What is the best way to handle the eDiscovery data involved with a legal or regulatory compliance matter? While the answer depends on the priorities of the company and the case, for most companies, it makes more sense to outsource eDiscovery to an experienced, qualified provider. That way you can focus on running your business while letting a pro manage your eDiscovery data.

Here are the top five considerations that may weigh in favor of outsourcing all or part of your next eDiscovery project.

1. Get access to the best technology.

eDiscovery technology is constantly evolving, meaning that if you’re not continuously investing in new technology, your review platform isn’t up to date. Ten years ago, technology-assisted review (TAR) was just emerging as a potential approach, untested in courts. Today, these analytics tools are so commonplace that they’re not just accepted—they’re actively recommended. In fact, you’re falling behind if you’re not using them. Outsourcing eDiscovery ensures that you have the most advanced review tools at your disposal without having to constantly spend more money to stay at the leading edge of the field.

2. Leverage more experienced personnel. 

Most organizations hire employees for their qualifications related to whatever business they’re in—not for their eDiscovery expertise. No wonder they don’t have the proper staff to handle the complexities of today’s eDiscovery projects! Moreover, when document volumes rise, they often lack the requisite headcount. When you outsource, not only do you gain access to skilled project reviewers, but you also have access to veteran project managers and legal experts who can guide you through the process, troubleshoot problems, and suggest the most streamlined workflows.

3. Save time and money.

An eDiscovery provider can help businesses save money in a variety of ways. For example, in-house staffing and deploying the latest review technology can quickly run up the bill for maintaining readiness—and drive up overhead costs, particularly when short-fuse litigation arises unexpectedly. But legal service providers can immediately scale their operations up or down to match your needs, saving you money and alleviating administrative headaches. They are also experts in setting realistic budgets, monitoring your spend, and helping you control your “burn rate” against your budget. 

4. Protect data from cyberthreats 

Do you want to keep your data close to the vest because you fear you’ll lose control over your trade secrets and privileged information? Consider whether it’s any safer at your law firm. Unfortunately, law firms—including major global firms—have suffered high-profile data breaches at the hands of hackers. In many cases, it’s safer to ship your secrets to a professional eDiscovery firm in the data business. Confirm that your provider has current security certifications, such SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001, before entrusting it with your prized information assets.

5. Lower the risk of sanctions

As we’ve noted, the focus of your business isn’t eDiscovery. But the same is true of most generalist law firms. To put it simply, if you needed a quadruple heart bypass, who would you rather have wielding the scalpel: your family doctor or your cardiologist? While (hopefully) less threatening to your health, eDiscovery also carries significant risks, in the form of spoliation sanctions such as adverse inferences and monetary penalties. It makes sense to lower those risks by shifting the burden to service providers whose core competency is eDiscovery.

Given these five reasons to outsource, why not delegate the technical tasks of eDiscovery, including forensic collection, processing, review, and production, to an expert? Not only does it make sense from a resource standpoint, but it can also help protect your company—and its data—from outside threats and potential sanctions.

To learn more about the benefits of outsourcing eDiscovery to a provider like iDiscover, please contact us.