Ricoh eDiscovery

Your Top Data Mapping Questions Answered

Posted by Tamara Porter |3 minute read

May 1, 2020 11:25:25 AM

Data Mapping

Proven technology supported by a knowledgeable team is the best way to implement an effective content cleanup process in your organization. Our File Analysis and Migration Solution takes the guesswork out of creating a plan to ensure your business can overcome its primary file analysis concerns.

Active Nav webinar quote (1)

Yesterday we teamed up with ActiveNav to share how businesses of all sizes can create an accurate data map to navigate their ROT and PII data. In case you missed it, here are the answers to the top questions from the session: 

Why has the market shifted towards prioritizing data governance? 

File Analysis solutions have gained popularity in recent years as a result of the emergence of regulations. As more regulations such as GDPR in Europe, PIPEDA in Canada and CCPA in California continue to become enforced, businesses must ensure they are compliant and their data is secure. Founded ten years ago, ActiveNav has been able to stay ahead of the curve on each regulation’s requirements and understands the importance of helping companies comply.

What are the key benefits of using a File Analysis solution?

There are several. Some of the top reasons why you might look to a engage with File Analysis solution is to:

  • Gain a holistic view of your data
  • Design and act on policies driven by the data you have
  • Identify and remediate sensitive content including PII
  • Enjoy storage reductions of 30% or more through defensible deletion of e-trash, ROT, stale and low value content
  • Empower your team to drive organizational change around data cleanup

How can I remove the barriers and take the initial steps towards initiating a data mapping plan?

It's best to keep it simple and strive to get buy-in early in the process. In addition, it’s important to consider:

  • Understanding the size and the scale of your problem​
  • Selecting a pilot business area and start with a manageable amount of data
  • Building out a repeatable process
  • Building a strong business case from the resulting metrics that come from running a pilot

How can I get buy in on adopting a File Analysis tool like Discovery Center by ActiveNav?

The best way of creating buy in is by examining the inefficiencies around manual-based processes. Unfortunately, attempting to prepare content for migrations without automation is never practical. For this reason, consider these factors with your team of stakeholders:

  • It is incredibly time consuming and costly ​
  • It is typically prone to errors and inefficiencies​
  • Having a well-developed policy is critical​ for buy in
  • In past projects, we have seen that getting signoffs for recommended processes and policy ensured rapid timeframes for determining in-scope (and out of scope) data​
  • Reusing agreed processes across the business will ensure smooth migrations in a timely manner​
  • The goal is to ensure only relevant content is migrated to new the environment​
  • Significant reductions in data volumes reduces the burden on the business​

In our experience, a closer liaison between business analysts and business users is needed to ensure success​.

How many file types can the solution identify?

ActiveNav's Discovery Center software can analyze 640 file types. This includes Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook as well as a number of legacy formats including early word processing formats, Lotus Notes and more. ActiveNav is also currently looking at expanding this offering to include video and audio files. 

Can the software analyze non-searchable PDFs or paper documents?

Yes. Ricoh and ActiveNav work together to create searchable documents which can then be imported into the Discovery Center software. 

Can local hard drives be analyzed?

Yes. In addition to analyzing local hard drives, we're also able to explore network drives as well as machines that are active on different networks (given the appropriate permissions are permitted). 

Can you import record retention rules? 

Yes. We can import the hierarchy of classification nodes that represents the record types and/or retention schedule. For each node, we can develop rules based on the description taken from the retention schedule document and include any time-based rules (i.e., retain for seven years from the point of creation).

If you have questions we didn’t answer, be sure to let us know in the comments below or reach out to our team today

Topics: Unstructured File Analysis

   

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