Firms' internal search tools fall short

Business would benefit it staff could find information more easily, according to an Information Builders survey

Firms could improve productivity and business performance by providing staff with easier access to information related to their work, according to new research released today by business intelligence specialist Information Builders.

In a survey of UK employees across a wide range of industries, 68 percent said they were frustrated that their organisation could not provide information as quickly and easily as their banks and utilities providers.

Over three-quarters said they would be more productive and successful if they could access data to monitor the way their contributions influenced business performance. Seventy-one percent said they would be more effective if provided with enterprise search tools such as Google's Search Appliance.

Dave Armstrong of Information Builders said that firms should exploit the fact that most people are familiar with web-based user interfaces such as those of Amazon.com, Google and online banking portals.

"It's often difficult to get the information [in organisations] to make important decisions," he said. "Google Search Appliance is a good example of how important it is not only to look at data across the organisation but to present it to people in a way they are already familiar with."