B&L Associates

Tips for reducing eDiscovery costs

July 21, 2011

The rising costs of eDiscovery are causing companies to dread the threat of litigation more than ever. Sifting through piles of electronically stored information is an expensive process that many firms continue to struggle to overcome.

A recent Lexology report identifies how companies can reduce such headaches when it comes to eDiscovery, and it revolves around how data is stored.

To make stored information easier to discover, the report calls on companies to create a data map. That will allow for quicker and more efficient searches when the time does come to respond to litigation.

"The basic idea is to create a master index that spells out exactly where content is stored," the report stated. "Surprisingly, many companies have never taken this critical information management step."

With the help of a data map, much of the guesswork of determining where relevant ESI will be stored is eliminated.

Another tool companies can use is tape management software, which organizes tapes produced by backup solutions and allows companies to track where data may be stored, much like a data map. Tape management can also ensure that pertinent information is properly retained.