Discerning the differences among the skyrocketing number of electronic discovery vendors is harder than ever before. Beyond speed of processing, what really counts is how efficiently a vendor helps you get through the entire process. Most of the expense of e-discovery is actually dollars spent on human teams that review electronically stored information (ESI). A vendor’s understanding of that process and tools that make it efficient are huge differentiators. Kiersted / Systems, LP promotes efficiency through workflow and validation. Workflow is simply the automated movement of groups of documents from one defined review phase to the next. Validation consists of coding rules for each workflow stage, and each rule must be satisfied before a group of documents can move to the next stage. According to Kiersted’s executive vice president Andre Guilbeau, “You really don’t want to reach the deadline and realize that half of the documents were never reviewed for privilege or other criteria. That can be catastrophic, calling for hours of re-review when you can least afford it.” Clearly important in managing the process, automated workflow is not inherently present in all review systems. Guilbeau sees systems that cannot model even the most basic workflow without extensive project management intervention and constant monitoring. A user must run QC searches, queries, or scripts to determine how many documents are in any stage of review and also to qualitatively assess their readiness for production. Far less time-consuming and risky, a better approach is to define workflow stages in advance based on the client’s processes, and then set milestones. Kiersted’s native review platform builds on this automation by assigning document access according to team members’ roles so they can self-administer the process. The value of this “self-administration” aspect of electronic discovery workflow is painfully apparent when the clock is ticking and the meter is running, but nothing is happening. In a typical system, a reviewer either waits to be assigned documents to review or conducts a search to obtain them. Guilbeau explains, “Automated workflow that relies on a self-administering review process is wonderful because of the efficiency that it brings, along with speed and cost savings. In our system, reviewers who are ready for more documents simply grab a ‘bin’ from the pool without waiting to be assigned or having to find someone to ask.” Teams often scramble to meet tight e-discovery deadlines, and last-minute problems are very unwelcome. Key to preventing such situations is validation, an important feature of review that is not always apparent on the surface. Validation enforces rules that govern the linear progression of documents from one milestone stage to the next. Guilbeau says that the number of validation rules for each workflow stage should be unlimited and entirely customizable. If a rule is not satisfied, Kiersted’s system prompts the user to fix the issue. The different features offered by various vendors can seem complicated, but it really all comes down to a high quality review process that meets specific needs. Kiersted built its system sitting next to attorneys working on real cases under incredible deadlines, and came up with some cool features that make the system fast and easy to use, such as “hot” keys, single-click tagging and filters that show only documents relevant to a workflow stage or items that failed validation. Another differentiator is the ability to generate metrics, one of many powerful administration and management features that help projects run smoothly. Planning properly and using resources effectively requires knowing immediately when staffing levels are off. Yet many systems don’t provide comprehensive review metrics that let you see where you are. Information should be available at your fingertips to show the number of documents in each stage, review rates, frequency of responsive hits, and individual reviewer productivity. Beyond technology itself, a vendor’s expertise behind the scenes is crucial in keeping the project on track. Skilled managers can guide the process and recommend strategies and rules according to industry standards. The goal is to speed up and streamline every step of the review process so you save time and money. When you select an e-discovery vendor, insist on a flexible system that automates all the review stages and validation rules you need — a system that addresses real world situations faced by litigation professionals. You will eliminate extra costs from waiting time and administrative delays, and avoid missed deadlines due to inconsistent coding that necessitates rework. Powerful workflow and validation capabilities will help you catch what others miss and get it right the first time. For more information on advantages of systematic approaches to litigation technology, contact Kiersted / Systems, LP at www.kiersted.com or 1-866-543-7789.