Start with a low-effort inventory, then turn the proposed dataset into a work plan. Engineering extraction, field mapping, de-identification, legal review and buyer questions should each have an owner and a clear place in the budget.
Work required
What to settle before you share anything
Separate discovery from preparation
An initial assessment should not require a production export. Approximate record counts, systems, formats and date ranges are enough to begin evaluating whether the opportunity deserves deeper work.
Count every kind of work
Engineering is only one line item. Include legal and security review, data owner time, quality checks, project coordination and the effort needed to answer acceptance questions.
Assign responsibilities and costs
Write down who extracts, transforms, de-identifies, validates and delivers the records. If outside tools or contractors are needed, establish who selects and pays for them.
Avoid an open-ended support commitment
Clarify how many revision rounds are expected, what happens if acceptance fails and whether updates or maintenance are included. Ongoing obligations can change the economics materially.
A practical review checklist
Four things to take into the room
- Estimate internal hours by engineering, legal, security and data owners.
- List external tools, contractors and extraction costs.
- Assign each preparation and review step to a named owner.
- Cap revision, support and update obligations in the agreement.
The Datumi process
Start without a data project
Datumi’s qualification step asks for estimates and record counts, not files or exports. That lets your company explore likely fit before assigning an engineering project.
If an opportunity proceeds, the preparation scope should make responsibilities visible. No two source environments are identical, so Datumi does not promise a universal number of hours before reviewing the actual requirements.
“Do you know the next ten hours of work—or only the total price you hope to receive?”
Explore your company’s data potential
Start with a free data value check. It asks about your systems and approximate record volumes—no files or data exports. It is an initial assessment, not an offer or a guarantee.
Next question · 08
Would you be comfortable if this deal became public?