Differences between Business Data Lineage and Technical Data Lineage

I often get asked about the differences between the meaning of Business Data lineage and Technical Data Lineage.

Business data lineage and technical data lineage are both important concepts in the field of data management, but they have some differences in terms of their focus and scope.

Business data lineage refers to the process of documenting and tracing the flow of data through different systems and applications within an organization. It is primarily concerned with the business context of data, including the purpose of data, the business processes that use it, and the policies and regulations that govern its use. Business data lineage provides a high-level view of data flows and how they relate to business goals and objectives. It is often used by business analysts and data stewards to ensure that data is being used effectively and in compliance with regulations.

Technical data lineage, on the other hand, focuses on the technical details of data flow, including the source of the data, the transformations it undergoes, and the destination systems or applications. It is concerned with the technical infrastructure that supports data processing, including databases, applications, and integration tools. Technical data lineage provides a detailed view of data flows at a technical level, and is often used by data engineers and architects to troubleshoot issues, optimize performance, and ensure data quality.

In terms of detail, Business data lineage typically provides a high-level overview of the flow of data through a business process, while technical data lineage provides a more granular view of the detailed technical processes that transform and store data.

Technical data lineage is captured more often using specialized software such as MANTA that are able to track the Metadata such as data models, database schemas and code repositories.

Overall whilst both are highly important for managing data within an organization, they each have a different focus, scope and are used by different stakeholders. Business data lineage is concerned with the business context of data, while technical data lineage is concerned with the technical details of the data flow.

If you would like to learn more about MANTA´s technical lineage, don´t hesitate to reach out.