Building a Foundation for Analytics, AI and Beyond

Organizations today are increasingly challenged with integrating advanced technologies into their eDiscovery workflows. The complexity and variety of data types have expanded beyond traditional emails and documents to encompass diverse formats from images and audio/video files to collaboration tool outputs and even junk email. The transition to these new technologies may seem daunting, but with the right strategies and tools, organizations can effectively prepare for and navigate this evolution.

The Metaphor of Moving: Preparing for Change

Embracing new technologies in eDiscovery can be likened to moving to a new home. Just as you need to assess what belongings to take to a new place to live, organizations must evaluate their data to determine what should be moved into advanced technologies.

Understand Your Data Landscape

• The variety of data types is ever-increasing, including:
  • Traditional files: PDFs, Word documents, and spreadsheets
  • New formats: Social media posts, chat messages from collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams), and mobile data
• The need for tailored workflows arises to more efficiently handle different data types in separate workflows leveraging different technology and processes.

Data Assessment

• Before “loading the moving truck,” conducting a thorough assessment of all available data is crucial. This includes determining which data types might be more efficiently assessed using alternative workflows and technology because they may not be appropriate to move into advanced technologies.
• Examples of some key data types to evaluate include:
  • Images: May or may not contain substantive information.
    • For some matters, a quick assessment of a deduplicated set of images to determine whether each image contains substantive information may be the best workflow.
    • For other matters, advanced technologies like the ProSearch Privacy Suite may be needed to analyze images for potential personal information using computer vision.
  • Audio/Video Files: May or may not be within scope.
    • This type of file is growing in popularity due to collaboration tools.
    • Machine transcription tools can save time by converting spoken content into text, making audio/video files searchable and potentially providing text necessary for advanced technologies.
  • Meeting Invites: Recurring invites could expand the dataset while contributing little of substance.
    • Invites could be technically responsive or key to the matter timeline.
    • Segregating invites into a separate workflow could speed the assessment process.
  • Junk emails: Include retail sales emails, delivery failure emails, and out of office emails.
    • Junk email can hit on terms and expand the dataset.
    • Tools like ProSearch Doc Target can programmatically identify junk emails and remove them from the potential review population.
  • Technically responsive emails: Include newsletters, summary emails, and reports.
    • These types of emails are often technically responsive but not potentially privileged or interesting.
    • Using tools like ProSearch Doc Target to programmatically move these documents into a “quick assessment” workflow will speed their assessment.

Moving to Advanced Technologies

Once you have assessed your dataset and moved some data types into alternative workflows where appropriate, there is still a possibility to reduce the amount of data going into advanced technologies using tools such as hash deduplication, textual duplicate identification, and email threading. These tools can help trim the data to the smallest set of authored content, depending on the needs of the case. Reducing the dataset can shrink the time and costs of using advanced technologies.

Building a Solid Foundation for Advanced Technologies

To successfully transition to advanced technologies, organizations must establish solid foundations for their operations. Here’s how:

1. Create scalable and defensible workflows.
   The need for robust workflows is paramount. Teams must build repeatable and defensible processes to ensure compliance and reliability.
   Collaboration between project managers and client teams is crucial in crafting tailored workflows that meet the unique needs of each case.
2. Leverage legacy tools.
   Tools like the Review Workflow Manager streamline document review processes, allowing teams to efficiently monitor document statuses and compliance with review workflows.
   Configurable tools can adapt to evolving needs, allowing for adjustments to review layers and quality checks as necessary.
3. Tailor approaches to leveraging advanced AI.
   The incorporation of advanced AI tools into the review process can significantly enhance efficiency. However, it is vital to choose which data to feed into these systems to ensure effectiveness.
   Preparing datasets, ensuring they contain relevant text, and minimizing unnecessary documents are critical steps in maximizing the potential of AI-driven first-pass reviews.

Collaborative Approach: Making Technology Work for You

The journey into advanced eDiscovery technologies doesn’t have to be navigated alone. A collaborative approach can enhance the transition process:

• Engage with Experts: Partnering with eDiscovery professionals, such as project managers and data scientists, can provide valuable insights into data trends and promote a deeper understanding of the technology landscape.
• Continuous Learning: As new technologies emerge, constant learning and adaptation will be vital. Organizations should remain flexible and open to evolving their workflows as necessary to meet the unique challenges and demands presented by each case.

Embrace the Change

Transitioning to advanced technologies in the eDiscovery realm might seem daunting, yet it also presents an opportunity for organizations to enhance their capabilities significantly. By understanding the data landscape, leveraging appropriate tools, and building solid workflows, organizations can navigate this transformation with confidence and ease.

The key is to prepare effectively for the move—assessing what needs to go with you, what can be left behind, and how to organize everything for a smoother transition into the future.