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Increasing Information Governance Program Adoption with Analytics

BY ZACH BEAUCHEMIN

Law firms are increasingly bringing their information governance (IG) policies under scrutiny. Creating a well thought out policy requires some time investment but can be relatively easy to accomplish with the help of a trusted consultant like InOutsource; however, many firms find that once they create this policy they are faced with another major challenge, adoption. This is where we believe analytics can help.

Utilizing an analytics platform, like Qlik or Sisense, to bring together data scattered across multiple repositories (i.e. FileTrail, NetDocs, Aderant, and Iron Mountain) will help to provide better access to information, control costs, and reduce risk. In this post, we will highlight several different ‘analytics for information governance’ use cases and we will direct you to a free Qlik Sense product download, as well as free training resources you can use to get started.

Create Central Hub for Managing Disposition of Physical and Electronic Files

Even the most mature IG program may encounter challenges when attempting to enact final disposition. The data required to make destruction decisions may exist across multiple repositories, including the records management system (RMS), the financial system, and possibly even offsite storage vendor databases.

In years past, when working with law firm clients on disposition projects, InOutsource initiated query requests from the firm’s financial system, for matter status and activity data. We combined these results, with ad-hoc queries from the RMS, in Excel. Using this data, we were able to identify eligible and upcoming populations. While these reports and spreadsheets provided immense value, they were oversized, difficult to maneuver, and contained stagnant data. The solution: Qlik.

Using Qlik, we have been able to connect directly to the RMS and the financial system, providing better access to live information. Additionally, we are able to incorporate document management system (DMS) metadata, offsite storage cost data, and a policy reference table. As a result, members of the IG team now have a single source of truth they can use to drive their process.

Physical Records Space Assessment

Law firm management is under consistent pressure to cut waste and improve efficiency. One of the largest overhead expenses for any law firm is real estate. As our clients become increasingly digital, we often find, through our assessments, that they can significantly reduce the amount of space dedicated to physical records storage.

InOutsource completed a physical records space assessment of a large law firm’s Manhattan office. An InOutsource consultant measured the filing space for all file storage locations. The total linear feet designated to physical filing was captured. The Firm’s utilization of this space was calculated. InOutsource also calculated the square footage occupied by physical file storage. Using these numbers, in conjunction with the per square foot real estate expense provided by the Firm, InOutsource calculated the total cost of onsite physical file storage.

Following the onsite assessment, a thorough analysis of the data collected was accomplished using Qlik. Other data sources, such as, offsite storage rates and incentives, RMS data, and matter information from the financial system, were incorporated to augment the analysis and add context.

Within Qlik, we were able to quickly zero in on areas for improvement. For example, we immediately noticed, that while the firm had allocated approximately 60,000 SQFT to physical records, representing an annual cost of approximately $3.2 million dollars, only 48% of that space allocated was actually being utilized (exact numbers have been changed to preserve anonymity). The firm now armed with this information, had the flexibility to reallocate the space, or potentially reduce their total real estate for that office.

Monitoring Email Usage and Activity

Are your law firm’s mailbox sizes ballooning out control for some users? It is scary to consider the types of information that may sit buried away in one of your user’s inboxes. Have you considered pulling a report on mailbox size by user and stacking this data alongside another report containing information on filings to the DMS?

We combined these data sources in Qlik, and the results were very interesting. We found that often, our users with the largest mailboxes, filed most infrequently to the DMS. While a large mailbox may not present concrete evidence that a user is not filing, it may highlight a potential issue worth further investigation. Equipped with this information, IT or IG can provide early intervention.

Getting Started

Let’s stop talking about analytics and start playing with some data. InOutsource partner, Qlik, offers a free version of their software called Qlik Sense Desktop. You can easily download this product on your PC and develop your own visualizations. With Qlik Sense Desktop you can easily connect to databases, excel spreadsheets, and many other data sources.

Here are some videos and other resources to help you get started with Qlik Sense Desktop:

Download Qlik Sense Desktop Here

Qlik Continuous Classroom – Business User Library

Qlik Sense Desktop – Create Your First App and Visualization

How to create visualizations

How to work with Data Storytelling

Adding data using data manager – Qlik Sense

 

 

 

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John Zahradnick

Director, IG Standards and Compliance

A seasoned Information Governance expert who’s executed successful tours of duty in law firm records departments, John Zahradnick has been called the “MacGyver” of Information Governance.

