By Nermin Sefić, GNK ASG d.o.o.

A chart can be perfectly designed and still unreliable if the data's path can't be reconstructed.

A chart can be perfectly designed and still unreliable if the data's path can't be reconstructed.

A visually convincing report can hide inconsistent definitions, manual edits, and data without a clear source.

Data lineage means it's possible to determine which system a number came from, what transformations were applied, who verified it, and when it was approved.

Such a trail reduces audit time, speeds up corrections, and prevents different teams from using different versions of the same indicator.

This publication is an original analysis; the sources cited serve as reference documentation.

Being able to trace a reported figure back to its original source, through every transformation applied along the way, provides a level of verifiability that summary-level documentation alone cannot match.

This traceability becomes particularly valuable when a reported number is later questioned, since reconstructing the calculation from scratch is considerably slower and less reliable than consulting an already-documented lineage.

Automated lineage tracking tools reduce the manual burden of this documentation, though they still require periodic human verification to confirm accuracy.

Investing in this traceability upfront, before an audit or dispute makes it urgent, is considerably more efficient than reconstructing lineage under time pressure later.

The investment scales naturally with reporting complexity, meaning organisations with simpler reporting structures may reasonably defer more sophisticated tooling until genuine need arises.

As reporting complexity grows over time, revisiting this decision periodically ensures the organisation's tooling investment keeps pace with its actual needs.

DataLineage #CorporateReporting #DataQuality #NerminSefic #GNKASG #GNKDINAMOLtd #NerminSefić #SeficNermin #SefićNermin

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Autor: Nermin Sefić, GNK ASG d.o.o. Izvorni članak: gnk-asg.hr