subject: What To Look For In Managed Document Review [print this page] More companies are standardizing the way that they do managed document review because of increasing costs. At the same time, law firms are looking to e-discovery software programs to meet those managed document review needs. There are key requirements for every kind of document review that will help those who are questioning to nail down which company has standards that will benefit a customer most.
Speed is a key element of managed document review. A sense of urgency should exist in the area of document review. Concentration should be on quick turnaround to the interest of the client. A practicing model of framework should be in existence with on hand goals for performance. Requirements of the staff to readily achieve goals that are set by managers should be implemented and reviewed.
Security is on the mind of everyone who has sensitive information being managed by another company or with software. This is justified wariness because of the nature of the managed document review. Protecting the client's information should be at the forefront of every action. Locking systems and security procedure should be implemented and practiced at every step. Only minimum authorized personnel should be allowed to access private files of clients.
Efficiency should be reviewed as the big picture framework and with every step being treated like the big picture. Efficiency at the smallest of steps translates into efficiency in the big picture. Building a system around this in mind will productivity to higher numbers and inefficiency will constantly trim down. Instituting procedure will encourage this and less time will be wasted with idle workers because everyone is part of the plan.
High quality work quality personnel and in house review means only the best employees will handle the work. A regular review process will be instituted with expectations reviewed with each employee so standards are kept high. This should be done at regular intervals to encourage growth. Multi-tier quality control is a nice gesture of quality minded companies.
Keeping costs low on every level is the goal of true managed document review. This is not an area where numbers can inflate, but must constantly be minimized to keep things constantly affordable. The area of managed document review is not to be thought of as a profit generator, but as an investment into efficiency and integrity. Efficiently executed projects is a standard to all staff.
Reputation matters in managed document review. Consistency in quality control and efficiency will result in repeat customers. When clients have concerns, they will be voiced when asked. This is one time when references should always be checked. Financial reports in managed document review are also key because faithfulness to quality transfers to the financial department. Higher percentage of repeat clients means consistency and a good reputation.
The best managed document review does not need to be the most expensive. Look for quality over the costs because these investments should be looked at overall as a big picture. Suitable criteria should be looked at with the above mentioned elements in mind. Decisions should be based on increasing productivity and decreasing inefficiency. Managed document review is a step in that direction.
