88 Chapter4·CreatinganEnterpriseDiscoveryResponseTeam in-house employees' actions in the event something goes wrong. In contrast, outsourcing data collection forces you to develop clear and defined processes and ensure that the provider you use utilizes best practices. Outsourced data collection can be expensive, and many companies often utilize outsourced providers in large, complex cases and choose to rely on in-house resources and standardized processes in smaller, more manageable cases. Whichever avenue you choose, you must still develop the process and ensure that it fits with the rest of your litigation readiness plan. As discussed earlier, documentation is critical in this process as well. Chain of custody for hard drives and media must be documented. You will need to decide what metadata will be captured and in what format the documents will be maintained. In the event you use specific systems--for instance, an e-mail storage vault--your documentation needs to be detailed down to the level of how e-mails are extracted from the system. This ensures consistent and repeatable processes. Obviously, your IT team members will be invaluable in developing this process. Prior to mapping your collection processes, consider drafting a high-level data map of your systems and backup systems. This will ensure that as you develop your detailed collection processes you do not miss critical sources of data. Transfer/ Termination Process One often-overlooked area in the e-discovery process is the issue of departing employees or employees who are transferring within the company to other departments or roles. This can wreak havoc on your retention if you are not in the loop, especially if you have not collected the data at the front end of the