The Future of eDiscovery
A Target Operating Model Built for Predictability, AI, and Control
The landscape of legal discovery, or eDiscovery, is undergoing a seismic shift. Both legal departments and service providers are rethinking how legal discovery is managed, delivered, and scaled. At the heart of this transformation is the need for a future-ready operating model that is cloud-native, AI-enabled, and designed to give clients control over their data, workflows, and vendor relationships.
Why eDiscovery Transformation Is Urgent
Traditional eDiscovery models are riddled with inefficiencies. They have:
Legacy pricing models—based on user fees, per-GB processing, hosting charges, production fees, and consulting rates —are opaque and volatile.
Many organizations still rely on legacy tools across numerous areas of the organization (e.g. legal, CISO, IT, etc.) and haven’t fully unlocked investments they have already made in major tech platforms such as Microsoft and Google.
Despite the promise of AI and scalable cloud platforms, most eDiscovery workflows remain manual and siloed with legal teams hesitant to adopt.
Without centralized control, sensitive data is often scattered across vendors and platforms, increasing risk and exposure.
A Vision for the Future Operating Model
The future of eDiscovery is built on client ownership, cloud infrastructure, and modular service delivery. Here’s what that looks like:
1
Cloud-Based Architecture
Modern eDiscovery platforms are SaaS-first, enabling secure, scalable, and cost-effective data management. Clients can centralize their data, apply consistent governance, and integrate seamlessly with tools like Microsoft 365 for legal hold and data collection.
2
Client-Owned or licensed Technology
Rather than relying on vendors to host and manage solutions, clients can own or license the technology directly, which gives them greater control over terms, configuration, and data residency.
3
Bundled and Transparent Pricing
The future model eliminates unpredictable fees in favor of a bundled pricing model that covers hosting, processing, production, user access, and even project management hours. The result: budgeting is now simpler and more accurate. These models also allow flexibility to scale up and down on an annual basis as litigation needs may change.
4
Hybrid Optionality
Clients can choose between self-service and/or full-service models. This flexibility allows them to leverage consulting firms for specific tasks, such as workflow management, document review, or analytics, on a per-matter basis.
5
Separation of Technology and Consulting
By decoupling technology from services, clients gain the freedom to work with multiple consulting firms. For example, one firm might manage workflows while a second firm handles review.
6
Centralized Data and Workflow Management
Clients consolidate data storage, user management, and workflows into a centralized platform, which improves compliance, reduces redundancies, and strengthens data security.
7
Integration with SaaS Ecosystems
Future-ready platforms integrate with enterprise SaaS tools for seamless data collection, legal hold, and analytics—eliminating the need for standalone capabilities (e.g. using collection tool for email system, downloading it, then uploading to a separate solution for processing).
8
AI in the Cloud
AI is transforming privilege review, case strategy, and early case assessment. Cloud- native platforms enable real-time AI-powered insights, reducing review time and improving accuracy.
The KPMG Approach
This new operating model isn’t just a technology upgrade. Instead, it’s a strategic shift that empowers legal teams to become more agile, secure, and drive significant cost-savings while unlocking the innovative potential of AI.
KPMG has designed a strategic approach to quickly assess your eDiscovery programs readiness – including technology requirements evaluation, financial modeling, and roadmap / business case development.
Contact us to learn more how we can help inform your eDiscovery journey.
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