This article develops the case shared on LinkedIn: an environment can look organised while containing almost as many flows as models, repeated transformations and direct spreadsheet connections. Each local solution works, but the system loses lineage, reuse and capacity to evolve.
Creating another flow is quick. Understanding all existing flows is where the cost begins.
How proliferation starts
Ad hoc growth is usually a reasonable response to an immediate request. The issue begins when the exception becomes the pattern.
A three-level funnel
- CORE: common ingestion and transformation with technical ownership.
- Departmental: domain rules built on governed components.
- Personal: time-bound exploration with a promotion route.
The semantic model as a contract
When spreadsheets and reports consume certified semantic models, business logic remains close to its definition. Inventory must lead to action: consolidate, document, migrate, restrict or retire.