The Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) corporate website has always been highly informative. It is home to all kinds of content related to Singapore’s financial sector - from regulations, to official notices, and industry statistics.

While it provided great resources, website visitors could not quite make full use of them. This was because information was:

• Hard to find: The search function could not effectively narrow down thousands of pages to the handful that the user is looking for.
• Hard to understand: Even if users find the right page, they would have to wade through walls of text and PDF attachments to land on the information they need.

Our solution was to implement a powerful search platform and nifty content management tools to transform the way MAS delivers information.

Search Integration with Solr

We opened the doors to a brand new search experience by integrating Solr into the website. The website search can now direct users to the right information in a matter of seconds with features such as:

• Search Facets: Users can drill down search results by date, section, and even content type to find exactly what they need.
• Autosuggestions: The website suggests relevant search terms before the user even finishes typing the keywords they had in mind.
• Autocorrection: The website can identify and search for the user’s intended keyword even if it was spelled wrongly.

Chart Builder

We developed various content management tools to empower MAS to transform data into easy-to-read information. These tools include a chart builder, which transforms rows and rows of numbers into data visualisations that tell a story.

To create a chart, all that needs to be done is to upload a csv file or enter an API’s URL. MAS Users can then use the builder to easily customise various elements of the chart.

Shortcodes

We also created shortcode widgets to enable MAS to present textual information in new and interesting ways. MAS Users can simply drag and drop widgets into Sitecore’s content editor to create lists, accordions, and pull quotes. This makes it possible for someone with no HTML knowledge to deliver content in better ways than unwieldy paragraphs.

The revamp of the MAS corporate website has transformed the way that the agency delivers information to businesses and citizens.

By equipping the users with the right technology, they are able to create a sharper user experience. Visitors no longer have to fumble around. Instead, the website leads them to relevant information quickly and helps them to make sense of what they are viewing.

We chose to develop reusable tools instead of a one-off solution so that MAS can continue to generate great content after the website’s launch. This ensures longevity of the website experience that we worked together to create.