Data Governance · Definitions and lineage · Component
The lineage
The path from source to report, including transformations — because most discrepancies originate here rather than in the definition.
The deliverable
What it is
Two reports using the same definition can disagree because the data was filtered differently three steps upstream, and that difference is invisible in the report.
Lineage is also what makes change safe: knowing which reports depend on a source is the difference between a considered change and a surprise.
One level in
What it is made of
Each element is a constituent part of the component. Follow one to see the attributes it carries.
The path
Where the number comes from and what happens on the way.
3 attributes: Source · Transformation · Step order
LearnThe impact
What depends on this source.
3 attributes: Dependent reports · Count · Notified on change
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A filter applied in one path and not another produces two correct numbers that disagree.
The other components in definitions and lineage
The definition set
What each term means, held in one place — because local definitions are how the recurring argument starts.
LearnThe change process
How a definition is altered, and who decides — because an unmanaged definition change breaks every trend that uses it.
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