Increase SharePoint Findability with SAI Search Web Parts

January 21, 2009. Singapore - Sai Innovations, makers of award winning 'SAI Workspace Suite for SharePoint' announced the release of their search Web Parts - Enterprise Search Web Part and List Search Web Part. Workspace Suite from SAI allows end users to create SharePoint applications without programming knowledge. Search family of Web Parts fits perfectly on SAI Workspace framework allowing business to increase the user efficiency to identify and search their SharePoint contents more efficiently.

Findability refers to the quality of identifying and locating the contents easily and effectively. In SharePoint terms, Items (Lists or Document Library) must be evaluated to be discovered and located easily by business. SharePoint deployment must be planned for the digital and physical environment to support data retrieval and navigation. SharePoint Search infrastructure provides the technology for searching contents and Findability is the result of consistent document creation practices.

Current SharePoint search does not provide functionality to search contents across multiple Site Collections or Top Level Sites based on Content Types. SAI Search Web Parts will help business users to realize their current investments made in search infrastructure.

SharePoint Search capability does not allow end users to restrict their search to a specific list or customize the search results. The search results displayed is not effective as it lists items from multiple lists with limited information. SAI List Search Web Parts provides with flexibility to create a user friendly search interface for end users, to perform search/filter on Lists or Document Libraries. The Web Part can be configured by business without the need for IT support.

Available in two flavors – Simple and Advanced List Search Web Parts, it provides an easier way to search the Lists and overcomes all the limitations of default SharePoint Search.

List Search Simple Web Part allows end users to search on preconfigured lists using defined search criteria. The end user only enters the search parameters and views the search results. The fields to be displayed in the search results will be configured during the Web Part setup.

List Search Advanced Web Part allows flexibility for end users to perform search. The visitors can select single or multiple lists to search and also the list view to display the search results. Boolean operator (AND/OR) can be applied between search parameters. The search results can be displayed on the same or different page. The results can be grouped by simple drag and drop of the search result columns.

Search Web Parts can be branded to fit the corporate theme using either CSS or Web Part setup wizard.

SAI allows business to take advantage of the Content Types provided in SharePoint. Organizations create multiple content types to track and store the Meta data of the contents. Content Types can be applied to multiple sites, so consistent business rules can be applied across multiple sites. Out of box SharePoint search does not provide functionality to search the contents based on the Content Type. Enterprise Search Web Part exactly addresses this limitation.

Business users can configure and customize search interface and search results based on any content type available (for both Lists and Document Library). End users with permission can build the search screen based on Content Types. The search screen can contain all or selected fields from the Content Type. Search supports range for Number and Date fields. The search condition can be customized to include either AND/OR operator. User validation is available and can be customized once again by the Administrators. The search results can be displayed in any custom page and formatted based on local requirements. Web Part provides functionality for the search results to be exported either to PDF or Excel.

"SAI Search Web Parts allows business to realize their investments made on enterprise Search infrastructure. We bridge the gap between Search and Findability, so the efficiency is increased for the end users in tracking and retrieving the contents of their interest", says Chandra Jeganathan, President of Sai Innovations. "With the implementation of SAI Search Web Parts, we were able to make convincing points for the clients to use SharePoint Search against Google appliances. Based on our experience, Google Search appliance can deliver Findability for limited contents and fails when the range of data increases with randomized meanings. In diverse business domain finding information becomes less effective with Google".

Chandra Jeganathan believes that Findability is not a technology but managing information based on consistent practices and process. SAI Search Web Parts provide the technology to contribute for Findability solutions.

Content tagging and training of the employees to follow the defined process, in creating data, is key to robust fundability solution. SAI Search Web Parts will help business to provide technology to find the data based on predefined content store and business rules. With users faced with information overload and amiability in drill down navigation to find the data, SAI Search Web Parts can be the answer to the business requirements to find the information in a fast and efficient manner and thus improve the business overall.

The evaluation version of SAI Search Web Parts is available from SAI web site at www.sai-innovations.com