An FAQ with Ryan Frye, ModeOne’s Chief Innovation Officer
From an innovation standpoint, when does mobile data collection become an enterprise risk?
RF: Mobile data collection becomes an enterprise risk when organizations rely on legacy methods that don’t scale, can’t adapt to changing data types, or introduce unnecessary friction for custodians. Innovation isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing things smarter. When collection methods lag behind how people actually communicate, risk accumulates quietly in the form of delays, privacy exposure, and defensibility gaps.
How should innovation leaders balance speed with defensibility in legal technology?
RF: True innovation doesn’t trade defensibility for speed, it designs both into the system from the start. The goal is to remove inefficiencies that slow teams down while reinforcing chain of custody, auditability, and transparency. When innovation is done right, faster workflows actually increase defensibility rather than compromise it.
What breaks most often when organizations try to scale mobile collections too quickly?
RF: What usually breaks first is the process, not the technology. Teams try to scale using tools that were never designed for volume or repeatability. Innovation leadership means recognizing when a solution works in isolation but fails under pressure, and building infrastructure that can handle thousands of devices without multiplying risk or complexity.
What role does data-driven insight play in shaping innovation strategy?
RF: Data tells you where friction exists, where costs are hiding, and where workflows break down. Without data, innovation is guesswork. With it, you can build solutions that directly address real-world constraints and deliver measurable results.
How should organizations evaluate ROI in mobile data collection innovation?
RF: ROI is about time recovered, risk avoided, and trust preserved. Innovation should reduce the total burden on legal, IT, and custodians while delivering better outcomes. When you factor in reduced travel, faster turnaround, fewer disputes, and improved privacy, the ROI becomes very clear.
What signals tell you a mobile collection solution won’t scale long term?
RF: If a solution relies heavily on manual intervention, physical handling, or one-off workflows, it’s unlikely to scale. Innovation requires repeatability, automation, and adaptability. When growth increases complexity instead of simplifying operations, that’s a warning sign.
How do innovation leaders think about custodian trust?
RF: Custodian trust is critical and often overlooked. Innovation should reduce intrusion, not increase it. Solutions that allow targeted, remote, and transparent collection build confidence and cooperation. Trust isn’t a soft metric; it directly impacts speed, compliance, employee retention, and overall success.
Why is targeted collection an innovation imperative rather than just a legal preference?
RF: Targeted collection reflects how modern data is accessed and retrieved. Innovation leaders recognize that collecting everything “just in case” is inefficient, risky, and outdated. Precision is the future. It reduces noise, protects privacy, and accelerates insight without sacrificing defensibility.
How do you define “defensible” from an innovation perspective?
RF: Defensible means the process is repeatable, transparent, auditable, and aligned with real-world use cases. Innovation strengthens defensibility by eliminating unnecessary variables – manual handling, travel logistics, inconsistent workflows – and replacing them with standardized, documented processes.
What innovation mistakes do organizations make when adopting new legal technology?
RF: One common mistake is focusing on features instead of outcomes. Innovation should solve specific problems, not add complexity. Another is failing to plan for scale—what works for 10 devices often collapses at 1,000 if innovation isn’t embedded at the architecture level.
How do you avoid innovation becoming a bottleneck?
RF: By keeping innovation grounded in execution. Ideas only matter if they can be implemented efficiently. Maintaining focus on priorities, timelines, and measurable outcomes ensures innovation accelerates progress rather than slowing it down.
How do you measure whether innovation is actually working?
RF: You measure it through outcomes: faster turnaround, lower costs, reduced risk, higher trust, and better decision-making. Innovation should be visible not just in technology, but in how teams work and collaborate.
What excites you most about the future of mobile data collection?
RF: The shift toward precision, privacy, and efficiency. As innovation continues, mobile data collection will become faster, less intrusive, and more aligned with how modern organizations operate. That’s where real value and progress come from.
What advice would you give to organizations trying to modernize their approach?
RF: Start by questioning assumptions. Many workflows exist simply because “that’s how it’s always been done.” Innovation begins when you challenge those assumptions and replace them with smarter, data-driven alternatives.
How do innovation leaders stay ahead in a fast-moving legal tech landscape?
RF: By staying curious, listening closely to the market, and grounding decisions in data. Innovation isn’t about predicting the future perfectly, it’s about being prepared to adapt quickly and intelligently when change arrives.