Preliminary planning for implementing any software application is important for achieving the best setup results, the first time. We recommend that you take some time to review this section to plan how your organization will be using Concordance so your administrative tasks are minimized for initial setup and your long-term maintenance of the application is streamlined into routine updates and adjustments, rather than reworking any database design and system security later.
Discovery Document Conversion
If you are unfamiliar with the e-discovery process, we recommend that you take some time to research this growing and rapidly changing industry and learn how it impacts your system network and strategy by understanding how critical it is that data load files are handled carefully during the import process. Because you are dealing with confidential materials, file corruption of your database records is a sensitive matter and legal implications regarding spoliation are strict and can carry hefty fines. Once data is altered, your ability to attain another copy of case records in some instances is minimal – especially if it’s opposing counsel’s case records – and can affect the lawsuit for the organizations involved.
System Requirements
Concordance’s system requirements for hardware and software are minimal and network setup is flexible. The primary focus in ensuring that Concordance runs properly for you and your organization is all about processing speed = RAM on your network and individual workstations.
Please review the current system requirements for setup and suggested processor and RAM. Keep informed of Concordance release updates and how they impact your system. See System Requirements for more information.
Database Design
Engineered for capacity and speed, Concordance provides stability with its enormous database capacity and robust security features. Designed with a flat-file architecture and a proprietary back-end, Concordance can distribute and store data and processing over local-area networks. With Concordance’s separate load and index processes, you can import a variety of load files and their native file attachments, accessing them both in Concordance and Concordance Native Viewer.
Proper review of your organization’s records for a given case helps determine how you build and design your database structure. Concordance has some requirements for importing certain types of records, especially emails and transcripts. Additionally, reviewing your case load files provides you with a high level road map for how you want to move forward in planning your database design.
Database design considerations are based on:
•Possible database size – breaking record groupings into Database 1, Database 2, Database 3
•Document Type – email, native files, and transcripts
•Confidential/Privileged Status
•Content – Predetermined Subject Groupings
•Rolling Production Environments – adding content to primary databases by creating secondary databases and concatenating them
•Other
See Concordance Databases and Importing Files for more information.
Security Setup
Security levels are predominantly affected by the size of your organization and the user roles that constitute your review team. If your organization is large and has several geographical locations, system security for multiple ongoing cases is going to take time and forethought in planning. If you belong to a small organization, your system security may be minimal for internal staff because users are more likely to perform many roles using Concordance software.
Please consider implementing security in your organization to ensure that records are preserved in accordance with e-discovery regulations and database documents are secured from inadvertent alteration or deletion by applying recommended user permissions for field and menu items.
See Security for more information.
Implementation Checklist
We understand that each organization has its own organization guidelines and processes for supporting their review teams during case review. We also understand that transferring to and implementing new technology may affect current procedures and that you may need to adapt new ones given the demands of a rapidly changing e-discovery industry. Please reference the Preliminary Planning Checklist to guide you in preparation for implementing and maintaining Concordance at your workplace.
Preliminary Planning Checklist:
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E-Discovery, Collection, and Processing |
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Do you have an understanding of e-discovery rules and how they affect your specific case and the review process? |
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Do you have a collection and processing plan in place while also following forensic guidelines, as required? |
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Do you have vendor relationships set in place for various stages of your case? |
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Do you have a quality control plan in place? |
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Do you know what types of files you are receiving and whether they are recognized by Concordance? |
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Database Design |
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Do you know what your case dataset looks like? |
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What is the size of your case, including the # of pages/documents and GB to be processed? |
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Will this case require a native review? |
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Do you understand what the case review workflow will be? |
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What kinds of fields are needed for tracking administration and reviewer metrics? |
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What kinds of tags are needed for supporting administration maintenance? |
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What fields are needed for coding additional metadata? |
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Where will annotations be tracked by reviewers: Concordance Image sticky note, text associated note or field? If it’s a field, what fields need preparation for annotations? |
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Do you have field and tag naming conventions set in place? |
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Do you have a list of categories for preparing your database tag structure? |
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Have you consulted key players involved with Concordance review and administration regarding database design? |
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Have you prepared a directory location with subdirectory folders in a structure that prepares you for optimal organization of the various files for the case? |
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Did you create extra miscellaneous fields in your database? |
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System Requirements |
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Have you reviewed the Concordance system requirements? |
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Have you given full network rights to all users in the directory where each case resides? |
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Did you adjust the indexing and dictionary cache settings for each workstation? |
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Do you have remote staff that will be using Concordance offline remotely and need a mobile license installed? |
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Security |
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Did you plan security settings for all users accessing this case? |
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Did you apply security to each Concordance database individually? |
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Did you store the security console user ID and password in a safe location and share it with at least one other supervisor or administrator? |
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Maintenance |
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How will subsequent loads of data be handled? Will they be uploaded to the main database or will you use concatenation to join multiple databases? |
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Do you have indexing/reindexing schedules planned based on the workflow and timeline of the review? |
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Is there a back-up schedule in place? |
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Do you have a quality control checklist for major administration tasks like importing, exporting, and global edits? |
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Do you have a disaster recovery plan in place? |
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Production |
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Do you have a production plan in place for delivering files to opposing counsel? |
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Do you know what types of reports will be generated or requested by the review team and how to print them? |
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Roles and Responsibilities |
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Does your review team understand the database design and know how they will specifically use Concordance for review? |
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Does your review team understand timelines and processes required for administrating and maintaining Concordance? |
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Are roles and responsibilities clearly defined among administrators, litigation support staff, paralegals, and attorneys? |
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Are there policies in place for who can and cannot create/modify databases and other sensitive tasks? |
Ongoing Maintenance
As an administrator you are busy managing multiple cases and the various software programs and databases in various network locations. We recommend you to take some additional time to plan a maintenance schedule for Concordance depending on the complexity of product licensing versions and how database structure is designed and geographically dispersed.
Typical database management for Concordance includes:
•Directory and subdirectory folder design to store multiple databases for multiple case reviews within your organization
•Back-up schedules for each case/multiple databases/concatenated databases
•Full index updates on databases performed during off hours (weekends or holidays) or offline if multiple databases can be updated while staff continues work in other databases
•Reindex updates when records are added or modified
•Subsequent data and image loads
•Deleting and packing databases and dictionary files after data entry/editing and indexing
•De-duplication
•Replicating and synchronizing databases
•Modifying or adding database fields, which then requires a full index
•Tracking metrics
•Running productions