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Create Matter

Definition

The Create Matter action in Google Vault allows you to automatically generate a new legal matter or investigation case within your Google Vault environment.

This action serves as the foundational step for e-discovery workflows. It creates the necessary container to hold data, manage legal holds, and perform searches.

Key capabilities include:

  • Automated Case Initiation: Instantly creating matters based on triggers from external systems (like Jira, ServiceNow, or HR platforms).
  • Data Residency Control: Specifying the geographic region where the matter’s data is stored to ensure compliance (Enterprise Plus).
  • Access Management: Assigning initial collaborators (investigators) to the matter immediately upon creation.

Inputs

  1. Connection
    • Purpose: Establishes the link between Zenphi and your Google Vault instance.
    • Requirement: You must select a connection with Google Vault permissions. Usually, this requires an admin account with “Manage Matters” privileges.
  2. Name
    • Purpose: Sets the display name for the new matter.
    • Practical Guidance:
    • Static: Type a name for standard cases (e.g., “Annual Audit 2024”).

    • Dynamic: Use the Token Picker to generate a name based on the source trigger (e.g., “Investigation - [Employee Name] - [Ticket ID]”).

    • Best Practice: Ensure names are unique and descriptive to make searching in the Vault console easier.
  3. Description
    • Purpose: Adds context or notes regarding the scope of the matter.
    • Practical Guidance: Use this to store the “Why” behind the investigation. You can map the “Justification” field from an approval form or the “Ticket Body” from a helpdesk system here.
  4. Region
    • Purpose: Determines the geographic location where the matter’s data will be stored and processed.
    • Options: No preference (Default), United States, Europe.
    • Requirement: This feature typically requires Google Workspace Enterprise Plus edition.
    • Use Case: Select “Europe” to ensure compliance with data residency laws like GDPR for investigations involving EU employees.
  5. Collaboration
    • Purpose: Specifies which users should be granted access to manage or view the matter immediately.
    • Format: A comma-separated list of Account IDs (email addresses).
    • Practical Guidance: You can enter static emails or use the Token Picker to map a list of “Managers” or “Legal Team Members” from a previous step.
    • Context: This automatically loops in the necessary investigators without an admin needing to manually add them in the console later.

Outputs

  1. Matter Id
    • Description: The unique identifier generated by Google Vault for the newly created case.
    • Workflow Utility: This is the most critical output. You must pass this Matter Id to all subsequent Vault actions (e.g., “Create Hold,” “Search Matter,” or “Export Data”).
  2. Matter Name
    • The final display name of the matter as registered in Google Vault.
  3. Matter Description
    • The description text saved with the matter.
  4. Matter State
    • The current status of the matter (e.g., OPEN, CLOSED, DELETED).
    • Use Case: Use a conditional check to verify the state is OPEN before attempting to add holds.
  5. Data Region
    • The geographical region code where the matter was created (e.g., US, EU).
    • Use Case: Log this value to a compliance report to prove that data residency policies were followed.
  6. Matter Collaborations
    • A list of user objects representing the people assigned to the matter.
    • Properties: Account Id (Email), Collaborator Role (COLLABORATOR/OWNER).

Example Use Cases

  1. Automate Legal Hold Requests: Trigger matter creation directly from a legal ticketing system (like Jira) to ensure immediate case initiation without manual console access.
  2. Enforce Data Residency Compliance: Programmatically assign the correct Region (e.g., “Europe”) based on the employee’s location to automatically adhere to GDPR regulations.
  3. Streamline HR Investigations: Automatically generate a Vault matter when an employee investigation is flagged in your HR platform.
  4. Synchronize Case Management: Create a matter in Google Vault and immediately write the generated Matter Id back to your internal database (e.g., Salesforce or Sheets) for seamless cross-referencing.

Example Scenario: The Compliance Investigation

Goal: Your legal compliance team uses a Google Form to submit requests for new internal investigations. An IT admin currently creates these manually. You want to automate this so that a Google Vault matter is created instantly, ensuring the correct data region is selected based on the office location.

Steps to Implement:

  1. Trigger: Google Forms - New Response (Form: “New Investigation Request”).
  2. Action: Create Matter (Google Vault).
    • Connection: Vault Admin.
    • Name: “Investigation - “ + [Case Title] + “ - “ + [Response ID].
    • Description: [Investigation Details].
    • Region: Select “United States” (or map dynamically if the form asks “Office Location”).
    • Collaboration: [Requestor Email] (This ensures the person filing the request has immediate access).
  3. Action: Google Sheets - Add Row.
    • Sheet: “Legal Case Tracker”.
    • Columns: Date, Requestor, Matter Name, Matter Id, Data Region.

Outcome: Whenever a legal team member submits the form, Zenphi automatically creates a new matter in Google Vault. The requestor is immediately assigned as a collaborator, and the data region is strictly enforced (e.g., US), eliminating manual setup time and ensuring compliance from the very first step.

Best Practices

  1. Store the Matter ID: The Matter Id is the key to everything in Vault. Always save this ID to an external log (like a Google Sheet or SharePoint list) immediately after creation. If you lose this ID, you cannot programmatically reference the matter later.
  2. Use Unique Naming: Vault allows duplicate names, which can be confusing. Always append a unique identifier (like a Ticket ID, Form Response ID, or Date) to the Name input to ensure uniqueness (e.g., Audit-2023-ID459).
  3. Assign Collaborators Early: Populate the Collaboration field during creation rather than adding users later. This reduces the number of API calls and ensures security is set up correctly from the very first second.