Start with what your team already does every week.
The records worth a closer look usually come from work your team repeats: orders, service calls, projects, client accounts and cases, where the request, the work and the outcome were written down. The examples below are illustrations, not a list of what qualifies.
When an order did not go to plan.
Distributors, suppliers, installers and freight companies handle orders and shipments that change along the way: short stock, a substitute, a late delivery, a disputed charge, a return. The useful part is the trail that explains what happened and how it was resolved.
- Where it usually sits
- Order, inventory or transport software, ERP or accounting systems, quotes and purchase orders, proof-of-delivery documents and the email threads with customers and suppliers.
- What to describe on a first call
- How many years of orders you can still look up, whether exceptions and returns note the reason and the outcome, and whether an order or shipment number links the documents and emails together.
- RequestFeb 2Return requested, customer says wrong size
- CheckFeb 3Order shows the right part shipped, the customer ordered the wrong spec
- DecisionFeb 4Restocking fee waived, correct part sent
- OutcomeFeb 7Credit issued, replacement delivered
What was wrong, what was tried, what fixed it.
Trades like roofing, HVAC, plumbing and electrical, plus equipment maintenance, property management and IT support, all log the same kind of work: the reported problem, the notes and photos, what was done and whether it held. Repeat visits to the same machine, property or customer often tell the most.
- Where it usually sits
- The job or ticket record in your field-service, maintenance, property or help-desk software (JobNimbus, ServiceTitan, AccuLynx and similar): note and photo threads, work orders, estimates, invoices and emails saved to the job.
- What to describe on a first call
- How long you have used the software, whether the record says what actually fixed the issue (including attempts that did not), and whether someone could follow an old job today without asking the person who did it.
- RequestJul 11Customer reports no cooling, unit running
- First fixJul 12Capacitor replaced, fails again in 4 days
- DiagnosisJul 16Undersized breaker tripping under load
- OutcomeJul 16Breaker replaced, follow-up call confirms fix
Why the plan changed, and who signed off.
Contractors, solar installers, engineering firms, architects and agencies all run projects that change along the way: questions from site or client, revised drawings or drafts, change orders and approvals. A project that kept the reasons behind each decision, not only the final file, is the kind of history worth describing.
- Where it usually sits
- Project software such as Procore, or project folders: RFIs, change orders with the reason for each change, drawing or draft revisions, client feedback and the email threads around them.
- What to describe on a first call
- How many years of finished projects you still have, whether earlier versions and approvals were kept or only the final file, and where completed project folders end up.
- DesignMay 2Initial layout: 24 panels, south roof
- IssueMay 9Survey finds shading from a neighbour's tree
- RevisionMay 10Layout split across two roof faces, client approves
- OutcomeJun 1Installed, passed inspection, interconnection approved
How each client issue was handled.
Accounting and bookkeeping firms, insurance brokerages, customer support teams and other client-service businesses keep a running history for every account: the question or problem, the back-and-forth, the correction or answer, and how it ended.
- Where it usually sits
- Accounting and practice software, brokerage management systems, help desks and shared inboxes, and client folders with working papers, policy versions and correspondence.
- What to describe on a first call
- How many years of client files you still have, whether the explanation sits next to the final numbers or answer, and which records your firm created itself rather than a client, carrier or supplier.
- ContactOct 2Customer sends photos of a damaged item
- CheckOct 2Order history shows a second damaged delivery this year
- DecisionOct 3Refund issued, carrier claim filed, packaging flagged
- OutcomeOct 20Carrier credit received, packaging changed
You do not need to pull anything out of your systems.
A first conversation runs on your description. It helps to have a rough sense of:
- The software your team uses for its main work, and since when
- How far back you can still look up a finished job, order, project or case
- Roughly how many of those you have, counted however you count them
- Whether one can be followed from the request to the result
- Anything you would want to keep out
Estimates are fine, and if someone else knows the systems better, bring them along. The licensing partner confirms the details later, with your approval.
Tell us what your team keeps.
A short description of your business and records is enough to start. No files needed.