Has MR value added?
The question if MR has value added (see H2) seems at first sight less controversial than the similar question with regard to the value added of MM; however, the degree to which improved searching and improved database management contributes to improved M&S office work depends on many variables other than the quality of retrieval systems presented. If business objectives can be met by MRSs for M&S, unrelated to improving retrieval and improving database management, the minimum value added of MR technology is still that it is a necessary, facilitating technology to realise retrieval of MM information from local or remote data sources. Just using MR technology is certainly not sufficient for realising a certain business value added! Let us review the evidence pointing in the direction that MR improves retrieval performance: retrieval contributes to a tremendous improvement in search and database management performance, as is observed in all situations where very large collections of infor
