BlueHomer
Trace any number on any dashboard back to where it came from
"The dashboard says so" does not survive an audit. BlueHomer traces any number back to the physical data it came from, carrying the transformation rules encountered along the way.
What attribute-level lineage means
Attribute-level lineage records the path of an individual attribute — not just the table it lives in — from the KPI on a dashboard back through every measure, metric and transformation to the physical column it originated in, including the rules applied at each hop.
The three levels, and what each can answer
| Level | What it records | The question it can answer |
|---|---|---|
| Table-level | This table feeds that table | "Which systems are involved?" |
| Column-level | This column feeds that column | "Which field did this come from?" |
| Attribute-level | The attribute, its meaning, and the rules applied at each hop | "Why is this number what it is — and would it change if that rule changed?" |
The third row is the one that matters in an audit. Knowing *where* a number came from is provenance; knowing *what was done to it on the way* is explanation.
Meaning is defined once and referenced everywhere
BlueHomer separates meaning from judgment with a rigorous chain: Attribute → Measure → Metric → KPI. An attribute is a fact; a measure aggregates it; a metric gives it business meaning; a KPI adds a target and a judgment about whether the number is good. Definitions are authored once and referenced everywhere, which is why two teams cannot quietly hold two versions of "active customer".
Impact analysis and broken chains
- Impact analysis answers the question before the change: if this column, rule or source changes, what breaks downstream?
- A break in the chain is a first-class governance finding — surfaced for action rather than hidden. A dashboard whose lineage cannot be resolved is telling you something important.
- Lineage is evidence. It is what turns "we believe this figure is right" into something an auditor or regulator can inspect.
- Lineage applies to AI answers too — an insight produced by an agent carries the same provenance as one produced by a human analyst.
Frequently asked questions
How do I prove where a number on a dashboard came from?
Follow its attribute-level lineage: BlueHomer records the path from the KPI back through each metric, measure and transformation to the physical column, including the rules applied at each step. That chain is exportable as audit evidence.
What is the difference between column-level and attribute-level lineage?
Column-level lineage tells you which field fed which field. Attribute-level lineage adds the business meaning and the transformation rules applied along the way, so you can explain why the number is what it is — not just where it came from.
Can lineage cover data that never moves?
Yes. Because BlueHomer reads from source systems rather than becoming a new source of truth, lineage describes the path a value takes through queries, models and metrics regardless of whether it was ever copied into a warehouse.
What happens when lineage is incomplete?
The gap is treated as a governance finding and surfaced, rather than being silently tolerated. Incomplete lineage is a known risk you can act on; hidden incomplete lineage is a surprise during an audit.