Data Volume is Becoming Unmanageable, Say Executives
"The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure were amended 18 months ago, requiring that companies have the ability to access quickly an inventory of various electronically stored information in the event of litigation. Yet, a recent online poll, conducted by Deloitte, found that nearly two out of every five executives (39.7 percent) felt that data volumes in the organizations they've worked for are increasing in size and becoming unmanageable.
"Discovery is a very serious issue to business today. There are real stakes and real penalties associated with poorly handled discovery. In the past few years we have seen cases where defendants have faced jail time and millions of dollars in sanctions or penalties," said Bruce Hartley, a director in the Analytic and Forensic Technology (AFT) practice of Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP (Deloitte FAS). "As the volume of data continues to amass -- doubling in size every 18 to 24 months -- strategic steps should be taken so that electronic discovery can be handled correctly."
In fact, 17.5 percent of executives surveyed said their companies are not ready to handle complex discovery requests."
