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Feb. 16, 2025

S1 - 25 | From Confusion to Clarity: The Real Business Value of Data Lineage

S1 - 25 | From Confusion to Clarity: The Real Business Value of Data Lineage
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Season 1

Ever wondered why data lineage is such a headache yet so crucial for business impact?

In this episode, I sit down with the brilliant Dr. Irina Steenbeek, founder of Data Crossroads and author of four books on data management and lineage. We talk about the reasons data lineage remains one of the toughest concepts in the data world—why it’s more than just a regulatory checkbox, and how it can radically improve your organization’s trust in its data.

  • Why Business Leaders Should Care: We dive into the hidden benefits of mapping data flows beyond mere compliance.
  • Four Levels of Data Lineage: Irina explains how business, conceptual, logical, and physical views each play a critical role in delivering value.
  • Common Pitfalls: Irina shares real-life stories of companies that underestimated the complexity of lineage, and the lessons they learned.
  • Actionable Steps: Where to start, how to scope, and who should be responsible for rolling out a data lineage plan.
  • Beyond the Checkbox: How turning data lineage into a long-term strategic asset can optimize decision-making, reduce reporting errors, and align your entire organization around a single source of truth.


Dr. Steenbeek is a data management coach and practitioner with a fascinating background in civil engineering, management consulting, finance, and ERP implementations. As the founder of Data Crossroads, she has helped major organizations formalize their data management practices. Irina is the author of more than 60 blog posts and four comprehensive guides to implementing data management, including her latest release: Data Lineage from a Business Perspective.

This conversation is a goldmine for professionals who feel stuck with Excel-heavy reporting, endless data transformations, and no unified perspective on data flows. If you’re looking to streamline analytics, build trust in numbers, and align teams around a single truth, this episode is for you.

What We CoverAbout Dr. Irina SteenbeekWhy Tune In