computer Many tools are available to reduce the distance between People and Data in bi-directional ways. These tools can be grouped in three distinctive types:

  • User tools
  • Data tools
  • Business tools

User tools explicitly allow a User to filter, relate, arrange, spell-check or refine their queries. While Data tools automatically compose ranking models that are transparent to the user. Finally, Business tools allow the merchants to take control on what users see and what the data does to orchestrate both sets of tools (Users and Data). Synonyms, Boosting, Linking, Equalizing are classic Business tools that help the Business user (search manager, merchant or copying teams) to take control when control is both beneficial and needed (not continuously). A sound set of User tools and optimised Data tools reduce the need for Business tools. In other words, the better the data and UX the lower the need to apply business rules to improve trending queries. This is a fact. mobile However, with the same certainty that the above fact is assured, a factor of uncertainty can be equally assured. The best Data Feed and user tools (UX, filters, etc) will never prevent the occurrence of query trends that an engine will fail to maximise , no matter how well the engine is conceived, configured and upkept, uncertainty can occur and therefore immediate detection and actions (Business tools) are essential. Unexpected query demands can occur any moment (book titles due to an author’s death, a particular dress because a celebrity has been photographed with it or white dresses because these  are trendy in the Oscar awards). EmpathyBroker’s PlayBoard can be used by anyone in the organisation to detect unexpected trends in real time and connect them with simple drags and drops to the right item. The new EmpathyBroker PlayBoard trades uncertainty for revenue. We know you believe in being agile and this is the reason of our new PlayBoard; to help you keeping sharp.