Software Technologies Inventory and Attributes - Temporal and Effective Date attributes for the Software Technologies Inventory
Software Technologies Inventory and Attributes
Chapter 22. Temporal and Effective Date attributes for the Software Technologies Inventory
Executive Summary: Chapter Overview
IF4ITThe Bottom Line
Core Concepts
| Concept | Definition & Strategic Role |
|---|---|
| Effective Dating | The window during which the record’s content is asserted to be true, which allows historical states to be preserved rather than overwritten. |
| Review Freshness | When the record was last actively confirmed, distinct from when it was last edited. An unchanged record may be accurate or merely neglected. |
| Release Dating | When the deployed version was published, which contextualizes currency status and supports age analysis across the portfolio. |
Quick Q&A
Question: What is the difference between Last Reviewed Date and Last Modified Date?
Read More Below
Temporal and effective date attributes record the dates that govern when a software technology record is valid and when it was last confirmed.
| Attribute Name | Maturity | Description and Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Effective Date | Walk | Description — The date from which this record's content is asserted to be true. Benefit(s) — Allows historical states to be preserved rather than overwritten, which is what makes trend and point-in-time analysis possible. Source — Manual or Derived. Notes — Most valuable in enterprises that retain record history; where records are simply updated in place, this and Expiration Date carry little weight. |
| Version Release Date | Walk | Description — When the deployed version of the technology was published by its supplier or community. Benefit(s) — Contextualizes currency status and supports age analysis across the portfolio independently of version numbering schemes. Source — Manual or Derived. Notes — Useful because version numbers are not comparable across technologies, whereas dates are. |
| Last Reviewed Date | Walk | Description — When a person last actively confirmed that this record is correct. Benefit(s) — Distinguishes a record that is accurate from one that has merely not been contradicted — the difference between an inventory and an archive. Source — Manual. Notes — Distinct from Last Modified Date. A record unchanged for two years may be correct or abandoned, and only this attribute tells them apart. |
| Expiration Date | Run | Description — The date after which this record's content should no longer be relied upon. Benefit(s) — Forces re-confirmation rather than allowing indefinite reliance on an ageing assertion. Source — Manual. Notes — Most useful for records carrying time-bounded content such as exceptions or assessments. |
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