Data Map
A data map is an inventory that documents what information an organization holds, where it lives, how it flows between systems, who owns it, and how it is classified and retained.
Data map (also called a data inventory or information map) is a structured catalog of an organization’s information assets and the systems, repositories, and flows that hold them. Rather than tracking individual records, it captures the landscape: file shares, databases, email, cloud applications, and backups, along with each source’s owner, data categories, sensitivity, and applicable retention rules.
A data map matters in recordkeeping because you cannot govern what you cannot locate. It connects abstract policy to concrete reality, letting teams apply retention schedules and disposition consistently, flag repositories holding PII or CUI, scope litigation holds and e-discovery, and identify vital records that need protection.
For example, when a preservation obligation arises, a current data map shows which systems may contain relevant electronically stored information so legal can issue a precise hold instead of guessing. Distinguish it from a file plan, which organizes records into a classification structure; a data map describes where data physically and logically resides across the enterprise.