There are many benefits to choosing managed services, especially with an eye toward managing high-volume discovery and providing litigation support at a predictable cost. However, as with any enterprise benefit, it’s important to make sure that proper time and research are invested before committing to any provider. Without making sure you’re hiring the right team for specific needs, the benefits won’t be nearly as impressive, and may even cause more work for you down the road. Here are a few tips that can help you make the right choice for your needs.
Experience
The first quality you want in any team is experience. This not only improves the overall efficiency of your vendor and the services they’ll be providing, but also means your vendor will be well-versed in assessing (and delivering) services that are customized to your specific needs. There is no cookie-cutter approach toward managed services; every company is different, so your vendor must be experienced enough to adapt accordingly.
Flexibility
In addition to experience, you also want a team whose skill and knowledge level align with your goals, no matter how much they change from day to day. If your case starts out with standard e-discovery, then shifts toward a more focused approach just on digital forensics, you want a team who is fully capable of addressing both issues. The ideal provider will take a multifaceted approach toward staffing, and be able to deliver a specialist for your needs, whatever they may be. Litigation is never static, so your service provider has to be able to adapt to new challenges on the fly.
Accountability
Finally, your managed services provider must have a system of clear communication in place to hold all parties accountable throughout the process. Structured reports, objective metrics that are agreed upon by both parties and an emphasis on repeatable process are all vital components for ensuring an open, positive relationship that benefits both vendor and client.
Enjoying Clear Benefits
With the right managed services team, IT costs can be kept under control, without having to give up on quality. By working closely with a handpicked provider, data will become manageable both in terms of discovery and actual cost. The right provider will not only deliver affordable solutions, but also ensure that those solutions have been customized to the specific needs of your enterprise. At the same time, services should remain flexible enough to adapt to the changing requirements of any company, and integrate seamlessly with the larger goals of your business.