Data and Information Inventory and Attributes - Descriptive attributes for the Data and Information Inventory

Data and Information Inventory and Attributes

Chapter 9. Descriptive attributes for the Data and Information Inventory

Descriptive attributes capture the core identity of each Data and Information Noun Instance — what it is called, what it represents, and how it is distinguished from adjacent types.

Attribute Name	Maturity	Description and Notes
Semantic ID	Crawl	Description — A unique, permanent, human-readable identifier assigned to every Data and Information type following the enterprise naming convention. Encodes the domain, sub-domain, and type name in its structure. Benefit(s) — Enables precise cross-inventory referencing — the Integrations Inventory Payload attribute, the Capabilities Inventory Key Input/Output attributes, and the Applications Inventory all reference Data and Information types by Semantic ID. Enables AI-assisted cross-inventory traversal without ambiguity. Source — Manual. Examples — DAT-FIN-AP-INVOICE, DAT-CRM-CUST-PROFILE, DAT-HR-EMP-RECORD, DAT-REG-SOX-FILING Notes — Recommended convention: DAT-{Domain}-{SubDomain}-{ShortTypeName}. Permanent once assigned — must not change even if the Display Name changes. Never reused after retirement.
Display Name	Crawl	Description — The plain English name of the Data and Information type as it appears in data maps, integration records, governance reports, and practitioner communications. Benefit(s) — Produces a data inventory immediately readable by business and technical stakeholders. Separates permanent identity (Semantic ID) from the current preferred label, so renaming exercises do not break cross-inventory relationships. Source — Manual. Examples — Customer Invoice, Employee Record, Regulatory Filing, Bank Payment Instruction, Contract Document
Description	Crawl	Description — A comprehensive description of this Data and Information type — what it represents, what it contains, and how it differs from adjacent types. Precise enough that an AI agent reading only this description can correctly classify a specific data element as belonging or not belonging to this type. Benefit(s) — The quality of the Description is the most important predictor of whether the Data and Information Inventory remains usable over time. A precise description prevents type definitions from drifting and provides the context AI agents need to reason about data classification, sensitivity, and lineage. Source — Manual. Notes — Write in terms of what the data represents and what it contains, not where it is stored or which system produces it. Good: “A formal request for payment issued by a supplier to the enterprise, containing line items, amounts, payment terms, and supplier identification.” Poor: “Invoice data from SAP.”
Alternate Names [Multi-Value]	Walk	Description — Other names by which this Data and Information type is known across systems, teams, or business units within the enterprise. Benefit(s) — Alias resolution is critical for cross-inventory reconciliation. The same type may be called "Customer Record" in the CRM, "Client Profile" in the portal, and "Account Master" in the ERP. Without governed alias mapping, integration lineage and data quality analysis operate on inconsistent vocabulary. Source — Manual. Examples — Customer Record; Client Profile; Account Master Notes — Separate multiple values with semicolons. When an alias appears in another inventory record (e.g., an Integration Payload value), link it to this Semantic ID.

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