Outside-In

Hosted by IST Management

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May 2026

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About the show

IST Management Services, the US's largest independent privately held IFM. For the past 20 years, the Process Outsourcing industry has changed dramatically. This podcast is about those people affecting that change and to provide a view inside the decisions that are being made to ensure that companies and law firms are receiving the latest and greatest support when outsourcing their office support services.

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40 recent

June 16, 2026Episode 4630 min

From 6 Million TB to Doable: How AI and Managed Review Changed Everything

When Sidney Lampton Morris, Associate Attorney at Watkins & Eager, received what she thought would be a one-terabyte document production, she had no idea it would grow to six terabytes, span 22 mirror-imaged devices, and contain over six million documents. In this episode of Outside IN, Sidney walks through how IST's managed review team, AI-powered analytics, and relentless communication transformed an impossible workload into a manageable case strategy, ultimately reducing six million documents down to 20,000 actionable files. But beyond the numbers, Sidney shares what it actually felt like to hand over control, trust a partner she had never worked with at that scale, and come out the other side with her case, her sanity, and her marriage intact. If you have ever stared down a document production and wondered how you are going to get through it, this conversation is for you. Key Takeaways: Data volume is no longer a size problem. It's a strategy problem. When Sidney's case grew from one terabyte to six overnight, the answer wasn't more attorneys or more hours. It was a smarter approach to what actually needed to be reviewed before anyone looked at a single document. AI doesn't replace human judgment. It protects it. IST's managed review team used AI to reduce six million documents to 20,000 actionable files. But humans validated every step. The technology made the work possible. The people made it defensible. Control isn't about doing everything yourself. Sidney never stopped feeling in control of her case. Not because she reviewed every document, but because her partner communicated constantly, asked the right questions, and never let her feel like she was flying blind. The front-end conversation changes everything. Sidney's biggest reflection was that more communication upfront would have made the entire process even more efficient. The best eDiscovery partnerships are built on information sharing, not just service delivery. This isn't just a civil litigation problem. Criminal defense attorneys are receiving complete device dumps with no roadmap and no resources to manage them. As data volume grows, the ability to review it isn't just an operational challenge. It's a justice issue.

May 12, 2026Episode 4536 min

Stop Reacting to Litigation: Save Money Before the Case Starts with IST's Discover-E

Most companies don't think about eDiscovery until they're already in trouble. But according to 30-year industry veteran and Managing Vice President Ed Fiducia, the organizations getting crushed by discovery costs aren't losing because of bad lawyers or bad technology. They're losing because nobody asked the right questions before the case ever started. In this episode of Outside-IN, Ed breaks down the real cost of reactive data management, why AI is a powerful tool that still requires human judgment to be defensible, and how proactive information governance is the single biggest lever legal teams have for controlling spend. From a $10 million paper database built in 1993 to the pattern-matching realities of modern AI, Ed brings 30 years of hard-won perspective to a conversation every GC, litigation partner, and legal ops leader needs to hear. If your organization is sitting on unmanaged data and calling it a storage problem, this conversation will change how you see it. eDiscovery starts long before litigation does. The most expensive discovery mistakes happen years before a case is filed, when companies are ignoring data retention policies, hoarding outdated information, and operating without a clear picture of where their data actually lives. Cheap storage is creating expensive legal problems. Because storage costs have dropped to almost nothing, companies are keeping data long past its useful life. That ignored data doesn't disappear when litigation hits. It becomes discoverable, and it becomes your liability. If you don't have a data map, you don't have a strategy. Before a single document is collected, every legal team should be able to answer two questions: where is our data being stored, and where is it being generated? If you can't answer those, you're already behind. AI is a pattern matcher, not a lawyer. AI is delivering real cost savings in eDiscovery by helping teams cull large data sets faster and more efficiently. But it cannot understand context, nuance, or intent on its own. Human judgment is still required to make the work defensible. The "OK by me" problem is real. A one-line email means nothing without the thread that preceded it. AI can categorize documents but it cannot reliably interpret tone, sarcasm, or the cultural subtext of modern communication. That gap has real legal consequences. Project managers are the actual linchpin. The best technology and the best pricing mean nothing without experienced project managers who are in the data every day, building client relationships and spotting cost-saving opportunities before they disappear. Preserve everything. Process only what matters. The smart strategy is to preserve all potentially relevant data as a cheap insurance policy against spoliation arguments, then be surgical about what actually gets processed, hosted, and reviewed. Not everything preserved needs to be touched. Get your key custodians online in the first 30 days. Waiting until settlement talks break down or a summary judgment motion is denied to dive into the data is one of the most expensive decisions a legal team can make. The first 30 to 60 days of targeted custodian review often tells you everything you need to know about the shape of the case.

