Navigating Enterprise Data: Tips for Corporate Data Mapping

In today’s digital age, businesses generate and store vast amounts of data, including emails, files, documents, collaboration data, multimedia content, and much more. As the volume of data continues to grow, so does the importance of managing it effectively.  

For corporate legal teams, managing data effectively means understanding the organization’s data environment and implementing strategies for managing data throughout the discovery process. This is where data mapping comes in. Data Mapping can help legal teams identify data sources, data types, and data flows within the organization.  

Data mapping is the process of identifying and documenting the flow of data within an organization. This includes data sources, data types, and data flows, and can help organizations understand how data is collected, processed, and stored. By conducting a data mapping exercise, organizations can build a bigger picture of their data environment, which can be used to identify potential risks and develop strategies for managing data more effectively. 

Data mapping exercises can be particularly helpful for corporate legal teams, who are often responsible for managing ESI in response to litigation or regulatory requests. By understanding the organization’s data environment, legal teams can identify potential sources of ESI, assess the relevance and importance of that data, and develop strategies for collecting, preserving, and producing that data in response to legal requests. 

Here are a few steps that corporate legal teams can follow to perform data mapping exercises: 

Identify Data Sources 

The first step in a data mapping exercise is to identify all data sources within the organization. This includes databases, file servers, email servers, cloud services, and so on. Legal teams can work with IT and other stakeholders to create an inventory of all data sources, including information on the types of data stored, the location of the data, and the systems used to manage that data. 

Document Data Flows 

Once all data sources have been identified, the next step is to document how data flows between these sources. This includes identifying the systems and applications used to access, process, and store data, as well as the people responsible for managing that data. Legal teams can create a snapshot of the data flows within the organization, which can be used to identify potential risks and develop strategies for managing data more effectively. 

Identify Data Types 

The next step is to identify the types of data stored within the organization. This can include emails, documents, spreadsheets, images, videos, and other types of files. By understanding the types of data stored within the organization, legal teams can assess the relevance and importance of that data in response to legal requests. 

Assess Data Security 

Additionally, legal teams should assess the security of the organization’s data environment. This includes identifying potential risks, such as unauthorized access or data breaches, and developing strategies for mitigating those risks. Legal teams can work with IT and other stakeholders to develop policies and procedures for managing data security, including data retention, access controls, and encryption. 

In Conclusion, by understanding the organization’s data environment, legal teams can identify potential sources of ESI, assess the relevance and importance of that data, and develop strategies for collecting, preserving, and producing that data in response to legal requests.  

Through effective data mapping, legal teams can create a comprehensive understanding of their data environment, which can help reduce the risk of missing critical data during the discovery process.