Describe the usable unit
Journal entries, reconciliation notes and linked approvals. Explain whether the archive preserves the connections between records and the process they represent. File count alone does not show coverage, quality or usefulness.
Ask this before preparing a sample
Ask whether the use requires raw monetary amounts or simply the process and relationships between entries.
Review sensitive and restricted elements
Bank details, payroll, tax records and financial confidentiality. Check the actual contents, including hidden fields, metadata, embedded files and related records. Data minimization and de-identification are separate from confirming the right to license the material.
Evidence to bring to a fit discussion
Prepare a schema or category-level description, date range, approximate volume, export format, known gaps and exclusion list. Clearly distinguish measurements from estimates. Do not upload the underlying archive simply to obtain a preliminary opinion.
Compare the proposed use
Ask whether the provider wants training examples, evaluation material, retrieval content or a simulated environment. These are different purposes and should not be bundled into vague unrestricted language. Confirm downstream recipients, duration and any right to sublicense.
Tests to agree before a sample
- Check a reversal against the original entry rather than counting both as independent outcomes.
- Ask whether approval metadata and journal attachments survive the proposed export.
- Separate workflows from banking credentials, payment instructions and payroll details.