Softment

RAG Stack

Hybrid Search & Reranking

We improve retrieval quality for RAG and search systems using hybrid search, reranking, and query strategies—validated with evaluation sets so results are measurable and stable. Delivery aligned to Germany teams (EUR).

TimelineTypical: 2–5 weeks (scope-dependent)
Starting at$1.3k
Security-first AI integrations • Evals + logging + guardrails included

Standard

AI delivery standard

Quality and safety practices we ship with AI builds so the system stays measurable, maintainable, and production-ready.

Logging + tracing

Conversation and tool traces with request IDs, error visibility, and debug-friendly runbooks.

Guardrails + safety

Tool allowlists, PII-safe patterns, refusal behavior, and escalation routes for edge cases.

Evals + regression tests

Golden queries, scorecards, and regression checks so quality improves over time instead of drifting.

Cost + latency controls

Caching, prompt discipline, retrieval tuning, and routing so your app stays fast and predictable at scale.

Documentation + handoff

Architecture notes, environment setup, and next-step roadmap so your team can iterate safely after launch.

Security-first integration

Secrets isolation, role-based access, audit-friendly actions, and minimal data retention by design.

Benefits

What you get

Increase precision for short and exact queries

Reduce irrelevant retrieval that causes bad answers

Improve consistency across content changes

Make search quality measurable with eval sets

Support multilingual and domain-specific terms

Improve UX with better ranking and snippets

Features

What we deliver

Hybrid retrieval configuration

Combine keyword and semantic retrieval and tune weights based on your query distribution.

Reranking

Rerank candidate results for higher precision, especially in dense corpuses and ambiguous queries.

Query strategies

Query rewriting, metadata filters, and structured retrieval strategies for better relevance.

Evaluation sets

Golden queries and scoring to measure improvements and prevent regressions over time.

Snippet and citation UX

Better snippet selection and citations so users can verify results quickly.

Monitoring and iteration

Ongoing telemetry and feedback loops for continuous search quality improvements.

Process

How we work

1
1-2 weeks

Discovery

Requirements gathering and planning

2
2-3 weeks

Design

UI/UX design and prototyping

3
6-12 weeks

Development

Iterative sprints with demos

4
1-2 weeks

Launch

Deployment and support

Tech Stack

Technologies we use

Core

Hybrid searchRerankingEmbeddingsVector databases

Tools

Keyword indexesEvaluation datasetsNode.js / PythonMonitoring

Services

RAG metricsSearch UX patterns

Use Cases

Who this is for

Improve RAG answer accuracy

Better retrieval results reduce hallucinations and increase answer relevance with citations.

Upgrade product documentation search

Improve precision for exact terms, error codes, and feature names.

Internal knowledge search

Help teams find answers faster with ranked results and permission-aware filtering.

Sales enablement search

Find the right content and messaging quickly without misinformation.

Compliance and policy search

Improve relevance and traceability for policy-heavy corpuses where accuracy matters.

AI Case Examples

Micro case studies (anonymous)

A few safe examples of outcomes we build for real operations—no client names, just results.

Secure Mobile Solution in Australian Defence Ecosystem

Problem: Secure data workflows were required in a regulated environment with strict access controls.

Solution: Hardened architecture with strict auth, encrypted storage, and audit-friendly engineering patterns.

Outcome: Deployed securely within a regulated ecosystem with clear handoff and operational guidance.

AI Knowledge Base Across 2,000+ Pages

Problem: Teams needed fast answers across long PDFs, but search was slow and results were inconsistent.

Solution: RAG with hybrid retrieval and reranking, plus grounded answers and safer fallback behavior.

Outcome: Reliable answers with <10s response times and measurable improvements on real queries.

Ops Automation with AI + n8n

Problem: Manual approvals and CRM syncing created delays and data inconsistencies across tools.

Solution: Event-driven automation with validation gates and AI-assisted classification where it improved routing.

Outcome: Reduced manual workload significantly with more reliable workflows and operator visibility.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Not always, but it often improves precision for exact terms and short queries. We validate with evaluation sets before recommending a final approach.

Reranking is often the biggest accuracy unlock for production retrieval, but it adds cost. We recommend based on evaluation results and budget constraints.

We define golden queries and scoring criteria, then track metrics over time to ensure quality improves and stays stable.

Reranking can add latency. We design for performance by tuning candidate sizes, caching, and choosing cost-effective ranking strategies.

Yes. Hybrid retrieval and reranking can be implemented across common vector stores and search backends.

Yes. Search UX (snippets, filters, citations) is often as important as retrieval quality for user trust.

Regional

Delivery considerations for your region

Compliance & Data (EU)

For Germany/EU delivery, we keep GDPR-first patterns: data minimisation, purpose-limited storage, and explicit access boundaries.

We can work under a DPA (template available on request) and implement pragmatic retention/deletion flows when needed.

  • GDPR-first architecture patterns (generic, no legal claims)
  • DPA template available on request
  • Retention/deletion and export flows where required
  • Least-privilege access and safe logging defaults
  • Documented data flows and access boundaries

Timezone & Collaboration (EU)

We align to EU working hours with CET-friendly collaboration windows and async progress updates.

We keep delivery predictable: weekly milestones, documented decisions, and clear scope control.

  • EU overlap with CET-friendly windows
  • Async-first delivery with written decisions
  • Weekly milestone demos and progress checkpoints
  • Clear change control to avoid surprises
  • Escalation path for blockers and risks

Engagement & Procurement (EU)

We support procurement-friendly engagements with clear scopes, milestone plans, and documentation that stakeholders can review.

For EU teams, we can structure invoices and milestones for EUR-based engagements where appropriate.

  • EUR-based engagements and invoicing options
  • Discovery-first option to reduce delivery risk
  • Milestone-based billing and scope sign-offs
  • Vendor onboarding documentation on request
  • Transparent change control and approvals

Security & Quality (EU)

We prioritise reliability: reviewable PRs, predictable releases, and tests that protect critical paths.

Performance budgets and clear release discipline keep the product stable as it grows.

  • CI-friendly testing: unit + integration + smoke tests
  • Performance budgets + bundle checks
  • Release checklist + rollback-safe deployments
  • Security checklist for auth and sensitive data flows
  • Observability hooks (logs + error tracking) ready for production
Ready to start?

Want help with hybrid search and reranking?

Get a clear plan for Germany teams—scope, timeline, and next steps. EUR-based engagements.

Reply within 2 hours. No-pressure consultation.