By the end of 2012, organisations that fully document their
search processes in e-discovery will save 25% on their collection
processes, according to Gartner.
"Addressing the ongoing challenge of the IT perspective of
litigation management demands both that the technologies be
acquired and that procedures for using them be established," said
Whit Andrews, vice president and distinguished analyst. "Companies
need to own the products that will be necessary for them to address
litigation and understand that those products will not have the
same positive impact unless they are supported by repeatable,
effective, systemic processes for lawyers and IT to follow."
In terms of storage requirements to support
regulatory compliance, Gartner recommended that IT departments
analyse the corpus of documents and data early. Understanding the
underlying content of the case holistically will allow IT workers
and lawyers to discuss meaningfully what the impact will be of any
collection strategy. It will also give the senior litigator the
ability to call whether the case should proceed or be settled,
Gartner said.
Gartner recommended that IT departments estimate the price scale
for collection based on what it will cost to pursue strategies of
different degrees of intensity. Budgeting the cost of collection
will allow IT workers and lawyers to work together to determine a
proportional expenditure on e-discovery that is proper for a case,
given its significance and the financial exposure it
represents.