iDS specializes in transforming data challenges into strategic advantages for our clients. Whether it’s complex litigation or uncovering deep business insights, our data analysis expertise reveals the true story behind the data. We give our clients the competitive edge they need to stay ahead. Recently, Hunter McMahon, our COO, demonstrated this capability in an unexpected setting: a middle school career day. He was able to captivate a room full of twelve-year-olds by explaining how iDS can detect all internet searches and text exchanges. Now, when you can leave a group of preteens in stunned silence, you know your work is impactful.
During this presentation, Hunter shared a compelling story about uncovering the truth behind sent text messages. Two siblings were involved in some mischief, and an inappropriate text was sent from the brother’s cell phone number to a neighbor. Initially, the brother faced trouble for the text, but closer examination revealed he was playing soccer and wearing an Apple Watch at the time, and the message did not come from an Apple Watch. The message was actually sent by his sister, who sent the text from his cell phone from their home. This simplified example highlights our ability to use data analysis to uncover the truth. It shows that you cannot take information at face value; you have to dive deeper into the data to discover where the truth lies—because remember, people lie, not data. So, when our clients need to uncover the truth or solve complex problems, we deliver solutions through meticulous data examination.
From Data Problems to Strategic Opportunities
Clients often approach us with vast amounts of data they don’t fully understand. This can be triggered by litigation or internal investigations, making the data seem like an overwhelming obligation. At iDS, we see this as a strategic opportunity. By extracting, analyzing, and understanding data, we enable our clients to control the narrative and gain a critical advantage over their opposition.
Every data challenge presents an opportunity for us to showcase our expertise. For instance, we assisted a client with an HR system that had evolved over time. Businesses frequently customize their systems without considering future data retrieval needs for litigation. Our task was to extract data reliably and defensibly, ensuring the process was repeatable if necessary. This required a thorough understanding of databases and effective communication to uncover necessary information, sometimes involving broadening date ranges or adjusting criteria.
In another case, we worked with a product lifecycle management (PLM) system, tracking every detail of a product’s journey from manufacturing to store shelves. Complex data like this cannot be simply exported. We developed processes to reconstruct the data into a usable format for legal counsel, ensuring every component—from manufacturing batch to packaging language—was accounted for accurately.
Many systems save space by using links or references rather than storing complete profiles. For example, payroll data might not be stored as static files but generated on demand. Our job is to create systems that can reliably extract and recreate this data when needed, ensuring that our clients always have access to accurate and complete information.
Empowering Clients
Success at iDS isn’t merely providing data. It’s about elevating data to information, knowledge, and finally, wisdom. This approach helps clients understand and utilize their data effectively. For instance, in a wage and hour mediation, we disproved several claims against a company, significantly narrowing the actual issues to specific instances, saving our client from a potentially massive settlement. We help clients see the bigger picture by integrating data from various sources. For instance, analyzing phone records alongside GPS data can reveal the true story behind seemingly straightforward information, such as the story of the siblings shared at the middle-school career day. This comprehensive approach often uncovers insights that a single data stream could never provide.
Our clients often aren’t aware of the data streams available to them or how to leverage them effectively. We help them develop strategies based on comprehensive data analysis, often leading to significant improvements in their internal data systems. For example, by connecting HR, performance, and business data we can provide insights beyond litigation, such as identifying unencrypted data to enhance security practices. In one case, we helped an international client balance performance metrics with data privacy by designing a system for pseudonymized data.
#The Data Solutionists
At iDS, we excel at uncovering the stories that data tells. We delve into the data, aiming to turn complex data challenges into valuable and actionable insights. Our mission is to empower our clients to understand and control their data, enabling them to convey the narrative they need. Our message is clear: be curious about your data. Connect different data sources and seek expertise to transform complex issues into opportunities for insight and informed decision-making. In doing so, we ensure our clients remain a step ahead in the discovery process.
iDS provides consultative data solutions to corporations and law firms around the world, giving them a decisive advantage – both in and out of the courtroom. iDS’s subject matter experts and data strategists specialize in finding solutions to complex data problems, ensuring data can be leveraged as an asset, not a liability. To learn more, visit stg-idsinccom-stage.kinsta.cloud.