Starting an enterprise search system in your company is a big step towards better organization and teamwork. You'll likely be evaluating different enterprise search software options—looking at how they work, their security features, and other considerations of the sort. 

But you might also hear the suggestion to build something in-house instead of buying a ready-made system.

This is a valid point to consider. So, in this article, we'll cover:

• The trade-offs of building your own system versus using an off-the-shelf solution.
• The advantages that ready platforms offer for managing knowledge.
• How to best communicate the value of a dedicated knowledge management system.

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Is it Possible to Build Your Custom-Made Enterprise Search?

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The short answer is yes; it's certainly possible to craft an in-house enterprise search solution. But the more important question is whether it's the right choice for your business. There are instances where a custom-built system offers distinct advantages:

• Truly unique needs: If your organization has highly specialized search requirements that no off-the-shelf solution seems to address, building your own might be the only way to achieve the exact functionality you need.
• Deep integrations: When search must connect seamlessly with custom-built internal systems or workflows, a homegrown solution gives you the flexibility to design those integrations from the ground up.
• Complete control: With an in-house build, you retain total control over every aspect of the system – from the user interface to security protocols and how data is indexed. This level of control can be very important for industries with strict compliance requirements.

Of course, choosing to build your own enterprise search system isn't a decision to take lightly. It requires careful consideration of the trade-offs involved, and we'll delve into those in more detail soon.

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Buying Enterprise Search Software Is Almost Always the Better Idea

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Developing an enterprise search solution from scratch can seem appealing, but it often masks the significant investment of time and resources required. Purpose-built enterprise search software provides a feature-rich alternative that eliminates the burden of development. 

While you may be able to apply some custom solutions if you decide to build it from scratch, off-the-shelf enterprise search products have greatly refined their scope of features and possible applications.

Some of the common features you can expect in modern enterprise search solutions include:

Generative AI: With generative AI in enterprise search, you can skip the exhausting task of manually building reports. Just prompt the system to create the report you need, and it will analyze the data and present the insights you're looking for.

Machine learning: Enterprise search with machine learning adapts based on how employees use it. The system tracks which results are most useful and makes sure that consistently valuable information rises to the top.

Conversational search: Enterprise search with Natural Language Processing (NLP) eliminates the need for complex keyword queries. Instead, you can interact with the system in a way that feels natural. This also allows the system to understand the real intent behind the search and provides the user with a broader scope of possible requests.

Deep indexing: Modern enterprise search solutions index more than just text documents. With deep indexing, you can find information within audio, video, and other multimedia files.

Context-aware search: Similar to conversational search, context-aware functionality makes enterprise search feel more intuitive. The system analyzes who is searching, what they've looked for before, and their current tasks to deliver highly personalized results.

Remember that the knowledge management systems market is full of innovation. This constant competition drives developers to create feature-rich solutions that focus on user experience. 

The features mentioned above are only some of the additional features, and enterprise search solutions might also include advanced security measures, integrations with third-party systems, customization options, analytics and reporting, and many other features.

Unless you are willing to spend a huge amount of money, not to mention setup time and effort, you will always lag behind the specialized tools that have gone through the process of refinement, especially in terms of user experience.

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Should You Still Consider In-House Enterprise Search?

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Building your own enterprise search solution can be a tempting proposition for several reasons. First and foremost, it offers unmatched customization and integration. You have the power to tailor the search platform to perfectly fit your specific organizational needs and workflows. 

This level of control extends to functionality, user experience, and, most importantly, data handling. A custom-built search solution ensures that capabilities align precisely with your organization's unique requirements.

For companies with specialized knowledge and resources in software development, building in-house offers the additional benefit of innovation. This can translate to interesting and creative competitive advantages. 

However, building from scratch isn't the only path to achieving a customized search solution. Let's explore hybrid models.

Buy AND Build: Hybrid Approach

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A hybrid approach to enterprise search is rapidly gaining traction by offering organizations a compelling balance of speed, customization, and cost-effectiveness. With this model, you utilize the core build of an off-the-shelf enterprise search solution as your foundation while selectively developing custom components to address your organization's highly specialized needs.

How Does a Hybrid Model Work?

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You start by choosing a reputable off-the-shelf enterprise search platform. This provides a proven set of essential search functionalities like indexing, search ranking, user interfaces, and often advanced features such as machine learning or natural language processing.

The strength of the hybrid model lies in its use of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) and SDKs (Software Development Kits) that are exposed by the chosen platform. Your developers utilize these tools to build custom components, integrations, or features that directly address your unique requirements.

