Document Kits: A Quick Way to Share Groups of eDiscovery Files

26 December 2022 by Ross eDiscovery document-kits

Takeaway: Sometimes, you want to share eDiscovery files without making an actual production. Here’s where ‘document kits’ can help. They let you gather files (using custom parameters) from multiple productions without changing those source productions. So you get to rework your file collections without having to actually ‘produce’ them.

Well-designed ‘production wizards’ offer a broad range of options.

eDiscovery production wizards streamline your workflow into a sequence of simple decisions. They let you choose a production format (native files, PDFs or TIFFs), arrange files in order (alphabetically or by date), add custom stamps or Bates numbers, and redact privileged information. Notably, the best production wizards make each step simple and intuitive.

Still, production wizards do limit users in some ways.

Production wizards are designed to prepare your files for litigation, and they fit in snugly with the earlier eDiscovery stages of collecting data, processing it, and reviewing the processed files. Still, they lock you into the traditional eDiscovery workflow – which is sometimes inflexible. For instance, we found our users regularly wanted to reorganize and bulk-download/print files, separate from source productions. So, ideally, they’d need the option of producing files one way and repackaging them independently for different needs.

That’s why we introduced customized ‘document kits.’

At GoldFynch, we introduced document kits to work in parallel with regular productions. These kits let you pull batches of files/documents from multiple productions and regroup them without altering the initial productions. You can also include and mass-select files that aren’t currently in any productions. Further, you can specify which versions of the selected files to include. For example, you could choose to add all available produced versions, only the most recently produced versions, or custom-select a specific version of a file. You can also specify how many PDFs to create – one PDF per document, one PDF per file family, or one PDF for all the files, sorted by name or data.)

With our document kits, users could say, ‘I want to export all files from each of my last seven productions. But only the most recently-produced versions of each file, sorted by name and Bates numbers. Also, prioritize the first three productions if there are file overlaps.’ And they’d be able to do this with just a few clicks. Otherwise, they’d have to cycle through each of the seven productions, pull out the necessary files individually, find the correct file versions, rename them, and so on.

Remember, you can build these kits around different parameters.

GoldFynch lets you create document kits using all the files in your case or by filtering files based on Bates number ranges, tags, and/or saved searches. Here’s how it works.

1. Using Bates number ranges to customize your kit.

Nowadays, we track files electronically using their unique hash value. (Hash values are a sequence of letters and numbers generated based on a file’s binary contents. They’re like a digital fingerprint, unique to a single file. Learn more about hash values.) However, Bates numbers are better for productions/kits because they’re permanently stamped on the documents, while hash values change if a document’s contents change. So, GoldFynch lets you build document kits around Bates number ranges from multiple productions.

2. Using document ‘tags.’

We also track eDiscovery documents using ‘tags,’ which are electronic equivalents of the color-coded sticky notes you’d attach to paper files. Tags help us group related files (e.g., ‘privileged’ or ‘important’ files), pulling them up with a single click later. They’re the perfect supplementary review tool for large cases, so document kits let you select documents based on their tags.

3. Using previous ‘saved searches.’

eDiscovery advanced searches let you give precise commands to find niche files. For example, you could ask 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.) But these instructions take time to build, and the best eDiscovery applications allow you to save your searches and reuse them later. So, GoldFynch lets you use these valuable saved searches to customize your document kits.

Also, you can review and modify your kits at any point.

GoldFynch gives you a kit summary once you’re done, displaying how many files you included and where they’re from. For instance, you can see the proportion of files from productions (either a GoldFynch production or a third-party one) versus independent case files. And you’ll be able to reuse the kit’s parameters (with modifications, if needed): Very convenient if you’ve deleted some case files or tags and want an updated document kit.

GoldFynch does more than produce files and kits, though. It’s a complete eDiscovery solution.

GoldFynch is an affordable eDiscovery service designed for small and midsize firms. So, it comes with a fully-functional eDiscovery toolkit and many other valuable features. For instance:

It costs just $27 a month for a 3 GB case: That’s significantly less than most comparable software. With GoldFynch, you know exactly what you’re paying for: its pricing is simple and readily available on the website.
It’s easy to budget for. GoldFynch charges only for storage (processing files is free). So, choose from a range of plans (3 GB to 150+ GB) and know up-front how much you’ll be paying. You can upload and cull as much data as you want, as long as you stay below your storage limit. And even if you do cross the limit, you can upgrade your plan with just a few clicks. Also, billing is prorated – so you’ll pay only for the time you spend on any given plan. With legacy software, pricing is much less predictable.
It takes just minutes to get going. GoldFynch 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 trial case (0.5 GB of data and a processing cap of 1 GB) without adding a credit card.
It’s simple to use. Many eDiscovery applications take hours to master. GoldFynch takes minutes. It handles a lot of complex processing in the background, but what you see is minimal and intuitive. Just drag-and-drop your files into GoldFynch, and you’re good to go. Plus, you get prompt and reliable tech support (our average response time is 30 minutes).
Access it from anywhere, and 24/7. All your files are backed up and secure in the Cloud.

Want to find out more about GoldFynch?

Try GoldFynch for Free Schedule a Demo