How a Swiss biotech company centralized information retrieval to boost productivity
In a growing biotech company, employees often struggle to find critical internal information scattered across multiple systems. From lab data and HR records to shared cloud storage, quickly retrieving relevant information is essential for effective decision-making. This case study explores how a Swiss biotech company implemented a smart search platform to unify internal information access, enabling seamless search from multiple sources while providing role-based filtering and enhanced search functionality.
Challenge
- Employees had to navigate multiple systems (LIMS, ELN, shared drives, HR databases) to find relevant information
- The lack of a centralized search platform led to inefficiencies and delayed access to critical data
- Different teams (Lab Scientists, Data Scientists, HR, and Management) required role-based filtering of search results
- A need for an intuitive interface that provides search result details with direct links to source data.
Approach
- Developed a centralized search platform integrating multiple data sources, including LIMS, ELN, Cloud Shared Drives, and HR systems.
- Implemented role-based filtering, ensuring that users access only relevant information based on their roles.
- Designed a custom ranking algorithm to sort and score search results for optimal relevance.
- Enabled in-app search result inspection, allowing users to preview details before accessing source data.
- Built on a secure infrastructure supporting integration with a variety of services.
- Utilized a modern technology stack, including Python, React JS, and TypeScript.
Results
- Single Source of Truth: Employees can now search all internal information from one platform.
- Role-Based Access: Scientists, HR, and management teams receive tailored search results based on their needs.
- Enhanced Search Efficiency: Users can inspect search result details with direct links to the source data.
- Custom Ranking & Sorting: Search results are scored and organized using proprietary algorithms.
- Scalable Infrastructure: The system supports seamless integration with existing and future services.
Technological stack
By implementing an intelligent search platform, the Swiss biotech company has successfully streamlined internal access to information, reducing inefficiencies and improving decision-making. With a unified system that pulls relevant data from multiple sources while providing secure role-based access, employees can now find the information they need faster and more efficiently, ultimately increasing productivity within teams.
