5 Time-Saving eDiscovery Software Features You’ve Overlooked, for Your Small Law Firm

29 June 2019 by Anith Mathai eDiscovery small-law-firm

Takeaway: The best eDiscovery applications have these 5 features to save time: (1) Text snippets, (2) tags, (3) the ‘advanced’ search, (4) production logs, and (5) in-software production sharing. If your application doesn’t have these features, consider finding one that does.

Which of these eDiscovery software features haven’t you been using?

They’re easily overlooked, but they make your life so much simpler!

Feature #1: Text snippets – perfect for when you’re skimming through file lists.

The latest generation of eDiscovery applications make it easy to go over the folders, subfolders, and files in your case. But some of these applications also have a ‘text snippet’ feature. Here, next to a listed file is a snippet of text from the file. So, even if you’re just scanning your files, you get the gist of what each one is about. Your application will also give you the option of listing files – and their snippets – based on their dates (oldest to recent, or vice-versa) or their sizes (largest to smallest, or vice-versa).

Feature #2: Tagging documents – so you can group them, which makes eDiscovery review so much easier.

As you sift through your files, you begin to notice that many of them have related information. And you’ll want to group these files. But how? One option is to move them into a common folder. But a smarter way is to leave them where they are, and ‘tag’ them instead. Tags are virtual ‘sticky notes’ that you attach to a document, making it easier to find. And when you’ve tagged a bunch of documents, you can pull them up by clicking on their tag, rather than going to each folder. You can also add a note to the tag, to give you context for later on. (Quick tip: If you aren’t yet sure you want to tag files, you can use a ‘display filter’ instead. Depending on the filter you use, your eDiscovery application will show you similar file types [e.g., all Word documents in your case], files with the same dates associated with them, or files from the same custodian or source.

Feature #3: The ‘advanced’ search – to hone in on specific files.

We all know how to make a basic eDiscovery search. You enter a keyword and your application pulls up all files with that keyword. So, if you searched for John Anderson, you’d get (for example) all of John’s emails and the deposition transcripts in which his name appeared. But have you experimented with your application’s ‘advanced search’ feature? Here, you enter multiple keywords or keyword phrases, to get your eDiscovery software to find specific files. Using this sort of advanced search, you can in effect tell your software to, “Find all emails John Anderson sent Sally Nedry, which mention the Pfizer meeting. And which were sent before 2015.” Learn more about advanced searches.

Feature #4: Production logs – to keep track of files after they’ve been Bates stamped.

You’ve probably spotted that you can produce your files in a variety of formats. If you want a uniform production, you produce files as PDFs. If you want to save file metadata, you produce them in their ‘native’ format – where Word documents stay as Word Documents, emails as emails, etc. But have you used your software’s production log? When you produce files, your software replaces file names with Bates numbers. So, without a file name, it’s hard to find a specific file. A ‘production log’ solves this problem. It lists the original file names so you can find the file you want even if it’s now named as a Bates number.

Feature #5: Production sharing – to keep your productions secure.

To share productions, you probably download, then email them. Or you upload them to a file sharing service. But in both cases, your data is sent unencrypted, which makes it easily hackable. This is where a production-sharing feature becomes useful. Instead of sending the production anywhere, it leaves it where it is and sends a link to the recipients instead. And they can either download the file or – if they have the same software as you – load it as a new case. This saves time (no uploading or downloading involved) but is also so much safer. Since the file stays within your encrypted software, you can invalidate the shared link if you mistakenly send it to the wrong person. Also, since you’re sharing only the completed production (and not the original files) there’s no danger of anyone reading privileged content.

Want these features but can’t find them in your eDiscovery application? Try GoldFynch instead.

It’s a next-generation eDiscovery application with these features and more. Plus, it prioritizes things that matter to small law firms. That’s why:

  • It costs just $27 a month for a 3 GB case: That’s significantly less – every month – than the nearest comparable software. And hundreds of dollars less than many others. With GoldFynch, you know what you’re paying for exactly – its pricing is simple and readily available on the website.
  • It’s easy to budget for. GoldFynch has a flat, prorated rate. With legacy software, your bill changes depending on how much data you use.
  • It takes just minutes to get going. It runs in the Cloud, so you use it through your web browser (Google Chrome recommended). No installation. No sales calls or emails. Plus, you get a free, fully-functional trial case (0.5 GB of data and a processing cap of 1 GB), without adding a credit card.
  • It can handle even the largest cases. GoldFynch scales from small to large, since it’s in the Cloud. So, choose from a range of case sizes (3 GB to 150 GB, and more) and don’t waste money on space you don’t need.
  • You can access it from anywhere. And 24/7. All your files are backed up and secure in the Cloud. And you can monitor its servers here.
  • You won’t have to worry about technical stuff. It’s designed, developed and run by the same team. So, its technical support isn’t outsourced. Which means you get prompt and reliable service.

Want to learn more about GoldFynch?