Earlier this month, I covered a post by Doug Kaminski of Cobra Legal Solutions which discussed how Data Conversion may be the new Rodney Dangerfield of eDiscovery but is needed by everyone at some point.  This post by Doug discusses six concepts and best practices for effective data conversion.

Doug’s article Six Concepts for Effective Data Conversion discusses how to manage data conversion effectively, as failure to do so can derail your entire eDiscovery project.  Here’s the first concept for effective data conversion, per Doug’s article:

Define and Communicate the Scope: Do you drive somewhere you’ve never been before without a roadmap (or, these days, a navigation app) to tell you how to get there? Of course not.  You can’t get to your destination until you know where you’re going.  It’s important to define what “done” is and what a successfully converted data set looks like (including how it should be able to be used by the destination platform, if applicable).  This includes defining any business rules to support the ability to convert the data consistently and reliably.  Then, communicate that definition of “done” among the team so that everyone is using the same roadmap, er, navigation app to get to the correct destination.

As Doug notes, “Successful data conversion projects don’t just happen – they require best practices and the skills and knowledge – including project management skills, experience working with data and an understanding of technology – to know how to implement those best practices to prepare data for use within various phases of the eDiscovery life cycle.”

So, what are the other five concepts for effective data conversion?  I won’t steal Cobra Legal Solutions’ (and Doug’s) thunder, you can check out the article here on the specifics.  And you’ll find out where Doug is from!  Hint: check the graphic above!  😉

So, what do you think?  Have you had to manage a data conversion effort before?  Not as easy as you think, is it?  Please share any comments you might have or if you’d like to know more about a particular topic.

Disclosure: Cobra Legal Solutions is an Educational Partner and sponsor of eDiscovery Today

Disclaimer: The views represented herein are exclusively the views of the author, and do not necessarily represent the views held by my employer, my partners or my clients. eDiscovery Today is made available solely for educational purposes to provide general information about general eDiscovery principles and not to provide specific legal advice applicable to any particular circumstance. eDiscovery Today should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a lawyer you have retained and who has agreed to represent you.