What qualifies is probably in your software today
A team that runs on email, shared folders and business apps usually keeps exactly the kind of records AI labs license.
Check my estimateBy system
Where the useful records tend to sit
You choose which of these are in scope. Excluding one is always allowed.
CRM and sales records
Deal stages, call notes and follow ups trace how a sale moves from first contact to close.
Help desk tickets
The trail of requests, replies, escalations and resolutions shows how issues get solved.
Chat and messaging
Channels and threads hold the questions, fast decisions and handoffs that never end up in a formal document. Slack and Microsoft Teams are the most common.
Shared documents and folders
Proposals, procedures, templates, contracts and drafts record the way your company works. Google Drive, SharePoint, Dropbox and Box all count.
Task and planning tools
Boards, tasks and updates show how work gets planned, handed out, held up and finished.
Inboxes and calendars
Email with clients, vendors and staff traces how incoming requests turn into actual work. Calendars reveal how people plan their time around it. The usual sources are Gmail, Outlook and Microsoft 365.
Code and engineering
Repositories, review threads and issue logs show how your software is made and maintained.
Finance and back office
Orders, invoices and operating records from your back office tell the story of how the business runs day to day.
Why some records are useful
What labs look for is ordinary work captured across time. One file on its own says very little. Years of threads, tickets and drafts show how a team actually reasons, asks for help, fixes mistakes and gets things done.
That is why history matters. Three or more years in business is the usual bar, and more years tend to move an estimate up. Team size counts as well, since more people in your systems create a broader record.
What you do not need
There is no need for clean data, custom exports or a data team. Knowing your storage use is not required. The specialist figures that out with you during scoping, from the systems you already use.
What never goes in
Sensitive information is left out or de-identified ahead of any sharing. Patient information, personal financial data and client files for regulated businesses can be kept out altogether. You decide where the lines are, and nothing is shared until you approve them.
Read more about this under questions and safeguards.