Quality Control & Operational Overhaul at Encore Legal

Client: Encore Legal

Industry: Legal Services / eDiscovery

Challenge

Encore Legal was experiencing serious quality issues in its document review and production process. Databases were frequently delivered to clients with errors, resulting in costly rework, dissatisfied clients, and substantial financial impact. At its peak, the company issued over $3.5 million in client credits in a single year due to mistakes. Additionally, inconsistent processes, lack of standardization, and fragmented team operations were limiting productivity and slowing down employee ramp-up times.

Solution

I led a company-wide initiative to overhaul quality control and operational efficiency. Key components included:

• End-to-End Quality Control System: Implemented quality checkpoints at every phase of the project lifecycle—not just at the end—allowing errors to be caught and corrected immediately.
• Visibility into Metrics: Created a company-wide quality and productivity reporting system, with weekly poster updates showing each team’s performance—driving accountability and healthy competition.
• Standardized Job Instructions: Built a cross-functional team to create detailed job instructions and QC checklists for every task in the company, integrated directly into the workflow management system.
• Offshore Labor + 24/7 Cycle: Introduced offshore labor to support around-the-clock operations, significantly boosting throughput and delivery speed.
• Team Leadership & Training: Temporarily managed every operations team to implement improvements firsthand and led training sessions for managers on how to use quality and productivity data effectively.
• Automation & Resource Optimization: Fully automated the functions of one team, allowing us to eliminate that team entirely and reassign resources to higher-value areas.

Results

• Client credits dropped from $3.5M/year to zero.
• Productivity and quality scores increased across all teams.
• Time-to-ramp for new employees dropped significantly thanks to standardized instructions.
• 24/7 operations allowed for faster client turnaround and better global support.
• Reallocation of staff led to more efficient use of internal resources and reduced overhead.

Summary of Impact

This initiative transformed Encore Legal’s operations from reactive to proactive, creating a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement. By eliminating rework, standardizing quality, and leveraging automation and global resources, we not only stopped costly errors but dramatically improved operational efficiency and client satisfaction. As a result of these efforts, I was honored alongside five colleagues with an award from the COO for "turning around the company."