Data Lineage for Data Quality, Compliance, and Security

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Analyzing Survey Data2
Table of Contents

Introduction

In the realm of data management, data lineage is an important concept to understand. With data lineage companies are able to trace data records from their creation or origin, to how they were used in an application, and then back to their final disposition. It may also include how the data was stored and whether it was retained, moved, or deleted. The documentation of this information can help protect against data loss and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

Let’s explore in detail what data lineage means and how it can help you manage your company’s important data.

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Data lineage

Data lineage is a term used to describe a complete history of data from its origin to its current state. It helps organizations track and identify where their data came from, who has had access to it, and what changes have been made to it over time. 

Anytime you have a data set, it has a lineage and It’s important to know its lineage to protect both data integrity and organizational security. Organizations can track data as it flows through each destination. Tracing data changes and errors back to their source has been made easier with data lineage.

In a nutshell, it is a map of the data journey and provides an aerial view of the data. This information can be extremely valuable in helping companies comply with regulations such as GDPR and HIPAA.

Importance of data lineage

It’s important to know where your data comes from and how it will be used. The best way to ensure that you can trust a dataset is to understand its origin and any transformations it might have undergone along its life cycle. The more you understand the lineage of the data, the better data decisions you can make. Data lineage is important to an organization as it provides a complete record of how data changes over time. 

This enables organizations to make better business decisions by understanding what happened in the system, and when and why. Without data lineage, organizations can’t provide accurate information about their systems or perform root cause analysis on problems that occur in the production.

The lineage of the data enables data users to discover and solve data problems. It also makes it easier for organizations to conduct investigations into security breaches or other incidents that may have compromised sensitive data. Data lineage is extremely helpful to improve data governance, manage access rights, and adhere to GDPR regulations.

Additional benefits of having a lineage process are that it tracks errors in the data processes and gives rich business insights which can help organizations in better decision making.

Understanding types of data lineage

The two main types of data lineage are technical data and Business data. Technical  lineage allows IT and data architects to view transformations, processes, and workflows that have been applied to a piece of data over time. Business lineage provides business users with a way to understand how an organization’s operational processes align with its analytical systems. It also ensures that they are using data from a reliable source. 

Both technical and business users need to be able to see where data originated to protect against errors or inconsistencies, as well as support regulatory compliance requirements. Both lineages provide a holistic view of an organization’s data. With technical and business views, you can easily spot discrepancies between different departments or entities within the organization.

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The cloud and data lineage

The cloud is the most popular storage option for data today. It provides the advantage of storing and accessing data from multiple locations across the world and also ensures that data stays safe and secure. Cloud makes all data processes, such as data governance, and other data processes easier which assures optimal and efficient use of data for businesses.

Data lineage helps in the sorting and organization of large amounts of data and provides organizations with a quick accessing cluster clear view into their data to draw insights and make better decisions about the business.

Leveraging data lineage tools

While having a detailed record of the data’s origins may not sound like an exciting task, implementing an effective data lineage solution will help ensure that the organization meets all compliance requirements and reduces risk. 

Finding a data quality tool that suits your business objectives is critical. Organizations should use a cloud-based solution to trace the data from the moment it is created until it reaches its final destination and ensure effective tracking, monitoring, and governance while maintaining the data quality. 

​​Businesses should look for an automated data lineage solution as manually maintaining data lineage is time-consuming. Automated data frees up time for IT professionals to focus on more important tasks. It also allows business users to better understand their data.  

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), compels enterprises to focus on data lineage because it helps understand how data flows through their system. Data lineage provides data governance in an organization’s day-to-day operations. This helps to improve both accuracy and efficiency in the work. Therefore, an organization should be aware of its data lineage.

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