A high record count is not the same as a useful lead source. To judge planning research fairly, measure both the effort involved and the decisions it helps you make.
Start with a small set of measures your business can record reliably. You do not need a complicated dashboard, and these suggestions do not imply that Trade Watch Alerts includes conversion tracking or a CRM.
Separate four different things
Source activity is the number of records available within a defined period. Research output is what you have reviewed and shortlisted. Commercial activity includes genuine conversations and quotations. Business outcomes include work actually agreed and delivered.
These stages are related, but they are not interchangeable. Do not describe every planning record as a customer, or every shortlisted project as a quotation opportunity.
Track your research effort
Record the time spent reviewing and checking sources over a consistent period. Include repeat checks, not just the initial scan.
Use the same definition each time. If one week includes detailed drawing reviews and another includes only a quick list scan, the totals describe different activities. Add a short note rather than presenting them as directly comparable.
Count unique shortlisted projects
Count projects that pass your fit criteria, not every document or related application you encounter. Where possible, identify repeat records for the same proposal before adding them to the total.
Define what “shortlisted” means. It could mean that the working area and scope fit, the source has been checked and there is a specific next action. Apply the rule consistently, including when the resulting number is small.
Use simple calculations with clear labels
| Measure | Calculation | What it helps you examine |
|---|---|---|
| Shortlist relevance | Unique shortlisted projects ÷ unique projects reviewed | Whether your research criteria find suitable proposals |
| Time per shortlisted project | Research minutes ÷ unique shortlisted projects | How much research effort the shortlist requires |
| Repeat-record share | Repeat records identified ÷ records reviewed | Whether duplicate or related records are inflating activity |
If the denominator is zero, report “not available” rather than a misleading percentage or zero time. These are operational measures, not a prediction of revenue or profit.
Record exclusion reasons
A short set of reasons can reveal more than a headline total: outside working area, wrong scope, duplicate project, insufficient information or no useful next action.
Use those observations to adjust your process. If location excludes most results, review your coverage fit. If scope is the problem, tighten the initial screening rule. If records remain unclear, improve source checking before investing more time.
Keep commercial outcomes separate
If a project later produces an appropriate conversation, quotation or agreed job, record that event in your normal business system. Note the role the planning research actually played.
A customer may have found you through a referral as well as an earlier project record. Do not automatically give one source all the credit. Where attribution is uncertain, say so; a reliable account is more useful than an impressive-looking claim.
Compare like with like
Use comparable periods, working areas and screening rules. Note holidays, capacity constraints, coverage changes or source outages that affect the interpretation.
An increase in records can mean more activity in the source, broader coverage or a different counting window. It does not necessarily mean the product became more effective for your business. Check the data definitions before drawing that conclusion.
Make a practical review decision
At the end of your chosen review period, ask whether the research produced relevant information at a manageable effort. Decide whether to continue, narrow the scope or stop activities that add little value.
There is no universal conversion rate or guaranteed return for planning intelligence. Start with the free app preview, check coverage and use the weekly review routine to build evidence from your own experience.
Continue your research
Read the complete guide to planning leads for the wider workflow, or browse all practical guides.
