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When searching for an e-discovery production software package, there are many competing products on the market. Here are some important features you should look for:
1. Processing speed - you need to maximize your hardware investment by choosing a speed-optimized software package that quickly processes data. You need an optimized distributed processing engine that enables you to load-balance a large project across multiple workstations.
2. Loadfile support - after the data is processed, it goes into a retrieval database (products like Concordance, Summation, Ringtail, iConect, etc.). Your EDD processing package needs to support all the loadfile formats that your end-users demand, and be open enough to allow for customized loadfiles to support special applications.
3. Quality output - your EDD package should maintain the integrity of your data by using native applications wherever possible, and by providing accurate, complete logging of all errors and exceptions. The processed data should not provide ammunition for opposing counsel.
4. Flexible processing for the real world - EDD is not a "click-and-go" process, and it sometimes requires troubleshooting and manual rework. Your EDD package needs to have built-in capabilities for quality control, reprocessing trouble files, and re-exporting data again. You need the ability to work with specific subsets of the large dataset, maintain clean copies of the original files and the imaged data, and a database that logs each step of the process so you can easily isolate the source of a problem.
5. Support response - your solution is only as good as the promptness and helpfulness of the technical assistance you receive. Your EDD package should include a support contract free of additional charge, and provide direct access to knowledgeable technicians who work closely with the development team. Patches and updates should be released regularly and the product should be well-documented.
6. Training availability - EDD software is complex, and staff turnover can be high in the litigation support industry. Your EDD software provider shouldn't charge an arm and a leg to train and retrain staff. In fact, web-based training sessions with a certified trainer should be provided free of charge whenever needed.
7. Openness to feedback - your EDD software provider should be open to customer comments and should build its development priority list based on the requests of its clients. It should provide custom programmed feature additions to its clients at little or no additional cost.
8. Scalability and adaptability - the product should support both a small database backend (like Access) for single-machine and small processing setups, as well as a robust SQL backend for serious data processing.
9. Time-tested industry standard - your EDD solution should be mature and backed by years of use by litigation support vendors. The software company should specialize in EDD software and should have seasoned industry veterans on staff -- people who live and breathe litigation support.
If these requirements make sense to you, you need to consider Extractiva. HardCopy Pro Plus was the first EDD production tool on the market, released in 1999, and has built on that tradition to offer today's most robust performance-oriented e-discovery platform.
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