How Lenovo made search a strategic growth driver in the AI era
Discover how Lenovo turned search into a strategic growth driver with Lucidworks, scaling across 180 markets and 60+ languages to boost revenue by 95% and improve relevancy by 55%.
Lenovo is a name you trust for PCs and smart devices. But what if the secret to their massive global growth and unwavering customer loyalty wasn’t just their hardware, but how easily you find it? In today’s AI-driven world, where every click counts, Lenovo has transformed search into a strategic growth driver, scaling seamlessly across 180 markets in 60+ languages.
This isn’t your average search bar. It’s a sophisticated, AI-powered engine that goes beyond simple keyword matching. From browsing for a specific ThinkPad to asking for “the best laptop for remote work,” Lenovo’s search program leaders, Marc Desormeau and Stewart Dillard, have engineered a system built on deep customer understanding. We visited them at Lenovo’s North Carolina campus to learn how they achieved this.
Watch the Lenovo: Superstars of Search Video
Filmed on-site at Lenovo HQ in North Carolina
“Customers want us to anticipate their needs. They want to have an experience that really is tailored for them. We are looking at gamers, students, researchers. How do we make sure that they’re finding the products or the content that they need to drive success in whatever ventures they have?”
— Stewart Dillard, Search Program Manager, Lenovo
Why Lenovo replaced an aging search platform with Lucidworks
Back in 2016, Lenovo’s team set out to replace an aging search platform that wasn’t built to scale. “We quickly realized that our old solution was not going to scale or allow us to meet our customers’ expectations,” said Dillard.
What started as a simple technology platform swap quickly evolved into something much bigger: enterprise-grade AI search as a foundation for digital transformation. “Lucidworks was one of the few vendors that really had a vision for the future we were looking for,” said Desormeau.
The alignment of vision paid off. Lenovo’s search team can now replicate successes from one region to another, rolling out best practices across the globe with speed and efficiency, reducing the costs and complexity that used to slow them down.
How search empowers scale at Lenovo
Lenovo manages an enormous catalog of products across a multitude of markets that cater to a breadth of user types. From the PCs to massive data center solutions, search is the thread that connects it all.
Here’s what their search program looks like in action:
- 500,000+ records indexed every 12 hours
- 95% increase in annual revenue through search
- 55% increase in relevancy after implementing user signals
And that’s just the beginning.
“The scale and the growth has been astronomical for the cost to achieve it. The ROI has been exponential with our partnership with Lucidworks.”
— Marc Desormeau, Global Search Lead, Lenovo
Lenovo E-Commerce & Search Teams: True Superstars of Search
Lenovo’s story shows what’s possible when search is used as a strategic lever to meet customers’ evolving demands. We’re thrilled to be a part of their success as a search and discovery partner, helping them scale globally, anticipate customer needs, and uncover new revenue opportunities.
Lenovo’s search champions aren’t just following best practices, they are redefining them. Their work sets a new gold standard for strategic search, offering a blueprint for any business striving for digital growth in the AI era.
Watch the interview with Lenovo’s e-commerce and search team leaders, and see for yourself why they are Superstars of Search.