Information retrieval (IR) also known as the "retrieval of information" is an IT discipline used by billions of users every day who search for information in search engines, both on the web and within applications, databases, etc.
In companies and organizations, the IR system is increasingly used to make accessible the wealth of knowledge defined as knowledge base, the capital consisting of data, and information that once analyzed can be used to support decision-making processes.
Artificial Intelligence and Information Retrieval
Machine Learning and NLP are branches of Artificial Intelligence that enable machines to read and interpret natural language. Through their application in various fields, they have also become essential in corporate business processes.
Their main application in this field is to learn from large amounts of data, both structured and unstructured, to extract information - through an Information Retrieval System - and make decisions based on their analysis.
In particular, within the NLP sector, information retrieval is constituted by a set of techniques to retrieve information through queries, i.e. requests with which the user expresses an information need. Then, these are matched with an object containing the answer to that query, such as a document, a web page or an email.
Developments in artificial intelligence nowadays make it possible to respond to users' search intent in an increasingly comprehensive manner, retrieving information even without the use of specific keywords.
This can be done either by trying to reconstruct the search intent typed by the user (semantic approach), or by exploiting the so-called statistical approach, through which AI recognizes correlations within the contents and proposes only relevant results for that specific request.
Information retrieval systems and corporate Knowledge Management
AI algorithms can be used within a company to implement Knowledge Management solutions, which allow not only to manage and have always available the knowledge base but above all to extract information from any type of archive or repository and to integrate with business systems, such as CRM, Help desk, IT management, HR software, etc.
The use of Knowledge Management based on IR systems makes it easier for employees and customers to search for information in each division's documentation by typing in a query (question or keyword). In this way, employees and customers can find the answers they need immediately, without having to bother colleagues, call other departments or deal with endless research.
The main benefits of these solutions for managing and retrieving corporate information include:
-
reducing the time spent searching for information, which increases employee productivity;
-
centralising the company's knowledge base, avoiding the creation of knowledge silos and clusters, which make the circulation of knowledge difficult;
-
making customer care and help desk services more efficient in providing answers to users, with a consequent increase in customer satisfaction;
-
improving employee onboarding procedures by making the necessary information easily accessible;
-
making the knowledge of each department (help desk, customer support, sales and marketing, HR, IT...) easily shareable and, in general, encouraging knowledge sharing.
Read also: How to integrate an Information Retrieval system into a business process
Do you want more information? Contact Pigro Team!