April 27, 2026Episode 4523 min

Enhancement, Not Replacement: The Human Side of AI in eDiscovery

Ep. 45: Dive into eDiscovery and AI in our latest podcast episode featuring IST's Senior eDiscovery Project Manager/Sales Engineer Sara Asgur! Listen as Sara shares her journey in the field and the revolutionary ways AI is being utilized to streamline the review process. Discover how AI significantly reduces review volumes, boosts efficiency, and enhances consistency for small to mighty firms. Uncover tools such as machine translation, email threading, and ChatGPT, changing the game for clients. This episode guarantees insights into AI's role in enhancing project management and creating a more dynamic, adaptable service. Tune in for a fascinating discussion that challenges the view of AI as a mere replacement for human expertise.

March 26, 2026Episode 4433 min

The Blueprint for Dependability: IST's Three Pillars for Exceptional Client Services

In this episode, operations leader Mike Horton, Operations Manager, reveals his "blueprint" for transforming nervous new clients into long-term, trusted partners by mastering the critical transition from initial implementation to daily excellence. Drawing on over 27 years of experience, Mike explains how to move past client anxiety by identifying "pain points" and building a foundation of safety through three essential cornerstones: consistency, communication, and unwavering dependability. Get ready to discover Mike's proactive philosophy, "if it's not broke, break it and find a better way to do it", and learn how he empowers on-site teams to stay motivated, prevent complacency, and use metrics to tell the "story of what's next" for a client's business. This conversation offers a masterclass in establishing dependability as the cornerstone of a relationship, ensuring that when "things go bump," your clients know you are right there in the trenches with them.

January 14, 2026Episode 4330 min

No Surprises: How Great Implementations Protect People, Trust, and Reputation

Implementations don't fail because of technology—they fail when people feel unheard, surprised, or overwhelmed. In this episode of Outside In, Brad Mitchell, Implementation Manager at IST, pulls back the curtain on what truly makes an implementation successful. Drawing on more than 16 years of experience, Brad shares how a people-first, no-surprises approach helps clients navigate change without disrupting operations, damaging trust, or putting reputations at risk. From managing fear of disruption and hidden costs to building confidence with end users, IT teams, and executives alike, this conversation reveals why the best implementations don't feel like implementations at all, and how leaving people better than you found them is the ultimate measure of success.

December 8, 2025Episode 4235 min

The Method, the Playbook, and the War Room: How Creativity Drives Customer Service in IT

In this episode of Outside-IN, we are talking with Ted Korba, Senior Director of IT Services, about how IT Service Management (ITSM)—including problem, change, and incident management—serves as a necessary "playbook" to bring "a method to the madness" in today's chaotic, technology-heavy corporate world. Ted reveals how he is transforming the rigid IT processes into efficient systems, such as mitigating risk through modern change control that utilizes tools like Jira and Slack for chat-based Change Advisory Board (CAB) meetings instead of mandatory sit-downs, making the process "more conducive to everyday work". A core innovation discussed is the "war room" chat, where the team "swarms" major incidents, allowing engineers (the "smart people") to focus solely on fixing the problem while an incident manager handles proactive, standardized communication to the user base via tools like Atlassian Status Page. Crucially, the episode stresses the importance of shifting IT culture from the introverted "techie in the basement" stereotype to a customer-centric service industry that views helping people as a privilege, thereby building user confidence and trust by ensuring the uptime and reliability needed by the company. Get ready to gain insight into leveraging creativity and collaboration to stick to their guns and successfully implement ITSM policies that benefit the entire organization.

