[author: Abhishek Jhaver]
As a CFO, managing costs without sacrificing efficiency is always a priority. One of the biggest cost drivers in eDiscovery is data volume —the more data you have, the more expensive it is to process, host, and especially review. That is why culling data before review isn’t just a best practice — it’s a financial imperative.
The High Cost of Excess Data
The traditional approach often involves collecting terabytes of data, much of which is irrelevant or redundant. Legal teams then spend significant resources on processing, hosting, and reviewing data that isn’t needed.
Industry studies show that document review can account for up to 70% of total eDiscovery costs. If we can significantly reduce the volume of data before review, we can directly impact the bottom line. The key is leveraging technology to remove unnecessary data early in the process before it becomes a cost burden. This culling process is typically called Early Data Assessment or Early Case Assessment.
CloudNine LAW: The Smarter Way to Cull Data Early
CloudNine LAW is a powerful solution designed to dramatically reduce data volume before review. By using its robust deduplication, filtering, and processing capabilities of over 5,000 file types, organizations can cut down on avoidable data, saving time and money in the process. Here’s how LAW helps make the corporate legal finance teams happy:
- Deduplication: A significant percentage of collected data consists of duplicate files. LAW automatically identifies and removes redundant documents, ensuring legal teams aren’t reviewing the same information multiple times.
- Filtering by Date, Custodian, and Keywords: LAW allows legal teams to filter data based on date ranges, specific custodians, and relevant keywords—removing unnecessary files before they ever reach review.
- DeNISTing: System files and other non-relevant data clog up eDiscovery workflows. LAW uses DeNISTing to eliminate these non-user-generated files, reducing overall data volume.
- Efficient Processing for Faster Turnaround: LAW processes large data sets efficiently, enabling legal teams to move to review with only the most relevant data.
The Financial Impact of Early Culling
By culling data early with CloudNine LAW, organizations can realize substantial cost savings. Fewer documents to review mean lower processing, hosting, and attorney review costs—potentially cutting review-related expenses by 30-50%. Additionally, streamlined processes allow legal teams to work faster while reducing billable hours and improving case timelines.
For CFOs, the equation is simple:
More data = higher costs.
Relevant data = Significant savings in cost, time, and resources.