John applies a unique mix of IG expertise, perspective, and best practices to design practical policy, process, and technology solutions for law firms. And he brings the project management and technical skills to effectively implement that change in real-world environments. In short, John gets his hands wet owning the execution of the solutions he designs — so there’s no gap between theory and practice (or accountability).

He’s up for the most complex projects and welcomes new challenges. RMS upgrades and swap outs, complex IG solution/process integration efforts, DMS implementations, tough data governance and data quality/cleanup initiatives, customer BI app development, and more — are all well within his wheelhouse.

When you engage John to build and deliver a solution, he’ll work to design a “right sized” fit for your firm. That fit typically includes a mix of policy, process, and technical implementation — thoughtfully rolled out, with the appropriate levels of training, user acceptance testing, and change management.

Through all of this, he also brings the latest best practices and recommendations to the table, including approaches for integrating client guidelines and internal policies directly into the fabric of process execution, and automatically capturing data and metrics that enable new levels of reporting on efficiency and compliance.

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Daniel Warner

Sr. Integration & Development Specialist

Daniel is an experienced technical resource with a rich background in replacing firm systems by ensuring your data is migrated accurately and with consistency. In tandem with his business acumen and analysis, Daniel’s strong suit is making sure that your team is able to capitalize on its technology infrastructure by aligning business systems with your information governance policies.

Whether he’s creating a new perspective from which a firm can view their information or migrating data from a troublesome legacy system onto a new platform, Daniel takes pride in facing a challenge.

When Daniel is not assisting clients, he enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, and making nice meals that his children refuse to eat.

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Allen Ahlvin

Senior Systems Integrations Specialist

Allen brings over 20 years of professional experience using a wide variety of technologies to InOutsource.

He spent almost 10 of those years at major Philadelphia-based law firms in different roles, including a developer, senior systems engineer, and manager of a team of developers.

He has extensive experience routing data from disparate systems both on- and off-premises using proven, performant techniques and methodologies. He has skills and experience creating processes using combinations of SQL and Intapp Integrate, consuming and manipulating data stored in databases, JSON and XML formats or directly from web/cloud services.

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John Vassalotti

Solutions Manager, Cloud Migrations

John provides project management, consulting, and process design support for pricing, conflicts, and new business intake.

John applies his experience as an attorney and project management skills to help clients address a range of challenges. He assists initial implementations and provides support throughout each project’s lifecycle. He is skilled at communicating across all levels and constituencies within a firm and understanding their needs.

Prior to joining InOutsource, John practiced law for several years, primarily in the litigation department of a large Philadelphia-based law firm. He also served as in-house counsel for a local company on both litigation and transactional matters. His diverse experiences as an attorney give him a keen understanding of law firms’ business imperatives, as well as the pressure points they encounter in different departments and practice areas.

John is a cum laude graduate of Temple University Beasley School of Law, where he was a staff member of the Temple Law Review. He is also a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM).

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Christopher Eckenrode

Senior Project Manager

Chris’ primary focus at InOutsource is project management. Since he began with us in 2016 he has led the team through one successful implementation after another, each with its own set of hurdles and personalities.

In addition to managing the implementations Chris handles a number of aspects on our projects from consulting support and process design to development and project organization.

As someone that has worked in new business intake, conflicts due diligence and resolution with a top international law firm for a decade before coming to InOutsource his first-hand knowledge of the process and its intricacies adds a layer of expertise that is invaluable to our clients.

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Alyse Driscoll

Director of Finance and Administration

Alyse supervises all finance, human resources and administrative responsibilities. She is also responsible for planning, coordinating, and supporting daily operational functions as well as ensuring InOutsource’s business lines receive the support necessary to meet the needs of every client.

With over 25 years of experience working with professional service companies, Alyse has helped business owners achieve their financial goals and better understand their business models. Starting her career at Ernst & Young LLP, she has worked with a wide range of small, mid-sized and multinational companies to identify best practices and expand their impact.

Alyse has her B.S. degree in Accounting and Business Management from the State University of New York at Albany and is a Certified Public Accountant in Pennsylvania and New York.

