Preparing Extracts for an Analytics Engagement
A field checklist so your diagnostic kickoff does not stall on missing columns and mismatched project codes.
Most delays on service delivery diagnostics come from extract quality, not analysis ambition. Consulting firms in Thailand often store time, fees, and staffing in separate systems that never shared a project key.
Before kickoff, nominate one delivery contact and one finance contact. Ask them to export twelve months of time entries with project ID, role, and hours; closed project fees with the same IDs; and a current roster with start dates and grades.
Agree on a single project identifier early. If finance uses client codes and delivery uses opportunity numbers, build a mapping sheet in week zero. Waiting until draft boards exist wastes a full review cycle.
Strip personal notes and free-text fields that are not needed for the brief. Cleaner extracts move faster through secure intake and reduce the risk of accidental disclosure in a printed pack.
When extracts arrive complete, a four-week diagnostic stays on calendar. When they arrive incomplete, the first week becomes archaeology. Preparation is the cheapest way to protect the briefing date partners already blocked.