Describe the usable unit
Requests, agent actions, escalation paths and resolution outcomes. 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 unit of review is a complete ticket, how reopened cases are treated and how outcomes are labeled.
Review sensitive and restricted elements
Customer identifiers, secrets pasted into messages and attachment content. 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
- Verify that reopened tickets and escalations are not falsely marked as resolved.
- Review message bodies and attachments for secrets or sensitive customer information.
- Distinguish customer-reported outcomes from outcomes verified by the company.