Software Technologies Inventory and Attributes - Provenance and Audit attributes for the Software Technologies Inventory
Software Technologies Inventory and Attributes
Chapter 27. Provenance and Audit attributes for the Software Technologies Inventory
Executive Summary: Chapter Overview
IF4ITThe Bottom Line
Core Concepts
| Concept | Definition & Strategic Role |
|---|---|
| Source of Record | Which system or process the entry originated from, which determines how much weight it can bear without further validation. |
| Population Method | Whether the record was entered manually, harvested from a source system, or generated by an AI agent. Required for AI-generated records so their origin is transparent and auditable. |
| Validation Status | Whether a person has confirmed the record, which is the difference between a draft and an authoritative entry. |
Quick Q&A
Question: Why does population method matter?
Read More Below
Provenance and audit attributes record where each entry in this inventory came from, who touched it, and whether anyone has confirmed it.
| Attribute Name | Maturity | Description and Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Record Created Date | Crawl | Description — When this inventory record was created. Benefit(s) — Establishes the age of the entry, distinct from the age of the technology it describes. Source — Calculated. Notes — System-populated. Never entered manually. |
| Record Created By | Crawl | Description — Who or what created this inventory record. Benefit(s) — Establishes accountability for the entry and, together with population method, its provenance. Source — Calculated. Notes — System-populated. For harvested or generated records this may be a process rather than a person. |
| Last Modified Date | Crawl | Description — When this inventory record was last changed. Benefit(s) — Supports data quality reporting and identifies records that may have gone stale. Source — Calculated. Notes — System-populated. Distinct from Last Reviewed Date, which records confirmation rather than change. |
| Last Modified By | Crawl | Description — Who or what last changed this inventory record. Benefit(s) — Completes the audit trail and provides a point of contact when a change needs explaining. Source — Calculated. Notes — System-populated. |
| Source of Record | Walk | Description — The system or process from which this record originated. Benefit(s) — Determines how much weight the entry can bear without further validation, and where to reconcile it against. Source — Manual or Derived. Notes — Where several systems hold the technology, record the authoritative source rather than listing all of them. |
| Population Method | Walk | Description — How the record came to exist: entered manually, harvested from a source system, or generated by an AI agent. Benefit(s) — Makes provenance transparent and auditable, which matters most for records the enterprise did not author itself. Source — Manual or Derived. Examples — Manual Entry, Harvested, AI-Generated Notes — Required for AI-generated records. An AI-generated entry is a starting point requiring validation, not an authoritative record. |
| Validation Status | Run | Description — Whether a person has confirmed the accuracy of this record. Benefit(s) — Separates confirmed entries from provisional ones, which is essential once harvesting and generation are in use at scale. Source — Manual. Examples — Validated, Provisional, Not Validated Notes — Pair with Last Reviewed Date so validation can be judged current rather than merely present. |
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