EDRM survey reveals enterprise eDiscovery challenges

A recently released survey conducted by the eDiscovery Reference Model project revealed what areas of eDiscovery pose the most challenges to companies and organizations involved in litigation.

According to the poll's results, 36 percent of respondents feel that advanced search technologies and methodologies is a top concern. Because some companies have so much electronically stored information, many are in need of robust search functions that can root out only data that is pertinent to a case.

Another 34 percent of respondents said collecting data from new repository types, such as the cloud, SharePoint and social media, is a tough challenge. Fifteen percent of respondents said filing out teams and projects with employees who are experienced and knowledgeable about eDiscovery is difficult.

“Law firms and corporations alike continuously struggle to find a practical approach to handling eDiscovery," EDRM co-founder George Socha said.

The results of the EDRM survey somewhat differ from past surveys about eDiscovery challenges. Most often, companies point to dealing with massive amounts of ESI as the top roadblock to effective litigation processes. A report published by Symantec in December revealed that 72 percent of respondents feel ESI is critical to daily legal matters.