Connecting AI search to existing document systems in Hong Kong: how to choose a partner
By ThinkCol|Published |Last reviewed
What is AI search?
You type or say what you need in everyday words, and AI search finds matching files. You do not need to know the file name or document number.
It is not a chatbot. Search finds the document for you to open. A chatbot writes an answer for you to read.
Five questions to ask a partner
Will it work with our current systems? You should not have to move your files first. Ask how new and updated files are picked up.
Will staff only see what they are allowed to see? Existing access rights should carry over. Ask how this is tested.
Does it work in our languages? Check English and Chinese, plus Cantonese if staff will search by voice.
How will you test it before launch? Ask how many test searches the partner will run, and how many of your staff will try it.
Where does our data go? Ask where files and search logs are stored. If files include personal data, Hong Kong's Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance is likely to apply, so involve your compliance team early.
Three kinds of partner
Ready-made software: can suit you if your files sit in one modern system it already connects to, and permissions are simple.
Cloud provider partners: can suit you if your systems already use that cloud provider and it connects to your document systems.
Specialist consultancies: can suit you if your files sit in a specialist or older system, or permissions are complex.
Whichever you choose, ask the five questions above.
Example: an international school group
Before: staff needed the exact file name, document number or other details to find a file.
What ThinkCol built: AI search connected to the group's existing document system, picking up new files every five minutes.
What staff could do: search by typing (English or Chinese), by voice (English, Mandarin or Cantonese), or by uploading an image such as a scanned page. Results included scanned documents, drawings and floor plans, and staff only saw files they were allowed to open.
Testing: 54 staff from the facilities team tried it before launch.
Can it find scanned documents and drawings?
Yes, if the system is built for it. Ask how it reads scanned text (optical character recognition, or OCR) and how it finds drawings. The school group's search found scanned documents, drawings and floor plans.
Do we need to tidy up our files first?
Not completely. Agree which versions are current, and list the abbreviations and place names your staff use so the system recognises them.
What is a good first step?
Start with one team and one set of documents. Test it with those staff before rolling it out more widely.
Thinking about AI search on your own document systems? Talk to our team.