November 3, 2025Episode 4133 min

What Are You Afraid Of? The Strategy and Cost of Comprehensive Mail Security

Tune in to the Outside-IN podcast to hear Charles Riddervold, National Director of Operations and Proposal Strategy, who began his career in mail security nearly 40 years ago while screening packages for soldiers in the Army, discuss why the modern corporate mailroom is a crucial vulnerability and a potential entry point for real threats. Discover why mail security has become a massive priority, driven by the immediate danger to people from letter bombs and white powder scares, such as the mid-2010s ricin attack that cost the Department of Justice almost $7 million, as well as newer threats like industrial chemicals and drugs such as Fentanyl. This episode explores the multi-layered process of mail screening, detailing methods that range from simple visual inspection and basic X-raying to deep chemical, biological (CBRNE), and radiological screening, including the logistics of using costly onsite negative pressure air rooms or managing the typical 24-hour lag of offsite screening. Learn how IST leverages advanced technologies like Ray Secure CT scanners and "Smart Tech," which connects local X-ray operators to remote EOD experts, to secure high-risk verticals like healthcare and government contractors. The discussion also covers critical contingency planning, the fact that 90% of mail-borne threats typically arrive via USPS rather than commercial carriers, and the essential creativity required in designing a tailored security plan, focusing on asking clients the pivotal question, "What are you afraid of?" to ensure effective protection.

September 24, 2025Episode 4030 min

The Five-Star Office: Cultivating Workplace Experience with Heart and Hospitality

Join us on "Outside-IN" as we welcome back Maggie Cantalupo, an expert who has seamlessly transitioned her extensive background in five-star hospitality, from luxurious resorts to prestigious hotels like the Essex House, into the dynamic world of modern Workplace Experience. In this insightful episode, Maggie reveals how the corporate environment has evolved far beyond traditional reception and conference room management. Discover that the modern "five-star office" isn't just about luxury, but about creating a truly welcoming, tailored environment that resonates with an organization's unique culture and values. Maggie emphasizes that "hospitality is the foundation" for all professional spaces, detailing how IST leverages its three pillars—people, processes, and technology—to deliver customized services that meet diverse needs. Learn why focusing on the emotional well-being of employees is paramount, as "it's important to be cared for because that's where your productivity is going to come from", ultimately leading to higher retention and a thriving workforce. This episode offers invaluable perspectives on designing every touchpoint of the office with "heart", ensuring a seamless extension of your brand and a place where everyone wants to be.

August 19, 2025Episode 3928 min

Digital Depositions: Unlocking Control and Security with Advanced Tools

In this episode of 'Outside-IN,' join Jim Pelley, National Director of Court Reporting, as he dives into the crucial digital evolution of court reporting, a necessary shift addressing the industry's significant shortage of traditional stenographers. You'll learn how specialized tools, unlike generic platforms, offer unprecedented audio quality with separate recording channels for each participant, ensuring clarity and accurate transcription even when multiple people are speaking. Discover how these advanced solutions provide attorneys with secure and precise control over exhibits, allowing for strategic sharing and even highlighting of specific document sections without ever giving up control of the original file. Jim also highlights the ease of adoption of these technologies, supported by certified electronic reporters, and how this client-centric approach is making legal proceedings more efficient, accessible, and flexible than ever before, adapting to the unique needs of attorneys and paralegals.

July 16, 2025Episode 3828 min

The Art and Logic of eDiscovery: Navigating Managed Review for Cost Savings and Defensibility

This episode of Outside-IN we talk with Todd Kunz, the National Director of Managed Review Services at IST, shares his unique journey into the eDiscovery and Managed Review business, driven by a knack for logic and problem-solving. Todd shares an insightful perspective on optimizing managed review processes, starting from the crucial, often overlooked, eDiscovery agreement stage where the biggest cost savings can be achieved by keeping options open for technology use. We delve into the cutting-edge technologies like continuously active learning (CAL) and Large Language Models (LLMs) used to efficiently manage vast amounts of data, while emphasizing the critical importance of human vetting and iterative processes to ensure defensibility and accuracy. Todd also candidly addresses managing client expectations, explaining why the process is inherently "imperfect" and how a robust, documented QC (Quality Control) process is vital to producing high-quality, defensible work. Furthermore, the discussion highlights the strategic design of workflows to reduce unnecessary "document touches" and the importance of talent, including how remote work has expanded recruitment pools and how IST attracts top performers through competitive pay and genuine engagement. Todd reveals that creativity is at the heart of effective managed review, constantly seeking better, more logical ways to approach data and solve complex challenges. Tune in to discover the intricate blend of process, technology, and human ingenuity that defines modern managed review.

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