Hybrid models allow for:

• Developing custom connectors to index data from proprietary internal systems or highly specific file formats.
• Implementing custom algorithms or filters to refine search results based on complex criteria relevant to your domain (e.g., scientific research results, engineering documents).
• Building interfaces that streamline workflows for specific user groups or departments (e.g., product research teams might need highly specialized displays of results).
• Custom authentication protocols or encryption layers should be added to meet strict data sensitivity requirements.

Why Is the Hybrid Model Gaining Popularity

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A core solution gives you a massive head start. You avoid reinventing fundamental search mechanics and can deploy a functional platform quickly.

Most importantly, the focus of your development budget remains on the truly differentiating features of your organization.

All the while, your enterprise search platform provides continuous updates, security patches, and support. Your custom components integrate with this evolving foundation.

Additionally, the core product is designed to handle large volumes of data. Your development efforts can focus on ensuring that your custom elements gracefully scale alongside your needs.

Considerations When Choosing a Hybrid Approach

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To even begin your path toward a hybrid solution, you need to carefully evaluate whether the enterprise search solution you're considering has well-documented APIs and SDKs that support your desired level of customization.

Not to mention that you need to have internal development resources or partnerships in place to build and maintain custom components successfully.

Communication is also very important. Before buying, take your time to Investigate the vendor's willingness to support a hybrid implementation and their track record with clients taking this approach.

Choosing the Right Enterprise Search Solution

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Selecting the perfect enterprise search vendor takes careful planning. This framework will help you navigate the process, ensuring the solution you choose aligns perfectly with your organization's needs, budget, and long-term vision.

Building your shortlist:

• Market research: Industry reports, customer reviews, and case studies are a great starting point, but don't limit yourself to just online resources. Consider seeking out whitepapers and analyst reports for even deeper insights.
• Peer recommendations: Tap into your professional network – they're a goldmine of real-world experiences. Ask about the good, the bad, and what solutions your peers ended up choosing.
• Industry events: Conferences and vendor showcases aren't just about flashy demos. They're a fantastic way to connect with potential partners and get a sense of the overall market landscape.

Gathering vendor information:

• Request for Information (RFI): Keep it short and sweet at this stage. You're simply casting a wider net to gauge basic fit and interest from potential vendors.
• Request for proposal (RFP): Once you've narrowed down the field, it's time for your detailed RFP. Be specific about features, timelines, budget, and anything else that's vital to your project's success. This is where potential vendors get to show how well they understand your needs.

Evaluating features and functionality

• Match against must-haves: Don't compromise on the core essentials. Create a priority list and immediately remove vendors that fail to meet your fundamental requirements.
• Hands-on demos & trials: No amount of slide decks can replace real-world testing. Insist on demos and trials (in your environment if possible) for your top contenders.
• Reference checks: Go beyond the vendor-provided references. Try to seek out a few customers independently to get a more balanced perspective on the product and support experience.

Calculating true cost & support:

• Total cost of ownership (TCO): The purchase price is just the start. Factor in implementation, training, ongoing maintenance, support fees, and even potential future upgrades for a realistic cost picture.
• Vendor stability: You want a partner, not just a product. Investigate the company's track record, customer satisfaction, and financial health—this tells you a lot about its ability to support you down the road.
• Support services: What happens when things go wrong? Evaluate response times, availability outside standard hours (if critical for you), and how support is handled (is it in-house, outsourced, etc.).

Ensuring scalability and future-proofing:

• Growth potential: Will the solution 'grow up' with your organization? Think about expected data volume increases, new content sources, and potential changes in how your team uses search.
• Adaptability: Ask about customization options, integrations with your current tools, and how they handle evolving technologies. A rigid solution can quickly become outdated.

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Always remember that enterprise search involves handling potentially sensitive data. Prioritize vendors with strong security practices and certifications.

Also, consider user experience. The best features in the world will not matter if your users find the system confusing to use.

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Adaptability with Akooda

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Akooda understands that no two businesses have identical search needs. That's why we've built a platform that adapts to you. 

Our powerful core search engine delivers features that modern organizations rely on: generative AI, intuitive search interfaces, integration with third-party programs, strong security, and easy scaling. 

But we don't stop there – Akooda's open APIs and developer tools empower you to customize those features and address your specific requirements. Whether you prioritize the speed and proven capabilities of our core product or want to modify it with your own solutions, Akooda's flexibility gives you the perfect fit.

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