Delium Efficiency
The Challenge
Key litigators in a 10-partner firm had formed the view that modern practice required the utilisation of appropriate tools and workflows, and that eDiscovery should now be treated as the norm rather than the exception. Most of the firm’s matters were modest in size, often only a few GB of data. They had used a range of litigation support technology, to meet the eDiscovery needs of their more significant matters, but found the solutions were expensive to license and highly dependent on external consultancy support at every step of the way.
The firm had already experienced push back from some clients who were resisting the added technology expenditure. Efforts to minimise costs by constantly seeking cost estimates from hosting providers for new matters was time-consuming and costly for the firm and still not getting costs in the ballpark to make firm wide uptake possible.
Without a preferred solution in place, setting up new matters inevitably required new training and staff were becoming confused about functionality offered across different platforms.
With Delium the firm found the solution they were looking for.
Delium Strategy
Delium was selected and licensed on a ‘whole of firm, every matter’ basis after undertaking cost-benefit analysis and an exhaustive RFP process. Delium would be treated as a component of the firm’s standard litigation management methodology for use on every matter. The firm took the view that, on this basis, the cost of licensing Delium was simply a cost of practice, but one that could be passed on in appropriate circumstances.
A Delium affiliate worked with the firm’s internal champions. Together the team developed a tailored methodology to support the firm’s matter management needs including workspace templates to suit a range of matter types and an initial training program. A ‘train the trainer’ strategy was implemented to meet ongoing training needs.
Litigators, clients, experts and external counsel were soon routinely collaborating within Delium matter workspaces, removing the need for sharing documents, analysis and briefs in other ways. Regular use of Delium soon led to an almost entirely self-supported capability, minimising the need for consultancy support for routine matters. Matter costs became controlled and predicted.
The firm leveraged Delium’s substantial post-production capabilities. Delium was utilised for witness preparation, chronology production, briefing of external counsel and for evidence publication at trial.
The Benefit
Use of Delium as a standard element of the firm’s litigious and pre-litigious matter management delivered benefit to the firm’s staff, its clients and its bottom line.
Having a single software environment to support evidence collections of all types and sizes from commencement through to trial meant that very limited ongoing training and support was required. The utilisation of a structured Delium methodology by the firm created higher levels of efficiency, consistency and quality in matter management.
This streamlined approach reduced the time, and therefore cost, of matter work and rework.
“Delium is now a core part of the way we work,” noted one of the firm’s litigation Partners.
“We would never go back to working in the ad hoc way we used to. Everyone – even those Partners who were initially sceptical – now recognises the benefit Delium delivers in the cost and quality of our service. Our staff are happier too. It’s been a no brainer.”
Delium Efficiency
Delium has been designed to replicate the way litigators think and work, without the need for extensive training. Delium’s intuitive interface and analysis tools are easy to setup and suitable for cases of all sizes.
