The eDiscovery Business Confidence Survey is a non-scientific quarterly survey designed to provide insight into the business confidence level of individuals working in the eDiscovery ecosystem. The survey consists of nine core multiple-choice questions focused on factors related to the creation, delivery, and consumption of eDiscovery products and services. Additionally, the survey contains three optional questions focused on the business operational metrics of days sales outstanding (DSO), monthly recurring revenue (MRR), and revenue distribution across customer bases.
Initiated in January 2016, to date the survey has been administered sixteen times with 1,771 individual responses. The survey is open to legal, business, and information technology professionals operating in the eDiscovery ecosystem and individuals are invited to participate primarily via direct email invitations.
Fall 2019 Survey Results
The fall 2019 survey response period was initiated on September 29, 2019, and continued until the registration of 150 responses (October 17, 2019). Thanks to the continued strong support of the leadership and marketing team at the Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS), this quarter’s survey experienced strong seasonal response rates within a short survey window and presents a strong picture of the current confidence levels of participants and practitioners in the eDiscovery ecosystem.
While individual answers to the survey are confidential, the aggregate and unfiltered results are published to highlight the business confidence of participants regarding economic factors impacting the creation, delivery, and consumption of eDiscovery products and services during the fall of 2019.
Business Confidence Questions (Required)
n = 150 Respondents
1. Which of the following segments best describes your business in eDiscovery?
Part of the eDiscovery ecosystem where your organization resides.
- Software and/or Services Provider – 36.0% (Up from Summer 2019)
- Law Firm – 30.7% (Up from Summer 2019)
- Corporation – 14.0% (Down from Summer 2019)
- Consultancy – 12.0% (Down from Summer 2019)
- Governmental Entity – 4.0% (Down from Summer 2019)
- Other – 2.7% (Up from Summer 2019)
- Media/Research Organization – 0.7% (Down from Summer 2019)
2. How would you rate the current general business conditions for eDiscovery in your segment?
Subjective feeling of business performance when compared with business expectations.
- Good – 48.7% (Down from Summer 2019)
- Normal – 48.0% (Up from Summer 2019)
- Bad – 3.3% (Down from Summer 2019)
3. How do you think the business conditions will be in your segment six months from now?
Subjective feeling of business performance when compared with business expectations.
- Better – 38.7% (Down from Summer 2019)
- Same – 57.3% (Up from Summer 2019)
- Worse – 4.0% (Same as Summer 2019)
4. How would you guess revenue in your segment of the eDiscovery ecosystem will be six months from now?
Revenue is income generated from eDiscovery-related business activities.
- Higher – 39.3% (Down from Summer 2019)
- Same – 52.7% (Up from Summer 2019)
- Lower – 8.0% (Up from Summer 2019)
5. How would you guess profits in your segment of the eDiscovery ecosystem will be six months from now?
Profit is the amount of income remaining after accounting for all expenses, debts, additional revenue streams, and operating costs.
- Higher – 33.3% (Up from Summer 2019)
- Same – 56.7% (Down from Summer 2019)
- Lower – 10.0% (Down from Summer 2019)
6. Of the six items presented below, what is the issue that you feel will most impact the business of eDiscovery over the next six months?
Challenges that may directly impact the business performance of your organization.
- Budgetary Constraints – 24.0% (Down from Summer 2019)
- Increasing Types of Data – 21.3% (Up from Summer 2019)
- Increasing Volumes of Data – 19.3% (Down from Summer 2019)
- Lack of Personnel – 13.3% (Up from Summer 2019)
- Data Security – 13.3% (Up from Summer 2019)
- Inadequate Technology – 8.7% (Up from Summer 2019)
7. In which geographical region do you primarily conduct eDiscovery-related business?
The location from which you are basing your business assessments.
- North America (United States) – 89.3% (Down from Summer 2019)
- Europe (UK) – 4.0% (Same as Summer 2019)
- Europe (Non-UK) – 2.7% (Up from Summer 2019)
- North America (Canada) – 2.0% (Down from Summer 2019)
- Middle East/Africa – 1.3% (Up from Summer 2019)
- Asia/Asia Pacific – 0.7% (Up from Summer 2019)
- Central/South America – 0.0% (Down from Summer 2019)
8. What are best describes your primary function in the conduct of your organization’s eDiscovery-related business?
- Legal/Litigation Support – 79.3% (Down from Summer 2019)
- Business/Business Support (All Other Business Functions) – 14.7% (Down from Summer 2019)
- IT/Product Development – 6.0% (Up from Summer 2019)
9. What are best describes your level of support in the conduct of your organization’s eDiscovery-related business?
- Operational Management – 35.3% (Down from Summer 2019)
- Tactical Execution – 34.7% (Down from Summer 2019)
- Executive Leadership – 30.0% (Up from Summer 2019)
Business Metric Trajectory Questions (Optional)
10. How would you characterize the trajectory of your organization’s Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) during the last quarter?
n=141 Respondents
- Increasing – 17.0% (Down from Summer 2019)
- Unfluctuating – 25.5% (Up from Summer 2019)
- Decreasing – 5.7% (Down from Summer 2019)
- Do Not Know – 51.8% (Down from Summer 2019)
11. How would you characterize the trajectory of your organization’s Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) during the last quarter?
n=141 Respondents
- Increasing – 24.8% (Down from Summer 2019)
- Unfluctuating – 27.7% (Up from Summer 2019)
- Decreasing – 5.0% (Down from Summer 2019)
- Do Not Know – 42.6% (Down from Summer 2019)
12. Which of the following statements best describes the distribution of your organization’s revenue across your customer base during the last quarter?
n=140 Respondents
- Increasing – 25.0% (Down from Summer 2019)
- Unfluctuating – 25.7% (Up from Summer 2019)
- Decreasing – 3.6% (Down from Summer 2019)
- Do Not Know – 45.7% (Up from Summer 2019)
Past Survey Results
- Summer 2019 Survey ( 1 July – 17 July 2019)
- Spring 2019 Survey (1 April 2019 – 18 April 2019)
- Winter 2019 Survey (27 December 2018 – January 10, 2019)
- Fall 2018 Survey (14 October – 26 October 2018)
- Summer 2018 Survey (4 July – 24 July 2018)
- Spring 2018 Survey (7 April – 20 April 2018)
- Winter 2018 Survey (24 December 17 – 15 January 2018)
- Fall 2017 Survey (5 October – 17 October 2017)
- Summer 2017 Survey (6 July – 31 July 2017)
- Spring 2017 Survey (14 April – 1 May 2017)
- Winter 2017 Survey (20 January – 6 February 2017)
- Fall 2016 Survey (11 October – 1 December 2016)
- Summer 2016 Survey (1 August – 31 August 2016)
- Spring 2016 Survey (1 May – 31 May 2016)
- Winter 2016 Survey (15 February – 29 February 2016)
Source: ComplexDiscovery
