Follow the conversation, even when it changes channels.

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Start with the people, not the app

When the same people move between email, messaging and calls, a separate search in each channel leaves your team doing the joining. Timeline puts captured conversations, calls, voicemail, site scans and archived files into a dated view, with the entities associated with each record.

Choose the people relevant to the matter. Narrow by period, platform or activity. Open a record to inspect its content without losing your place in the wider review.

Deal review: follow the discussion before the decision

Maya Chen, an adviser, is working with client Daniel Reed on private-placement due diligence. Internal reviewer Priya Shah checks the written terms. The question is not just whether an email exists. It is how the client discussion connects with the team’s review across channels.

• Start with the email. Identify the request and the people involved.
• Follow the WhatsApp discussion. Read the clarification in the context of that request.
• Connect the internal review in Slack and Teams. Follow Maya’s handoff to Priya, the questions they raise, and the written follow-up. These are internal exchanges, not messages sent to the client.
• Check the call and supporting file entry. See the recorded activity around the discussion and identify the due-diligence document in the archive catalog.

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What the reviewer gains: a way to follow the same people across channels, then read the source material before drawing a conclusion. The order of activity is context, not proof of intent.

Healthcare: trace an administrative vendor discussion

Elena Brooks, an operations lead, is working with vendor contact Jordan Ellis on onboarding. Colleague Marcus Lane reviews the visitor process and staff training. The review follows the vendor discussion and the internal handoff from the initial request to supporting documentation.

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• Find the original request in email. Establish which requirement the team needed to resolve.
• Read the Teams clarification and check the call activity. Follow the discussion beyond the inbox.
• Check the internal Slack review. See how Elena and Marcus carry the vendor’s requirements into their administrative review.
• Find the supporting file entry. Review its metadata alongside the conversations that explain why it matters.

What the reviewer gains: a connected view of the administrative work, without treating every channel as a separate investigation. The example concerns business communications, not clinical records.

Government: follow a supplier clarification across channels

Nora Bennett, a procurement officer, is reviewing a municipal bid with supplier contact Samuel Ortiz. Internal reviewer Olivia Park compares the written clarification with the proposal. The question is how the supplier’s response reached the review team and which records support its evaluation.

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• Locate the procurement team’s email. Establish the clarification requested from the supplier.
• Follow the Teams discussion and call activity. Examine the communications around the response.
• Read the internal Slack handoff. Follow Nora and Olivia’s review questions without confusing them with the supplier’s own statements.
• Locate the clarification register. Use the file entry and its metadata to identify material relevant to the review.

What the reviewer gains: a clearer route through communications relevant to a procurement question or records review. The responsible team still determines the scope and obligations of any response.

Read the timeline, then read the record

Timeline lists message threads alongside other activity. A conversation appears as a thread, not as a separate row for every message; its position reflects its latest message time. Open the thread to understand the sequence within the conversation.

Entity badges reflect the identities associated with the available records. They help organize the review; they do not establish that two people coordinated or that a particular event caused another. File associations follow the owning custodian rather than proving who received a document.

From a useful view to a working investigation

Timeline gives e-discovery a place to begin with the people and activity. Cases organize related evidence, ownership and decisions. Surveillance can surface the communication that starts the review.