In our last post on 4 Reasons why you should switch from Relativity, we took a look at some of the complaints we’ve been hearing from Relativity users:

  • Relativity is expensive
  • Relativity is slow
  • Relativity is not easy to use
  • Relativity is a tired product – more and more users want a new, better alternative

Let’s say you have made the decision to switch from Relativity, what should you do next?

First, review and understand your existing Relativity and add-on product obligations.

Before you make a move, it’s essential to understand the parameters of your Relativity contract in detail and the full the extent of your obligation with Relativity and any add-on products. Given Relativity is not a complete eDiscovery solution, customers may also have contractual obligations for LAW PreDiscovery or NUIX to process data, Brainspace or NexLP for analytics, iPro for productions, in addition to Relativity for review. The use of multiple products not only makes the eDiscovery workflow more expensive but less efficient and prone to data integrity risks of transferring data between systems. This is a key reason customers repeatedly choose Casepoint because we can meet all of these needs in a single platform and lower cost. If you perceive any technical or cost hurdles as you determine how to make a switch, call us. Casepoint will work with you to overcome any of those challenges and mitigate any risks.

Second, issue an RFP.

Issuing an RFP allows you to define, document, and establish all of your key eDiscovery needs. The RFP should detail your organizations data volumes, file types that need to be supported for processing, advanced analytics (communications analysis, word clouds, email threading, etc.), review capabilities (such as the ability to customize tags and issue codes or dynamic TAR), production requirements, compatibility with your existing eDiscovery workflows, price considerations, past performance, and so on. Resist the temptation to take shortcuts. The RFP and the responses you receive will form the basis for contract negotiations when you are close to a final decision, so be sure to involve all key stakeholders in your organization to both define your needs and evaluate responses.

Here are three tips for your RFP process:

  • Tip #1: Make product demonstrations a key part of your RFP process.
  • Tip #2: Don’t have time or bandwidth to conduct a full RFP issuance and evaluation process? Make a list of key/core requirements and require vendors to provide their RFP responses in the form of a PowerPoint presentation and product demo. This gives you a chance to not only see the product hands-on, but also meet the company and people with whom you will be partnering. You wouldn’t hire a new employee without seeing reviewing their resume, interviewing them, and asking for references, would you?
  • Tip #3: Long-term contracts will open the door for better terms and pricing.

We are very proud of our solution here at Casepoint and we highly recommend that you do a point-by-point comparison of Relativity and Casepoint based on the criteria outlined in your RFP.

Third, create a smart transition plan.

Once you have selected your new solution (such as Casepoint), here are different ways to ensure a smooth transition:

If you want to switch over immediately:

  • Bring together key stakeholders from your organization and the vendor to finalize a migration plan. Any good vendor will have well-defined migration processes, communication protocols, risk management approaches, technical support protocols, SLAs, workflow best practices, etc. All of those items will be addressed as part of the transition plan.
  • As defined by the transition plan, work to export all data out of Relativity and securely send it based on agreed upon data submission and chain of custody guidelines pre-defined in your transition plan. Exporting Relativity ARM files is often the easiest and most complete way to export Relativity data. Thankfully, Casepoint can easily ingest ARM files, which makes switching just that much easier.
  • Test each of your matters after migration has been completed.
  • Be absolutely certain that all your data is wiped out of the Relativity hosting provider’s servers and that there is no digital footprint. Ask your existing provider for a certificate of destruction.
  • Provide initial and ongoing training for everyone who will use the platform.
  • Encourage feedback on ease of use. How does it compare to Relativity? (We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.)

If it makes sense to switch more gradually due to the complexity of your environment:

  • Ensure that any transition plan considers critical or complex matters (including nearby production or trial dates), unique technical or functional specifications, and priority cases.
  • Send any new matters directly to Casepoint.
  • Next, migrate any matters that are either inactive or have low-level of activity.
  • Finally, migrate remaining matters based on timelines and complexity. Ensure there is frequent communication between your end users and your vendor to make sure all needs are addressed.

Once you’ve made the choice to switch from Relativity, the processes can be smooth and efficient. Just remember to review your current contract obligations, issue an RFP, and make a smart transition plan. And if you need help, please feel free to contact us here at Casepoint. We’ve helped numerous clients switch from Relativity and we can help you through the process, too.


See how to Switch
 

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