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Jeannine Powers

Customer Success Manager

Jeannine meticulously supports the Accounts Receivable department in the preparation and monitoring of invoices. As the Billing Assistant, she also provides support to the administrative team. Jeannine holds an M.A. from Temple University. When she’s not hard at work at her desk, Jeannine can usually be found working in her garden.

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Alyssa Calloway

Human Resource Professional

Alyssa has been in the Human Resources field since 2013, and has gained a wealth of knowledge in leadership, HR Policies and Procedures, and HR Technology Systems.

Alyssa comes from the public sector working for the Superior Court of NJ as a HR Generalist with a focus on Leave of Absence Administration, Payroll and Benefit Administration, and New Hire On-boarding for 500 employees. Alyssa works closely with the Director of Finance and Administration to facilitate the recruiting and on-boarding process for InOutsource. Aside from supporting the rest of the Administration Team, Alyssa is also the point contact for Performance Reviews, and Training and Development.

Alyssa received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Monmouth University. When not working, you can find Alyssa spending her free time down at the shore.

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Arielle Madeam

Data and Analytics Intern

Arielle is a second-year student from Drexel University with a passion for writing, statistics, and computer science, leading her down the path of data and analytics. Despite being new to the field, Arielle is excited to apply her current programming knowledge and also learn more in the process.

When not sitting behind a computer, Arielle loves reading comics, learning new languages, and ordering intricate pumpkin drinks.

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Lorin Cothern

Project Manager

Lorin has over 17 years in the legal industry, with 13 of those years spent with an international law firm. Her prior experience as a Conflicts Manager and Technology Business Analyst Manager will be beneficial in her role as a Project Manager here at InOutsource. Lorin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and an Associates degree in Paralegal Studies. She has a passion for helping people and is always looking forward to assisting our clients with projects.

When not working, Lorin enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and enjoying the outdoors.

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Victoria Schumm

Project Manager

Victoria provides project management support to our IGS team.

She has been in the legal field for over 11 years, with 3 of those years working for the Denver U.S. Attorney’s Office in the criminal division. Victoria has 8 years’ experience in family law and is comfortable working with clients and assisting clients with their needs. Victoria holds her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification which will be beneficial in her role as a Project Manager here at InOutsource.

When not working Victoria enjoys scuba diving, traveling, hiking and spending time with her two dogs.

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Rose Jackson

Project Manager

Rose opens the line of communication between clients and the team to get projects done. She supports the Information Governance Systems department as a Project Manager.

Rose has over five years of experience in strategic implementation, team building, and business development.

Rose earned her J.D from Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, where she was the Vice President of the Black Law Student Association and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from SUNY Albany.

When she’s not working, you’re most likely to find Rose at a Barre class or shopping the latest fashion trends.

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Matthew Jiang

Implementation Consultant

Starting from 2014, Matthew started his Boomi career, among the first group of people who professionally provided Boomi Consultancy Service. Matthew can carry out Boomi integration projects independently and lead a team to carry out big-scale projects. After 8 years of serving as a Boomi consultant, Matthew has led more than 100 complete Boomi development life cycles for 31 customers. For most of his projects, Matthew served as both architect and developer.

Most customers visualized Matthew as Boomi subject matter expert and Boomi go-to person. Matthew has experience in full Boomi development life cycle: customer engagement and presentation, project scoping and planning, requirement analysis, workflow design, collaboration pattern design, architecture design, Boomi process implementation, connectivity test, unit test, integration test, user acceptance test (UAT), production promotion, postproduction maintenance, and training.

Through more than 100 Boomi development life cycles, Matthew maintained and improved Boomi best practices solidly step by step. His best practice is quite welcomed by the customer, ensuring every project not only on the technical deliverables side, but also on the user experience, collaboration styles, documentation, and cost-effectiveness aspects.

John Bond

Product Manager, Nectar E-Learning Platform

John brings over 25 years of professional experience in knowledge transfer. He spent many years in academic publishing overseeing teams in content creation, editorial and production, and marketing and promotion. John has created innovative digital learning products as well educational websites that receive millions of pageviews.  He is the author of five books connected to writing and publishing.

John earned a bachelor’s degree in Education from Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. His new role at InOutsource is Product Manager for the Nectar E-Learning Platform.

When John is not at his desk, he enjoys spending time reading, listening to podcasts, and running. He owns more books than he will ever get to, but he is trying.