Enterprise Search, Um, Sucks

I have to mention that my Dad wrote a posting today about the lack of satisfaction among employees in regards to their enterprise. While most of us will nod our head in agreement given our life experiences, it is refreshing to see an actual study quantifying the dissatisfaction that we all know anecdotally.

Very few enterprise vendors take user satisfaction surveys because they IT managers know the results. The lack of use of enterprise search is evidence enough. The clients of enterprise software companies are the IT who can appreciate the amount of technology that takes place to index the amount of disparate and growing content in the enterprise. (From and academic perspective, it is fascinating.)

I have been in some enterprise focus groups where we did gauge user satisfaction, and they are painful. When we had our default interface, our search  got low scores. However, when we put up the same reach results in the Google interface (on our system), the scores shot up. As frustrating as this is, it is reality. Reality that people refuse to accept.

However, IT managers who do not take this fact into consideration are quickly approaching the time when a business manager will say, "Why don't we just Google it." While you may have an avalanche of information from large analysts companies to prove your point, you may soon face a user revolt and a veto from the business side.

As I said in a previous post, the "SaaS in a box" approach by Google will prove harder and harder to defend as Google announces more "enterprise cloud application" as they announced yesterday with the App Engine.

As the study shows, and let me know if this sounds familiar to another quagmire, you can pour millions of dollars in something with good intentions, but if the end users don't accept or like its presence compared to what they know, it will be hard to handle the user "insurgency."

Admittedly, we at Adhere used to fight this battle, and we have given up and devoted ourselves to implementing Google based enterprise solution, and believe me, when I say our life is better now. It could be better for you too...