Discovery & data management in the DACH region
Decision-making under risk: How companies can reconcile value creation, cost reduction and security
Summary
- Cross-functional capability: Discovery is no longer solely a legal matter. IT, cyber security and internal audit play central roles and require new governance structures.
- GenAI transforms practice: Significant efficiency gains in document analysis and relevance assessments – but human expertise remains indispensable.
- Cost and standardisation pressure: Document review is the largest cost factor. Many companies lack standardised procedures – substantial efficiency potential remains untapped.
Digital fact-finding is undergoing a profound transformation. Growing volumes of data, new data sources and the use of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) are changing the demands placed on businesses and their specialist departments.
This study examines current developments, cost structures, organisational challenges and future areas of action in discovery and data management. The study also indicates how legal, compliance, IT, cyber-security, corporate security and internal audit departments are responding to these developments, and identifies their priorities in terms of costs, security and efficiency.
Methodology and key figures
This survey draws on responses from 505 participants across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland who account for 51%, 25%, and 24% of respondents, respectively. The participants represent a wide range of sectors, including financial services, industry, life sciences, technology, automotive, transport and public administration. For the purposes of the survey, discovery is regarded as a comprehensive set of tools for the digital preservation of evidence, analysis and fact-finding during investigations, legal disputes, regulatory enquiries and cyber-incidents.
Origin of the respondents
from Germany
from Austria
from Switzerland
Discovery is becoming a cross-functional capability
The results reveal that discovery is no longer a matter solely for legal departments. IT, cyber-security, corporate security and internal audit in particular now play a key role alongside legal and compliance. The growing use of digital investigation methods is creating new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration while also presenting companies with significant challenges in relation to organisation and governance.
Cost and efficiency pressures are mounting
The significance of cost management is one of the key findings of the study. The costs of discovery proceedings vary considerably and are heavily influenced by the volume of data, the scope of the proceedings and the workload associated with review. Document review, in particular, continues to be a significant cost factor. Furthermore, the results show that many companies have not yet established fully standardised procedures, meaning that opportunities for greater efficiency and predictability remain untapped.
Gen AI is transforming the practice of discovery
The study makes it clear that Gen AI is increasingly finding its way into discovery processes. Significant efficiency gains are expected, particularly in relevance assessments, data protection reviews and the analysis of large document collections. Human expertise nevertheless remains indispensable. Quality assurance, contextual understanding and risk-based decision-making will never be fully automated. The future of discovery therefore lies in combining technology and expertise.
Discovery is under increasing pressure: rising data volumes, new data sources and regulatory requirements are driving up both complexity and costs in equal measure.
Philipp Lüttmann, Partner Forensics, Deloitte Switzerland
Outlook
Respondents cited AI-generated content, mobile devices, cloud data and information from social media as the main challenges of the coming years. At the same time, initiatives designed to standardise processes, build analytical skills and improve legal hold readiness are becoming more and more important. The study concludes that successful discovery strategies will primarily emerge in companies that manage to strike a balance between value creation, cost reduction and security.
