Extract from Jeffrey Wolff’s article “A Guide to Efficient Data Remediation for Law Firms in 2023”
Introduction
Data is like the mail: it just keeps coming in, day after day. Storing and maintaining it is a never-ending process. Excess data can slow down operations, diminishing a law firm’s productivity, profitability, and public image. Hence law firms must also continually assess, organize, and, where appropriate, delete their data, a process collectively known as data remediation.
In this post, we’ll define data remediation and outline its stages. Then, we’ll discuss the risks of inefficient data remediation practices and explain when it is necessary. Finally, we’ll share how to prepare for data remediation and five best practices for performing this process efficiently in 2023.
What is data remediation?
Data remediation is the process of ensuring the quality and security of stored information by fixing errors and organizing, cleansing, deleting, migrating, and archiving data.
Data remediation is more than just sifting through and deleting outdated and unnecessary data. It also involves minimizing data, making corrections when data has been compromised, making sure data is readily accessible, enhancing data security, and ensuring data compliance.
How is it connected to data quality?
Data remediation and data quality are closely intertwined; as noted above, an important part of remediation is ensuring data quality. Good data quality exists when data is accurate, complete, consistent, reliable, and up to date. Periodic issues with each of these areas are unavoidable, especially where large volumes of data are concerned. Data remediation aims to fix those issues.
