Previously I outlined why it is a significant advantage to have an eDiscovery champion in your organisation.

Your eDiscovery champion will be expected to keep your organisation informed of the best practices to manage eDiscovery.

To enhance their value to you it is important they continue to learn and improve their expertise. This will enable them to provide the most effective advice and support to your organisation.

So much more than just one eDiscovery product

An eDiscovery champion is a vital part of your legal team. However, their value is so much more than being tied to just how one software product works.

Too often the skillset the expertise of your eDiscovery champion is solely around the eDiscovery product you are using.

Even though it is great to have someone with expert knowledge of how the eDiscovery product works, an eDiscovery champion needs to have wider skills.

No eDiscovery champion should ever be comfortable with one eDiscovery product, or their knowledge being solely based around how that one eDiscovery product works. Your eDiscovery champion will be expected to keep on top of the eDiscovery software options available, together with the evolving practices to manage the increasing data volumes.

So much can change – and quickly. In doing so they will help their organisation be best prepared to manage their eDiscovery requirements.

Steps to enhance the value of your eDiscovery champion

Your eDiscovery champion will be expected to continue to learn, so they can enhance their value to your organisation.

Some of the steps may include, having them –

• Involved as early as possible in the process. This will enable the legal team to make an informed decision on the best possible strategy and path.

• Continuously evaluate your eDiscovery software options. To ensure you are equipping yourself with the most effective tools, you should evaluate your eDiscovery software options every 12-24 months. Like most technology, so much can change and quickly with eDiscovery software – your requirements change; the options available change; and costs can go up or down.

• Clearly communicate with the legal team the potential eDiscovery hurdles and options available. This will enable the legal team to make an informed decision to tackle the discovery process.

• Explore ways to continuously improve how you operate. Evaluate the lessons learned on matters to improve the process going forward.

• Take advantage of networking and collaboration opportunities with eDiscovery peers from other firms. Learn from what they are doing, what they are using.

These steps should enhance the value of your eDiscovery champion, helping your organisation to manage eDiscovery efficiently and effectively.

Again, it can be helpful to get outside advice from time to time, to ensure you are on the right path and enhance further the skills and knowledge of your eDiscovery champion. Even if it is simply pointing out some potential hurdles to expect, together with some suggestions to help them improve their process and steer them in the right direction.