Find out what's behind Mozzaik365's Digital Workplaces search bar.
1. What is the "Search" feature?
The search feature is one of the most requested by Internet users.
According to the recent "Digital Report" published by We Are Social, "finding information" is indeed the number one reason people go online.
So, what is a search engine and what are the benefits for the working world?
This is what we will see.
1.1. What does a search feature consist of?
Behind its apparent simplicity, the "Search" feature is a technical tool.
In general, a search engine consists of :
- An area for entering a query, the famous search bar;
- An algorithm that analyzes the data to bring up relevant content;
- A display area for the results indicating the title, author, date or type of file corresponding to each one.
But that's not all. Depending on its level of sophistication, a search engine may also include advanced options such as :
- Search filters;
- Search suggestions;
- Buttons allowing to act on the suggested contents (download a document without having to open it for example).
1.2 What is the purpose of a search feature, and why is it important?
These different characteristics make the "Search" feature a must-have tool, especially for workers.
In the professional context, a search engine guarantees time saving and productivity as well as a better working comfort.
And so the search tool allows employees to quickly find the files, software or contacts they need to complete their missions.
It completes the Electronic Document Management (EDM) process and thus contributes to a better circulation of documents, better knowledge sharing and, finally, better internal collaboration.
But beware, not all search engines are equal.
On the Internet, the Google search tool has been able to make its mark thanks to the relevance of its results.
To date, according to Statcounter, the American giant holds 91.43% of the search engine market share in the world.
But what about the search engines in Digital Workplaces? What is a good "Search" feature in a Digital Workplace?
We're coming to that.
2. Profile of a good Digital Workplace search engine
As a hub that centralizes all the tools, documents and contacts that employees need to work on a daily basis, the Digital Workplace must of course be equipped with a powerful "Search" feature.
2.1. An easy-to-use component
To facilitate access to resources, save employees time and encourage internal collaboration, this tool must above all be easy to use.
Users should be able to enter keywords or questions that come to mind in the search bar, and be presented with all relevant results, all without having to rephrase their query or go through a long list of answers.
2.2. A feature that can be configured according to the space
A good search feature in the Digital Workplace should also be configurable to the spaces in which it is used.
For example, the search bar placed in the company directory should only offer results associated with the directory and the Who's Who.
The objective is, once again, to respond as effectively as possible to user expectations.
2.3. A research tool for the Digital Workplace
A good search tool the Digital Work Environment (DWE) must finally allow to search for information, documents, tools or people on the scale of the whole Digital Workplace .
An employee searching for information in a Teams channel, for example, should be offered results from the entire Digital Workplace .
Similarly, an employee searching from the taskbar on their computer should be able to search in OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams and Yammer at the same time.
⚙️ To take it a step further, discover Microsoft's tools for knowledge sharing.
Does all this still seem a bit abstract to you?
Let's explore some use cases of the "Search" feature as it can be used on a daily basis by Digital Workplaces users.
3. Some use cases of the "Search" feature
The "Search" feature can be used in different ways by employees.
Here are a few examples of use cases:
3.1 Finding a Process or a Tutorial
The "Search" feature, coupled with Electronic Document Management (EDM), can be used by employees to easily find a process or a tutorial.
When starting a task that is new to them, employees may legitimately wonder how to proceed and how to accomplish it in accordance with internal guidelines.
Thanks to the search tool, employees can find in a few clicks the Guidelines formulated by their Manager and listed via an EDM software such as SharePoint.
🔎 Want to improve the accessibility, security and quality of your document base? We explain how to turn SharePoint into a EDM.
3.2. Find and contact an internal expert
The search engine of a Digital Workplace can also be used by employees to find and contact an internal expert.
To do this, employees can search by last name, first name, skill or department in their company's directory or Who's Who.
This feature is particularly interesting for employees of large companies when they want to get help on a specific topic.
It also facilitates the Onboarding of new recruits who do not yet know their colleagues and their respective know-how.
🔑 To take it a step further, find out why the corporate directory is an essential for internal collaboration.
3.3. Streamline the work of the finance department
The Digital Workplace research tool is particularly valuable for the finance department, which needs to collect and analyze a lot of data.
Finance teams can use the "Search" feature of their Digital Workspace to quickly obtain data related to the company's activity.
They can also use the search tool to easily access studies and analyses that will be useful in preparing their own reports.
Finally, financial experts can use their Digital Workplace search engine to find in-house experts who can help them with their projects.
3.4. Facilitate the work of business teams in the manufacturing industry
The "Search" feature of the Digital Workspace is just as useful for business teams as for support teams.
In manufacturing, field workers can use the search tool to quickly find the documents (specifications, drawings, etc.) they are working on.
Business teams can also use the "Research" component of their Digital Workplace to find resources that will guide them in designing products adapted to market demand (competitor catalogs published on the Internet, analyses, customer reviews, etc.).
Finally, employees in the field can use the search engine in their Digital Workspaceto identify at a glance the people they need to design or improve a product.
As we can see, the "Search" feature, when well thought out, greatly facilitates the employees' work. That's why Microsoft and Mozzaik365 are respectively committed to offering ever more powerful search tools.
4. Boost your "Advanced Search" with Microsoft and Mozzaik365
Microsoft and Mozzaik365 provide industry-leading search solutions to enhance employee productivity, knowledge sharing and internal collaboration.
Here's what you need to know:
4.1. Microsoft Search: the search imagined by Microsoft
Microsoft Search is a search tool designed by Microsoft and relevant to the Microsoft 365 suite.
This technology, based on Microsoft Graph and Bing, allows you to search for information (people, files, conversations, etc.) across all the company's content as well as on the Internet.
Microsoft Search therefore offers very complete search results. But this is not its only asset...
This feature also promises a better, richer, more organized and more consistent search experience.
Thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI), each user is offered personalized search results based on their activity in the Digital Workplace.
Finally, Microsoft Search offers interesting possibilities for administrators.
These may include:
- Allow users to view only certain content;
- To be informed of search trends in order to generate ad hoccontent;
- Add external content to the index using Microsoft Graph.
4.2. Advanced search even more powerful with Mozzaik365
Mozzaik365 goes further by enriching Microsoft Search with new features.
Mozzaik365's Advanced Search has a neat design that makes it even easier for users to find what they are looking for.
In addition, the Mozzaik365 Digital Workplace "Advanced Search" SharePoint Web Part offers three levels of settings through which administrators can :
- Set the rules for the " Advanced Search" web part to adapt it to the space in which it is integrated (e.g. the company directory).
- Set up filters and search suggestions differently for different groups of employees to make it easier for everyone to search.
- Manage the governance of user rights to allow some users to modify their own search tool settings according to their needs.
Advanced search reinvented by Microsoft and Mozzaik365: what you need to know
The search feature of the Digital Workplace is a must-have tool in every organization.
In all sectors, it allows to gain in productivity and working comfort, but also to develop internal collaboration by facilitating employees' access to information, documents, instructions and people.
Ease of use, configuration options and a search that covers all of the company's content are the basic elements of a good search function.
With Microsoft Search and Mozzaik365's "Advanced Search" component, Microsoft and Mozzaik365 are adding several features to these fundamentals to further enhance the search experience, its efficiency and security.
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