For a busy law firm, utilizing all the tools and software solutions available to increase productivity is imperative. Continuous innovations in software and cloud services tailored to various business services have proven to help companies across multiple industries to develop and succeed, and law firms are no exception.
Office 365 eDiscovery is one such tool that optimizes everyday operations within law firms and helps attorneys better support their clients.
What Is Office 365 eDiscovery?
Microsoft Office 365 eDiscovery is a popular SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) program that organizes and delivers electronic information that lawyers use as evidence in cases. The software offers a large selection of options to support different functionalities and day-to-day operations within law firms.
Office 365 eDiscovery has five main applications that consist of its primary functions, including Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Powerpoint, and Microsoft OneNote. With so many options, it is vital to have basic knowledge of what these tools can offer.
Some of the tools available for use include:
- OneNote (for audio files and notes)
- Teams (live meetings, video calls, content sharing)
- Exchange Online (email and calendaring tool)
- OneDrive (files and documents)
- Power BI (business analytics and data organization)
- Invoicing (create, send, edit, and track invoices)
- Sway (create and share reports and presentations)
How Does Office 365 eDiscovery Software Work?
While some law firms remain hesitant to utilize cloud-based solutions, Office 365 eDiscovery software has proven useful to many small and large practices due to the built-in features it offers, such as:
- Data loss prevention
- Legal hold
- Retention
- Compliance features
Before using any 365 eDiscovery tasks, users should be assigned to specific role groups—Reviewer or eDiscovery Manager. Once assigned to a group, you can create a new case and add users. Office 365 eDiscovery also allows you to send a legal hold (litigation hold) to the team, instructing them not to delete any essential information that may be relevant to the legal case.
After you’ve created the case, you can run a content search associated with the case.
Benefits of Using Office 365 eDiscovery Platform
The Office 365 eDiscovery platform proves itself helpful in making everyday tasks more accessible. Some of the main benefits it offers include the following.
Document Storage and File Management
Safe and efficient management of documents and files is crucial for any lawyer. Office 365 eDiscovery allows you to store Word documents, emails, files, and Excel spreadsheets. You can also track the sharing of documents and files within your law firm.
Improved Functionality and Workflow
Lawyers have different responsibilities throughout the day, so it is essential to share and manage their tasks efficiently within the team. Office 365 eDiscovery offers various tools that allow lawyers to share files, collaborate on tasks and projects, and arrange meetings between clients.
Better CRM
Client Relationship Management is a vital factor for growing your law firm. Teams can track and manage communications with clients and create campaigns focused on client needs through various tools, including SharePoint and Dynamics. Office 365 eDiscovery can also optimize client acquisitions within law firms.
Mobility Usage
Many lawyers need to work outside of the firm; thus, accessing valuable information and documents on the go is a significant advantage. Office 365 eDiscovery allows lawyers to acquire the resources they need at any time.
Datamine Discovery focuses on providing attorneys eDiscovery help & consulting and legal hold, while KEY Discovery focuses on various litigation support services. Key Discovery offers on-site scanning, paper discovery, court reporting, trial support services and have been servicing law firms and practices since 2008. Contact us today at 617-329-9530 or 617-348-9360 to learn more about the services we offer.
If you would like to learn more about Office 365 eDiscovery platform and how it works in conjunction to smaller eDiscovery platforms then be sure to read our follow up article here:
