Why Workarounds Happen – and Why They’re More Dangerous Than You Think
What is a workaround in an information governance context?
Counterparty Data Reconciliation at Scale: A 350,000-Record Case Study – E133
Most counterparty data reconciliation projects fail at the same assumption: that one identifier — usually a tax ID — can resolve who you’re actually doing business with. In Episode 133 of What Counts, Maura Dunn walks through a real two-year project to reconcile 350,000 counterparty records across eight systems at a company built through acquisition: four contract management platforms, one ERP carrying both customer and supplier masters, and three trading systems, each with its own naming conventions, character limits, and overflow fields. She unpacks the 18 months of unproductive matching that came first, the rule-precedence approach that finally worked once Snowflake and Elasticsearch replaced the spreadsheet attempts, and the 10-to-1 collapse from 350K records down to 35K true entities. She also makes the case for where AI fits this kind of work today — and the one thing it still can’t do unless you put deep institutional knowledge into the prompt. If you want to see what’s hiding in your own shared drives right now, search TrailBlazer Insight in the Microsoft Store — it scans locally for PII, HIPAA, PCI, and other compliance risks with no cloud upload and no IT ticket required.
This episode picks up where Episode 132: Data Reconciliation Before AI left off — Maura delivers the full case study we teased last time.
Topics covered in this episode include post-acquisition contract data cleanup, duplicate counterparty detection across multiple CLM platforms, rule-based data matching at scale using Snowflake and Elasticsearch, and the role of AI in contract data reconciliation when source systems lack consistent identifiers.
Episode length: 00:21:01
0:00 – Pre-roll: TrailBlazer Insight — local compliance scanning for PII, HIPAA, and PCI
0:20 – Show intro
0:47 – Setting up the case study: 350,000 records across 8 systems
1:52 – How growth through acquisition created 7 (then 8) active counterparty sources
3:55 – Why the same legal entity can appear differently in every system
6:22 – The small business analogy: 4 addresses in 13 years
8:09 – The first 18 months: why tax ID matching failed at scale
10:48 – Name matching, character limits, overflow fields, and legacy system formatting
12:41 – Spreadsheet-by-spreadsheet spinning wheels
13:25 – The breakthrough: contract type bucketing + multi-variable matching
15:08 – Moving to Snowflake and Elasticsearch for rule-precedence matching
16:14 – Where AI could accelerate this today — and what it still needs from you
17:41 – The result: 350K records collapsed to 35K true entities
18:13 – What came out of all that work
19:49 – Teaser: next episode covers how to prevent this from happening again
What Counts is produced by TrailBlazer Consulting, LLC and hosted by Lee Karas and Maura Dunn. Learn more at trailblazer.us.com or email us at info@trailblazer.us.com. Explore compliance-ready training at the TrailBlazer Learning Academy. Read more from Maura at mauradunn.substack.com. Music by Jason Blake. Full disclaimer.
Your Data Is Lying To You: Why Reconciliation Has To Come Before AI – E132
Episode 132 – Most organizations are being pushed to adopt AI-powered workflows before their data is anywhere close to ready. In this episode of What Counts, Maura and Lee pick up where they left off — diving deep into the concept of data reconciliation and why it must happen before AI ever touches your records. Using a real-world example built across multiple systems — a customer database, a work order system, and a contract management platform — they break down what it means to have duplicate, overlapping, and contradictory counterparty data, and why humans, not algorithms, are the ones who can resolve it. Maura introduces the concept of the golden record, explains the role of metadata mapping and fuzzy matching, and walks through the governance framework — policy, process, and system-of-record designation — that prevents the mess from coming back. If your organization is facing an AI initiative, a system migration, or growing pressure around data privacy and right-to-be-forgotten compliance, this episode gives you the foundational framework you need to start doing it right.
Episode length: 00:26:36
Learn more by visiting our website, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at info@TrailBlazer.us.com.
Your Data Is Messy – Can AI Actually Handle It? – E131
Episode 131 – Data governance and AI readiness go hand in hand — and most organizations aren’t as ready as they think. In this episode, Maura and Lee take a hard look at what an AI-powered customer support escalation workflow actually requires to function. Spoiler: it’s not just a smart model. It’s clean, connected, versioned data — customer records, contract terms, and executed agreement instances all properly linked. Using a real-world cable company scenario, they unpack how disconnected systems, outdated identifiers, and missing metadata cause AI to hallucinate answers instead of finding them. The episode closes with an introduction to data objects and metadata mapping — and a preview of the counterparty reconciliation work that has to happen before AI can deliver on its promises.
Episode length: 00:19:21
Learn more by visiting our website, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at info@TrailBlazer.us.com.
The IT and Legal Hold Landscape: What Your Background Documents Reveal About Risk
The IT and Legal Hold Landscape: What Your Background Documents Reveal About Risk
March 24, 2026
Shadow IT: The Systems You Don’t Know You Have
When we request IT documentation, we’re not just checking boxes — we’re uncovering blind spots. Most IT teams maintain a system inventory, but once interviews begin, we routinely find 10–30% more systems purchased through contracts, field offices, or P-cards.
How Interviews Reveal the Real Problem – Not the One You Expected
How Interviews Reveal the Real Problem — Not the One You Expected
Feb 24, 2026
Why do assessments often uncover problems no one saw coming?
Because people describe how work actually happens — not how leadership thinks it happens. When you talk to 20, 40, or 60 people across an organization, the truth surfaces.
Growth vs Governance: The Tension Every Leader Feels – E128
Episode 128 – In this episode of What Counts, Lee and Maura dive into one of the most universal challenges leaders face: balancing the urgency of growth with the discipline of governance. From chasing new markets to managing real‑world information chaos—yes, even inside an information governance firm—they unpack why governance always feels like something you’ll “get to later,” and why “later” is exactly when the problems show up. Through candid stories and practical examples, they reveal how founders, operators, and executives can build sustainable growth without sacrificing control.
Episode length: 00:14:26
Learn more by visiting our website, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at info@TrailBlazer.us.com.
Fact or Fiction: Governance Myths Part 2 – E124
Episode 124 – Fact or Fiction. Governance gets a bad rap—too rigid, too bureaucratic, too “records police.” But in reality, good Information Governance is one of the most powerful accelerators a business can have. In this episode, we bust the most persistent myths holding teams back, from the idea that governance stifles innovation to the belief that it’s only for heavily regulated industries. You’ll hear how one startup used IG to fast‑track SOC 2 compliance and close enterprise deals, why every business with customers or content needs governance, and how healthy skepticism—not fear—keeps IG and AI working together. TrailBlazers know: governance isn’t a roadblock. It’s the runway.
Episode Length: 00:12:34
Learn more by visiting our website, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at info@TrailBlazer.us.com.
Fact or Fiction: Busting the Myths of Information Governance Part 1 – E123
Episode 123 – Fact or Fiction. Welcome to What Counts by TrailBlazer Consulting, the podcast where we cut through the noise and uncover what truly matters in information governance. In Episode 123, Lee and Maura tackle the most common myths using a “Fact or Fiction” format—debunking misconceptions like “IG is just records management” or “Governance is IT’s job.” From startups to enterprises, you’ll learn why governance isn’t a dusty binder but a growth enabler, a compliance accelerator, and a trust builder. If you’ve ever wondered what IG really is, this episode sets the record straight.
Episode Length: 00:18:39
Learn more by visiting our website, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at info@trailblazer.us.com.
From Clay Tablets to Cloud: The Timeless Power of Records – E118
Discover how recordkeeping evolved from clay tablets to cloud-based systems. Lee and Maura explore the timeless principles of governance, transparency, and accountability that shape how we document and manage information today.
Episode length: 00:16:33
Data That Drives You: How Small Businesses Can Protect, Classify, and Retain What Matters – E117
Episode 117 – In this episode, we unpack the hidden backbone of every business: data. From handwritten guest books to sophisticated CRMs, we explore the many forms customer and operational data can take—and why protecting it is non-negotiable. You’ll learn how to classify data by sensitivity, navigate privacy laws, and build retention schedules that meet legal and operational needs. Whether you’re managing supplier contracts, employee records, or financial documents, this 10-minute primer will help you understand what to keep, how long to keep it, and where to start. Plus, we share a free resource from TrailBlazer Learning Academy to help you build your own retention schedule with confidence.
Episode Length: 00:24:09
Learn more by visiting our website, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at info@TrailBlazer.us.com.
Payroll & HR That Scale: Building Backbone Systems for Growth, Compliance, and Culture – E114
Welcome to What Counts, the podcast where information governance meets real-world strategy. In this episode, Lee and Maura unpack the often-overlooked—but absolutely mission-critical—domains of Payroll and Human Resources. From tax compliance and structured reporting to strategic hiring and benefits that actually benefit the business, we explore how these foundational systems can drive resilience, reduce risk, and support scalable growth. Whether you’re a founder navigating first hires or a compliance lead refining your employee life cycle, this episode delivers actionable insights to help you build HR and payroll processes that are audit-ready, culture-conscious, and built to last.
Episode length: 00:19;51
Starting a Business and Information Governance Challenges – E104
2025 Episode 104 – We’re thrilled to bring you something brand-new with our first-ever video episode! As we explore this exciting format, we kindly ask for your patience as we work through learning new tricks to deliver the best possible video experience for you.
In this inaugural video episode, we’ll dive into the compelling world of starting a business. From the initial spark of an idea to tackling the tough realities of implementation, we’ll examine the challenges—and specifically, the information governance challenges—that entrepreneurs often face on their journey.
To enrich the conversation, we’ll not only introduce essential business concepts but also share practical insights from our own experiences at TrailBlazer Consulting, LLC. We’ll compare the subject matter to how we’ve navigated these very challenges, providing real-world context and actionable takeaways for you.
Let’s get started on this journey together as we blaze new trails in business, information governance, and this exciting video format. Stay tuned, and thank you for joining us!
Episode length 00:00:00
Infrastructure: Devils in the Details – E103
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2025 Episode 103 – The devils in the details when it comes to infrastructure. Following along with the components of TrailBlazer’s Information Design framework, we cover the base component – Infrastructure. Where are the devils in the details when it comes to Infrastructure? Join Information Governance (IG) Consultants, Maura Dunn and Lee Karas, as they explain where devils in the details hide when it comes to Infrastructure. Each episode contains important information gained through our experience working with companies across various industries and we talk about how you can apply this experience to your company.
Episode length 00:10:24.
Data | Content: Devils in the Details – E101
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2025 Episode 101 – The devils in the details when it comes to data | content. Following along with the components of TrailBlazer’s Information Design framework, we cover one of the supporting pillars called Data | Content. Where are the devils in the details when it comes to Data | Content? Join Information Governance (IG) Consultants, Maura Dunn and Lee Karas, as they give a slightly cautionary tale on how the devils can be in the details when it comes to Data | Content. Each episode contains important information gained through our experience working with companies across various industries and we talk about how you can apply this experience to your company.
What Counts Episode 100 – E100
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2025 Episode 100 – We took a break from the current subject matter and pulled together this celebratory What Counts Episode 100. We take a look back at some of the most viewed What Counts episodes. Additionally, we provide insight on who we are doing this podcast for and how you can use the information at your own organization. Join Information Governance (IG) Consultants, Maura Dunn and Lee Karas, as they celebrate their 100 episode by recapping the past 99 episodes. Each episode contains important information gained through our experience working with companies across various industries and we talk about how you can apply this experience to your company.
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Episode – E94
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2024 Episode 94 – Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how it can help the Information Governance Professional. We have come a long way from the days of autoclassification in records management. Join Information Governance Consultants, Maura Dunn and Lee Karas, as they give their opinion on the good and bad of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Each episode contains important information gained through our experience working with companies across various industries and we talk about how you can apply this experience to your company.