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Automated Data Mapping: Defensible Information Governance for E-Discovery
- 1. knowledge that helps you stay on top of an Automated Data Mapping ever-changing landscape.” The following four steps are recom- mended to create and manage an effective, automated data map: Defensible Information Governance for E-Discovery 1. Define: Preparation and design. Form a project team from key departments including IT, legal and records management, By Bobby Balachandran, President and CEO, Exterro, Inc. to determine project objectives, define the data map scope, identify key business units and departments, assign roles and responsi- I f your company was served with a discovery request tomorrow, would you be able to im- is and what policies govern it. It is a repository for data and information mapped to business bilities and create a project plan and budget. The centralized process framework provided mediately comply with that request? Would unit topology, data stewards and custodians. It by an automated data mapping system can you be confident that you could locate all of provides system performance optimization cut down on the time and money spent on the relevant data in a timely manner and de- and facilitates data back-up and migration this difficult initial phase by institutionaliz- liver it for litigation? Rule 26(a) states that ini- processes. A data map is a critical component ing roles, providing timelines and task alerts, tial meet and confer disclosures must include of a proactive litigation response plan and planning and budgeting tools and serving as relevant data sources. Organizations are re- essential to a number of other important busi- a centralized, collaborative repository for quired to inventory electronically stored infor- ness processes. A data map allows legal teams custodian and data source information. mation (ESI), classify data and communicate to meet regulatory, litigatory and compliance 2. Assemble: Identification and data time and cost estimates for its discovery. If ad- initiatives in a timely and efficient fashion. gathering. An enterprisewide data map is ditional sources of ESI are added after the fact, the platform for distributing questionnaires a judge can impose costly sanctions, so and surveys, conducting interviews and log- efficient access to corporate data sources “A data map allows ging responses to assemble a comprehensive is essential. catalogue of data sources and custodians, With the enormous amount of data stored legal teams to meet ensuring no information is missed. Through automation, fewer hours are in disparate locations, and the complexity of spent gathering information, accuracy data storage policies, the logical starting point judicial obligations in a increases, and costs are greatly reduced. for an e-discovery readiness plan is an ESI data 3. Analyze: Compile, synthesize, ana- map. A data map enables companies to rapidly find, hold, analyze and produce relevant ESI reasonable, repeatable lyze information. A good automated data mapping solution should provide rich visu- for each case, and lower the cost of e-discov- ery by centralizing ESI repositories over time. and defensible fashion.” alization and intuitive navigation for real- Many companies in today’s economy are time, top-down/bottom-up views of business cutting their workforces; and when employees unit topology, systems and matters. It should Many companies already have pieces of a walk out the door, their knowledge walks out also provide a legal hold indicator for all data map in the form of IT inventories or systems and stakeholders. with them. Data mapping software reduces the records management databases which suffer risk of losing mission-critical data. 4. Refresh: Maintenance and governance. from a lack of documentation and policies, “Automation is the only way to achieve an ever- “A data map allows legal teams to meet cross-departmental redundancies and costly, judicial obligations in a reasonable, repeatable green data map that provides the collaboration time-consuming manual search methods. and visibility required by all stakeholders,” said and defensible fashion while enabling IT teams “Keeping track of what systems you to function effectively, and provides quality Shawn Christen, managing director of Huron have and who are the key players within Consulting Group, during a presentation at information to the organization as a whole,” those systems is an increasing challenge,” said Pete Warner, litigation technology spe- LegalTech West Coast 2009. said Bruce Phillips, vice president of An automated data map eliminates the cialist at Sandia National Laboratories, during information security at Fidelity National a recent Exterro Webcast. labor-intensive manual updating process. It Financial, in the August 2009 issue of CSO automatically keeps the data map evergreen by Magazine. “Whether it is for business con- certifying systems are up to date. Defining a Data Map tinuity, litigation support, legal hold or infor- A data map lets organizations know what mation security and data loss prevention, creating a data map gives you that bit of An Evergreen Data Map ESI exists, where it resides, how accessible it The process automation provided by data mapping software accelerates response, reduces work, standardizes processes and Exterro’s Fusion Genome delivers an evergreen data map. It gives com- Exterro’s Fusion Genome, the industry’s only automated data mapping process control solution, panies the automated data map they need to understand their rapidly evolving information is the strategic entry point for all legal governance, risk and compliance management. Genome deliv- universe. An automated, enterprisewide data ers a comprehensive, defensible inventory of an organization’s IT systems. Built on top of Exterro’s mapping solution delivers faster, smarter liti- Fusion workflow platform, Genome’s process automation accelerates response, reduces work, stan- gation response to e-discovery and regulatory dardizes processes and ensures an evergreen data map, mirroring a company’s information universe compliance requests, and serves as the strate- as it changes and evolves. Its rich visualization and cross-functional collaboration capabilities facili- gic entry point for all legal governance, risk and compliance management. T tate data remediation and provide a structured inventory for identifying, collecting and producing rel- evant ESI. Genome integrates with third-party solution systems, including HR and asset management Exterro, Inc. is a leading provider of legal governance, risk and compliance management solutions. For more informa- systems, as well as other Fusion solutions for a seamless approach to legal processes. tion, visit www.exterro.com or call 1-877-EXTERRO KMWorld February 2010 S17