{"id":321,"date":"2019-08-20T16:21:22","date_gmt":"2019-08-20T16:21:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.discoveroasis.com\/ediscovery-unredacted\/?p=321"},"modified":"2022-11-28T17:48:51","modified_gmt":"2022-11-28T17:48:51","slug":"is-ediscovery-a-commodity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oasisdiscovery.com\/ediscovery-unredacted\/ediscovery\/is-ediscovery-a-commodity\/","title":{"rendered":"Is eDiscovery a Commodity?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This article covers some interesting takeaways I (Brandon Law) learned during a conversation with Z. Guruli, Firmwide Manager of Discovery Solutions at WilmerHale<\/a>. It\u2019s not intended to be a summary of our conversation, nor am I attempting to editorialize his comments. Listen to our full conversation here<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not a Commodity and a Total Commodity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By commodity, I\u2019m thinking of a \u201cmass-produced, unspecialized product,\u201d but this isn\u2019t just some wordplay or arguing semantics as an academic exercise. As I learned from my conversation with Z. Guruli, this is an important question to think about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s start with Z.\u2019s very useful summary of how the eDiscovery industry evolved:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

It was a lot more task based. \u2018I need someone to fill the task description. I need someone to look at documents. I need someone to batch the documents. I need someone to prep a production, I need someone to burn the discs…\u2019 Fast forward, what are we seeing now? Now, if you are truly offering discovery services, you have to be more than a task-man and be a practitioner. You have to understand the overall process.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The Industry\u2013and Practitioners\u2013Have Evolved<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As the industry has grown over the last 20 years, many of the discrete eDiscovery tasks have been automated and outsourced. Many of the folks who started \u201cin the trenches\u201d have moved into more value-add positions. They know how all the machinery works but that\u2019s not their day-to-day anymore. It\u2019s what Chris Adams of McDermott, Will, and Emery<\/a> called \u201cthe next generation\u201d of eDiscovery practitioners: people with twenty years of experience, much of which was spent doing the commoditized work that we now take for granted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To use Z.\u2019s word, these are the \u2018practitioners.\u2019 A practitioner knows how all the segments fit together. They\u2019re all about integrating systems and explaining how the wrong hand pulling the wrong lever may lead to unforeseen consequences. In other words, eDiscovery is not a commodity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Lot of eDiscovery Services are the Same, Right?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Personally, I think many aspects of eDiscovery are in fact commodities. Look at data processing, offshore coding, and first-level doc review. When you compare them under a microscope, aren\u2019t these all mass-produced, unspecialized products?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s not to say the components of eDiscovery I\u2019m classifying as commodities aren\u2019t difficult or incredibly important. I mean, corn is a commodity, it\u2019s very important, but I imagine it\u2019s extremely difficult to farm corn efficiently enough to make money and meet ethical and legal obligations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All I\u2019m saying is, I think some aspects of eDiscovery are pretty much the same, regardless of whom you get it from (assuming, of course, you\u2019re screening for qualified vendors).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, It’s Also an Art<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I think the practice of eDiscovery is a bit like being an airline pilot (at least, what I imagine it\u2019s like to be an airline pilot). Most of the time things are working like their supposed to: every day thousands of flights take off and land with nominal expertise required from the pilot. Every once in a while, something happens\u2013a bird hits the engine and at that moment, you don\u2019t want a rookie at the helm. You want Sully freakin\u2019 Sullenberger. That\u2019s the moment that it stops being a commodity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider Z.\u2019s metaphor from the medical field:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

What is the difference between seeing a specialist and someone triaging at the ER? There is a different level of expertise and understanding. Similarly, these days, if you don\u2019t have a full grasp of the entire eDiscovery process and how different pieces fit together, and how mistakes in one segment can be costly in another, it\u2019s hard to fully provide your services to your clients.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In our industry, many cases simply take off and land with little fanfare: Legal Hold, Collect, Review, Produce. But not always. Sometimes a project goes off the rails. If a firm is only set up to manage eDiscovery as a commodity, they may be in a difficult position if and when a bird hits the engine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What I Learned: eDiscovery is Not One Thing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, is eDiscovery a commodity? Yes and no. When you look at the elements of eDiscovery that require weathered practitioners\u2013things like predictive coding workflow, software development, project management, or anything to do with eDiscovery strategy\u2013you quickly realize that eDiscovery is anything but mass-produced and unspecialized. It\u2019s an art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other aspects of eDiscovery can and should be treated as commodities. Failing to recognize the difference will lead to problems. Meaning, if you treat the \u201cart\u201d aspects of eDiscovery as a commodity, you\u2019ll generally end up with a broken process resulting in a blown budget, missed deadlines, or worse. But, if you treat the \u201ccommodity\u201d parts of eDiscovery as art, you\u2019ll end up paying a whole lot more for services, with very little to show for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bottom Line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Squeeze the costs of commodity parts where you can, but don\u2019t squeeze the entire process, or you risk introducing low-cost \u201cexperts\u201d into critical areas. Because when your client\u2019s litigation matters are on the line, you can\u2019t afford to have an inexperienced pilot at the helm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to Z. Guruli from WilmerHale for contributing his voice and experience to this article.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Brandon<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brandon Law<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chief Executive Officer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LinkedIn<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By commodity, I\u2019m thinking of a \u201cmass-produced, unspecialized product,\u201d but this isn\u2019t just some wordplay or arguing semantics as an academic exercise. As I learned from my conversation with Z. 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