Key takeaway
Describe the material, its history and the open rights questions. Keep the underlying content in the source systems.
Choose the unit of work.
Start with a record category such as completed jobs, resolved tickets or inspection findings. Name the system that holds it and the owner who understands its history. If two systems cover different periods, use separate inventory rows rather than implying a continuous archive.
Write down the useful context.
Use date ranges and approximate volumes you can support. Distinguish companies’ operating age from retained record history. Identify the language, format and links between the problem, action and outcome.
| Field | Example metadata only |
|---|---|
| Category | Completed maintenance work orders |
| Source system | Field service platform |
| Period | 2021–2025, with a migration in 2023 |
| Approximate volume | Tens of thousands; count not yet verified |
| Relationships | Jobs linked to actions and final status |
| Rights status | Customer agreements need review |
Record gaps as useful information.
Missing records, inconsistent statuses and undocumented migrations belong in the inventory. A limitation stated early is easier to assess than one discovered after a buyer has invested in evaluation. Do not turn a rough count into an exact claim or a partial history into a complete one.
Map ownership and exclusions.
Identify the business approver, system administrator and rights/privacy reviewer. Flag third-party attachments, personal information, confidential records and regulated categories. Keep sensitive details out of the initial summary; a category-level flag is enough to identify a review need.
- Which entity created or collected the category?
- Where is the supporting agreement or evidence?
- What should be excluded before evaluation?
- Who can clarify an unknown?
- Which buyer question might this category answer?
Use the inventory to decide the next stage.
The builder exports a CSV of descriptions, not business records. Use it internally to assign owners and refine a proposed scope. Share only the exact fields approved for a named recipient. A later export is a separate project, with its own permissions, handling and costs.