Data lineage enables impact analysis, trust, traceability, and compliance. Which statement best reflects its role?

• A. By tracking origin, movement, and transformations, data lineage allows evaluating how changes affect downstream reports and systems.
• B. It replaces data quality metrics.
• C. It determines data storage cost.
• D. It ensures real-time data streaming.

Answer: (B)

Data lineage traces where data comes from, how it moves, and how it’s transformed. That trail makes it possible to see how changes in one part of the data flow affect downstream reports and systems, which is the essence of impact analysis and helps build trust and support traceability for audits and compliance.

It’s important to note that lineage doesn’t replace data quality metrics. Metrics like accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and consistency measure how good the data is, while lineage provides the context and provenance that explain how data quality might be affected and where issues originate. Lineage also doesn’t determine storage costs or guarantee real-time streaming; those are separate concerns.

So the best reflection of its role is the view that describes tracking origin, movement, and transformations to evaluate downstream impacts.