Data Lineage Explained Simply

How tracking where your data comes from builds confidence in every report.

Ever followed a recipe and wondered where the ingredients actually came from? That’s what data lineage answers — but for your business data.

Data lineage is the story of your data: where it started, how it’s moved, what’s changed, and where it is now. It’s how you trace the journey from raw data to final dashboard.

When you don’t know your lineage, you’re guessing. When you do, you can explain your numbers with confidence — whether it’s to your boss, a regulator, or a customer.

It also saves a ton of time. Instead of spending hours asking “Where did this figure come from?” you can see exactly how it got there.

Good lineage isn’t just for compliance; it’s for trust. It makes your data more transparent, your reports more reliable, and your teams less frustrated.

If data governance is the rulebook, data lineage is the map. One shows you what to do, the other shows you how you got there.