignored or implemented inconsistently across the enterprise. Learn how to identify and balance the value and the cost of developing metadata, how to prioritize differing levels of content description (i.e., Lou Rosenfeld’s “content value tiers”) depending on a variety of criteria, and get practical tips on how to minimize costs related to implementing metadata standards and policies.

The Enterprise Search Showcase features tabletop displays and demonstrations by 26 leading enterprise search software and solutions vendors. Attendees are invited to browse the displays and compare the features of the different products by talking with knowledgeable support staff from each company. 

We all want to know what our users are looking for and whether they found the right answers. While search logs themselves can't give the complete picture, we can use them to tease out some insights, ranging from the most popular queries and trends over time to problems with site information architecture to opportunities for additional products, features or partnerships. This session will survey the current state of the art of search analytics and share examples of how this information can be applied. 

Neil Margolis “owns” the enterprise search business at Wyeth, but it’s not his only responsibility. He and another staff member have used search logs and user feedback to enhance the search functionality of the search engine they deployed in 2002. They’ve tripled the inquiries to over 2,000 per day and decreased the negative feedback as they’ve made improvements. Learn how search logs and analysis can help you boost the performance of your search engine.

Enjoy a delicious lunch and make the most of this networking time at Enterprise Search Summit to talk with colleagues, sponsors, and speakers about questions, problems, and challenges you are facing. 

Users should be able to search and browse information in a context that
promotes dissemination, learning, and application. In this case study, the Air Products team will discuss how they are implementing a metadata-driven architecture that integrates search and CMS as part of the second phase of their project. Using KM approaches such as communities of practice, they are influencing the development of taxonomy site structures, thesauri, metatagging, and design of content for reuse.

Join this panel of experts as they share lessons learned and point out highlights of the Air Products case study. Integrating search and CMS is a complex problem, as is making the decision about whether to use the search function that may be part of your CMS. Listen and discuss these questions and others with our experts and Mary Moulton and Clay Collins from Air Products. 

Take advantage of this last chance to talk with experts from the leading enterprise search software companies, pick up some materials, and learn how their products might meet your needs.

Faceted navigation is an innovative approach to search that is flexible and can be adapted to support a variety of user information-seeking behaviors. Facets are easier for users to understand due to their orthogonal definition and easier to develop due to a dynamic integration of browse and search. Learn what faceted navigation is and how it works, and explore the many issues that need to be understood to fully tap into the power of faceted navigation for searching both structured and unstructured data sources.

See an example of how multifaceted search (also known as faceted navigation) can help your organization find and deliver the right information for your customers. Hear about how IBM justified the investment, chose the right technology, and implemented it—and what the results have been. This case study is about a large, customer-facing site, but the strategies and technology apply equally well to internal search applications.

Hear the outlook for the enterprise search industry from these three respected industry experts. What can you expect to see in the future in terms of trends and developing technologies? Which companies are likely to survive and thrive? Which are up-and-coming and worth watching? Join the discussion about important areas of innovation such as dynamic taxonomies, expertise location and collaboration, multilingual support, search analytics, visualization, and navigating structured and unstructured information. Explore how trends such as enterprise information integration play into search and findability. Wrap up your Enterprise Search Summit experience by participating in this lively dialogue among colleagues.