| Using Yahoo Pipes to Generate Better Search Results on General Terms By Richard Torian July 17, 2009 I. Introduction. A Yahoo Pipes Search Product (YPSP) has been designed which will often (but not always) generate a better frequency of relevant search results when searching on a general concept term, compared to using only the Yahoo search engine. The YPSP has been designed such that a strategic and management focus of the cost, profit, and/or return aspects of a general business term is returned in the search results. Examples of general business terms are: maintenance; fixed assets; working capital; inventory; cash management; equipment; and logistics. Dozens of such terms can be thought of. II. Results. In this section, the identity of search results using the Yahoo Pipe Search Product versus using “Yahoo Search” (http://search.yahoo.com/) will be shown for two general business terms: maintenance and logistics. a. Maintenance. When the user enters the term “maintenance” and runs the Yahoo Pipes Search Product, 40 results are obtained. Click here to see the results of the YPSP having run on the word maintenance. The following 11 results (search performed on July 15, 2009) are judged by me as being highly relevant: 1. Using Financial Decision Analysis 2. NASA Business Case Guide for Facilities Projects 3. Managing Maintenance as a Business 4. Maintenance Parts and Shipping Cost 5. Life Cycle Cost Training 6. FY 2007 Asset Management Plan 7. Capital Budgeting Cash Flows 8. Business Case 9. Business Analysis for Energy-Efficiency Investments 10. Articles/Strategic Maintenance 11. A Framework for Life Cycle Cost Management Searching on the word maintenance using Yahoo Search gave no relevant results in the first 40 hits. b. Logistics. When the user enters the term “logistics” and runs the Yahoo Pipes Search Product, 40 results are obtained. Click here to see the results of the YPSP having run on the word logistics. The following 9 results (search performed on July 16, 2009) are judged by me as being highly relevant: 1. Transportation & Logistics: Analytical Excellence 2. The Logistics Salesperson, a Generalized Specialist 3. Strategic Distribution Logistics, Management, and Planning 4. Performance Based Logistics (PBL) Business Case Analysis (BCA) 5. Outsourcing Warehousing Logistics for Business Profits 6. Measuring Logistics Costs and Performance 7. Cost Accounting and Freight Bill 8. American Systems – Cost Analysis 9. 3PL – How To Do It Successfully or What Investors May Consider Searching on the word logistics using Yahoo Search gave 3 relevant results in the first 40 hits. Although the search term examples discussed above are judged by me to show that the Yahoo Pipes Search Product has some advantages for Yahoo Search when the same general search term is used, the results are not so favorable for all terms. For example, searching on “inventory” does not, in my opinion, give any better results using the YPSP. Both searches give equally bad results for getting information with a strategic and management focus and dealing with costs, profits, and/or returns related to the general term inventory. III. How Does the Yahoo Pipes Search Product Work? The Yahoo Pipes Search Product was designed to expedite the searching of the Internet for strategic and management focused information related to business costs, profits, and/or returns associated with a general business concept (term). Several strings of search phrases, with each phrase defining an important concept related to business cost, profit, and/or return measurements search the Yahoo Search data base simultaneously. In addition, each search phrase is augmented by the user with a business topic for which the user needs cost, profit, and/or return strategic ideas. Then, the aggregate results of this simultaneous search is sent down a Yahoo pipe, and filtered by, first, a group of keywords representing business operational and action events (of importance to costs, profits, and /or returns) and then, secondly, filtered by a group of keywords representing business benefits (e.g. profits, gains, income, etc.). The result provided to the user, hopefully, has a good percentage of highly relevant information that will give the user some strategic ideas related both to costs, profits and/or returns and to the general business topic chosen for use by the user. IV. Discussion. The Yahoo Pipes Search Product (YPSP) might be a handy tool to save time. As shown in Section 2 above, the YPSP provides a better intended result when searching on some general business terms when compared to using Yahoo Search. This YPSP works well, as intended, for some very general, single concept business terms. The product will not work well, when compared to using Yahoo Search, once the search terms become more specific, less general. For example, when searching on maintenance, the YPSP returns more relevant hits (11 compare to 0, out of a total of 40 hits). Once the search terms become more specific, e.g. searching on maintenance costs, Yahoo Search provides a better result. This product may have some utility when the user is starting to educate his/her self generally about strategic and management of costs, profits, and/ or returns related to a general business concept. The YPSP might serve well to provide the user, quickly, some strategic ideas related to the general topic. These ideas could help give the user a better overall understanding of the topic and directions to go in to obtain needed specific information. V. The MAIC’s Use of this YPSP. This Yahoo Pipes Search Product (YPSP) is used on the following Management Accounting Information Center (MAIC)’s content pages: http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Fixed_Assets_Accounting.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Inventory_Management.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Working_Capital.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Cash_Management.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Fixed_Assets_Leasing.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Environmental_Costs.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Agriculture_Costs.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Project_Costs.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Leasing_Costs.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Product_Costs.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Facility_Building_Costs.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Energy_Costs.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Technology_Costs.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Logistics_Costs.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Capital_Planning.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Fixed_Assets_Intangible.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Business_Planning.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Business_Budgets.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Business_Forecasting.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Ratio_Analysis.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Data_Mining.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Project_Management.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Mergers_Guidance_Success.html Please click here to email me a message about this article or other topics. 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