Index for Smarter Search

Frequently asked questions about Index

• Does Ayfie offer its solutions as a cloud service, or can they also be installed locally (on-premises)?

  Ayfie Enterprise AI Search can be run as a flexible SaaS solution in the cloud, in a hybrid setup, or on-premises in your environment. This allows you to choose what fits your company’s IT strategy—be it a full cloud service for minimal administration or local installation for full control.

  Personal Assistant is typically offered as a cloud solution via Ayfie's secure Azure platform.

• Which types of data sources can be integrated with Index?

  You can connect to a wide range of sources: document storage (e.g., SharePoint, OneDrive, file servers), email and calendar (Exchange/Outlook), collaboration tools (Teams, Slack, Confluence), databases and specialized systems, intranet, etc. The solution supports both structured and unstructured data, making everything from spreadsheets and PDFs to chat logs searchable. Ayfie's platform also has an open API to integrate with any other data silos you might have.

• How difficult is it to implement Index in our IT environment?

  The implementation is designed to be seamless. Ayfie offers ready-made connectors/adapters to the most used systems. Installation can be done in the cloud or on your servers depending on the chosen model. Typically, a pilot can be set up within days, while full production deployment depends on the extent of integrations. You will have a dedicated consultant guiding the process from setup to indexing the first data sources.

• Can employees search across all our systems with a single search?

  Yes. The main point of enterprise search is that a simple search phrase can retrieve information from all connected sources simultaneously. For example, a search can fetch results from emails, documents, CRM systems, and wikis all at once. This saves time as you do not need to search each system separately.

• Does Index support searches using natural language?

  Absolutely – you can enter questions or sentences in natural language, and the system understands the intent using NLP (natural language processing). You do not need to use keyword searches like before; for example, you can write “Find the report on last year's sales figures,” and the system will try to find the correct document. In addition, the generative AI part can answer questions directly by extracting the answer from relevant sources.

• What functions for enhancing search results exist (e.g., synonyms or semantic

  Ayfie's search engine uses AI to improve relevance. It understands synonyms and related terms (a search for "salary" can also find "compensation," etc.), and it uses semantic understanding rather than just exact word matches. You can also configure your own synonym lists and relevance adjustments if needed. Over time, the solution can learn from user behavior to improve the ranking of results.

• Are there any limitations on the amount of data or the number of documents the system can handle?

  Ayfie's solution is built to scale to large amounts of data. It has been tested for millions of documents and high numbers of users. The underlying technology scales horizontally as needed (more servers/instances can be added). In practice, storage and indexing capacity will be adjusted according to customer needs. Discuss the expected amount of data with the Ayfie team for optimal architecture. In short, there are few practical limitations—the system can grow with your data.

• How often are the indexes updated? Are changes in documents captured continuously?

  Yes, the index is updated regularly. Ayfie can configure incremental indexing collecting new and changed documents at set intervals or in real-time depending on the source. For example, the integration with SharePoint can listen for changes making new documents searchable shortly after. The frequency can be adjusted—from continuous synchronization to daily updates—depending on what is needed.

• What maintenance is required for Index?

  The solution is nearly maintenance-free for the customer when using the SaaS model—Ayfie takes care of updates, operation, and monitoring. If it is run on-premises, Ayfie will offer updates regularly, but your IT department will need to install updates and monitor the service. Regardless, you will be informed of new features and improvements. The system is built to require minimal manual administration: it automatically adapts to new data and has built-in mechanisms for error handling in indexing.