Follow a real piece of work
Pick a resolved issue or completed project. Find the request, the decisions, the work product and the outcome. That path may cross a CRM, email, chat, project tracker and file store. The important question is whether references between those systems still exist.
Record what you know
For each system, note its owner, account scope, date coverage, record types, approximate volume, export options and obvious restrictions. Use “not measured” for unknown quantities. A retention policy may mean an old business has only a short accessible history.
Keep an exclusion register
Identify credentials, payment details, employee personal matters, protected records and third-party material requiring separate review. Avoid collecting more data merely to fill out an inventory. Revisit the map when migrations, retention changes or new permissions alter the available scope.
Practical guidance, not legal advice or a buyer specification. Examples are illustrative. Reviewed October 20, 2026.