The Power of Project Management: Using the 80/20 Rule in E-Discovery

What is the 80/20 Rule (Pareto Principle)? 

The 80/20 Rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, is a guiding concept in project management. The rule posits that 80% of results stem from 20% of efforts. This principle has far-reaching implications for how project managers allocate resources, solve problems, and optimize workflows. Here's a closer look at how the 80/20 Rule can transform the way e-discovery projects are managed.

Maximizing Impact Through Task Prioritization 

At its core, the 80/20 Rule teaches project managers that a small portion of tasks—roughly 20%—often drive the majority of outcomes. By identifying and focusing on these high-impact tasks, project managers can make the best use of their team’s time and resources. 

For example, in software development, a handful of features may account for most users’ satisfaction. Similarly, in marketing, a few key channels may generate most of the qualified leads. By analyzing and identifying these most impactful components early, a project manager can allocate resources strategically and avoid spreading their team too thin. 

In e-discovery, the analogy would be to focus effort on early-stage tasks. E-Discovery professionals are fond of talking about good information governance or data hygiene practices, and that is great. There is no question that good information management makes e-discovery easier. But the reality is that very few project managers have control of how their client, or any organization for that matter, manages their information prior to getting involved in a legal matter that triggers e-discovery processes. 

So, it therefore makes sense to place the greatest emphasis on the early tasks relating to identification, preservation, and collection of data. Because if you get these parts right, then every downstream process, including resource-heavy document review, will be much easier to manage. And even if something goes awry downstream, if you’ve identified, preserved and collected properly, you can usually go back to your original data.

Streamlining Problem-Solving + Reducing Waste 

The 80/20 Rule may also be used to accelerate problem-solving by guiding project managers to focus on the root causes of problems. In many cases, 80% of problems stem from 20% of sources. For example, if a team is consistently missing deadlines, it might be due to a bottleneck in a specific process or a recurring communication breakdown. 

By concentrating on the root causes of such a problem, project managers can implement targeted solutions that deliver outsized results. This approach not only saves time but also fosters a culture of efficiency and continuous improvement. 

We see this in e-discovery projects when there is miscommunication, for instance, regarding how to process data. By documenting and verifying specific processing protocols –an activity that takes very little time—project managers can eliminate costly errors and rework and improve communication and project performance relating to processing. 

Additionally, complexity is often the enemy of efficiency in project management. The 80/20 Rule can help project managers maintain simplicity by distinguishing between essential and non-essential tasks. By focusing on the 20% of tasks that truly matter, teams can eliminate unnecessary work and avoid overcomplicating their projects. This principle is particularly valuable in resource-constrained environments, where every dollar counts and time matters. For instance, in product development, adhering to the 80/20 Rule can help teams prioritize product features that deliver the most value to customers, ensuring that the final product is both effective and lean. 

In e-discovery, focusing on getting the data properly and then deciding later what you are going to do with that data is more than half the battle. Remember, if you have the right custodians and sources of data, and if you’ve collected the data in a sound, defensible manner, you can always go back to the data. But if there are spoliation issues, or data is mishandled from the outset, often there is no opportunity for a do-over.

Applying the 80/20 Rule in Practice 

To implement the 80/20 Rule effectively, project managers can use these guidelines: 

• Analyze Data: Use metrics and feedback to identify which tasks, processes, or deliverables yield the most significant impact on your project. 
• Focus on Value: Prioritize tasks that align closely with project objectives and stakeholder needs. 
• Evaluate Regularly: Periodically reassess priorities to ensure efforts remain focused on high-impact areas. 
• Streamline Processes: Eliminate or delegate low-value tasks to prevent wasted time and resources.

Conclusion 

The 80/20 Rule is more than just a theoretical concept, it’s a practical tool for enhancing project outcomes. By prioritizing impactful tasks, addressing root causes of problems, and reducing unnecessary complexity, project managers can drive efficiency, deliver value, and set their teams up for success. Embracing the 80-20 Rule is a small change in mindset that can produce transformative results when managing projects.