Updating to Azure cloud services for powerful search capabilities and cost efficiency

Our long-term partnership and gold level certification made upgrading to Azure Cognitive Search an effortless experience for WorkSafeBC, and our ability to replicate the existing search ensured a continuity of experience for users.

Client Name

WorkSafeBC

CMS

Services

  • Requirements & Strategy
  • UI & UX Design
  • Content Management System Implementation & Integration
  • Taxonomy & Content Strategy
  • Managed Services & Support

Technologies

  • Sitecore Experience Platform
  • Azure Search
  • Azure Infrastructure
  • Custom Taxonomy Implementation

Client Needs

The original site implemented by Bayleaf utilized Coveo Search and satisfied the client and their users with its efficiency and utility. However, the Coveo transition to cloud services opened to door for Worksafe to consider alternative solutions. After reviewing the options, Azure Search, bundled with Azure cloud services was the most powerful and cost-effective choice.

The challenge was in implementing a new search system with no discernable difference to users.

Our Solutions

The move to Azure Search required the redesign and implementation of content indexing, search results ranking, tagging, filtering, and user search interface.

TAXONOMY AND FACETED SEARCH

The originally implemented search utilized facets, allowing users to drill down into deeper content, like an ecommerce site where users make progressive choices to narrow results. Bayleaf worked to duplicate this on the new service, as well as leverage the established taxonomy developed in conjunction with Worksafe during the initial build. The implementation continues to use auto tagging for distinct content types, leveraging the organization’s unique facets, which continue to be updatable through Sitecore to support term evolution.

Work was done to ensure results ranking was consistent with the Coveo experience, by creating ‘scoring profiles’ in Azure to mimic behavior. Testing for tagging and filtering were done to ensure consistency and a smooth transition.

INTERFACE ENHANCEMENTS

Bayleaf’s longstanding relationship with WorksafeBC allow us to continually evolve the website and search utility as new insights and issues are uncovered. In particular, the lengthy, dense, and technical Occupational Health and Safety content (OHS), is difficult for lay users to understand and navigate. Several enhancements to improve usability and encourage the use of filtering have been deployed or are being developed.