A data lineage diagram illustrates the path of the data’s flow from source to target. The diagram shows the data’s full lifecycle and any dead ends or obstacles it may have encountered. By depicting the data’s movement, BI teams can distinguish exactly what the data interacted with and how it was altered. This allows business intelligence professionals to make insights that are based on concrete information, thus leading to better results. With an accurate data lineage diagram, it is easier to visualize how the data moved and its point of origin. This is especially important when companies use various systems to store their data.
With clear data lineage diagrams, BI teams can easily track certain datasets and conclude if they were changed or encountered any errors. This saves days to even weeks of work because the problem can be pinpointed, showing exactly which data was affected. Data lineage diagrams also come in handy when companies are planning for large migrations. BI teams can precisely track the flow of each dataset and understand which data should be migrated and which can be archived or completely deleted. Diagrams also play a large part in impact analysis. With the flow of all data correctly depicted, organizations can gain a better understanding of what type of impact each change will make on particular datasets.
