Purpose
META_TYPE is used within CDM metadata views (such as meta_codes, meta_dates, and meta_values) to group related attributes into meaningful analytical categories.
Rather than storing hundreds of unrelated attributes, META_TYPE provides a semantic grouping layer that helps analysts understand the nature of the data.
Each row therefore follows a pattern similar to:
OBJECT → META_TYPE → ATTRIBUTE → VALUE
Example:
| META_TYPE | ATTRIBUTE | Example Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| STATUS | LIFECYCLE | Lifecycle status of an object |
| SALES | REPRESENTATIVE | Sales representative responsible |
| DELIVERY | ACTUAL_START | Actual delivery start date |
Core META_TYPE Categories
For analysts, it helps to group META_TYPEs into logical families.
1. Identity & Linking
These identify or connect objects together.
| META_TYPE | Description |
|---|---|
| LINK_KEY | Cross-object identifiers used to link related objects |
| KEY_CODE | Codes used in accounting or classification systems |
| OBJECT_NAME | Human-readable names for objects |
| Email or identity linking attributes |
Typical use:
- joining datasets
- linking projects, people, customers, or orders
2. Status & Lifecycle
These describe state, approval, or progression of an object.
| META_TYPE | Description |
|---|---|
| STATUS | Operational state or lifecycle indicator |
| LIFECYCLE | Creation, modification, closure, or workflow stage |
| REVIEW | Review status or eligibility |
| RISK | Risk or governance indicators |
| SCHEDULE | Delivery schedule indicators |
Typical use:
- reporting project health
- pipeline tracking
- lifecycle reporting
3. Commercial & Sales Context
These describe customer relationships, opportunities, and revenue context.
| META_TYPE | Description |
|---|---|
| SALES | Sales metrics and sales organisation attributes |
| CUSTOMER | Customer identities and relationships |
| COMMERCIAL | Contract and agreement identifiers |
| OPPORTUNITY | Opportunity probability and sales risk |
| PROGRAMME | Strategic programme alignment |
Typical use:
- pipeline analysis
- customer segmentation
- opportunity reporting
4. Financial Values
These represent monetary or financial metrics.
| META_TYPE | Description |
|---|---|
| AMOUNT | Financial totals or calculated monetary amounts |
| COST | Project cost measures |
| REVENUE | Revenue tracking metrics |
| ESTIMATED | Estimated financial values |
| ESTIMATE | Forecast calculations (EAC, ETC etc.) |
| BALANCE | Accounting balances |
| SALE | Unit prices and sales quantities |
| TOTAL | Aggregated financial values |
| VALUES | Generic financial value structures |
| CONTINGENCY | Cost contingency values |
| QUOTED | Quoted revenue values |
| WON | Won opportunity values |
Typical use:
- project profitability
- sales value analysis
- cost control
5. Time & Delivery
These describe dates and delivery milestones.
| META_TYPE | Description |
|---|---|
| DELIVERY | Delivery start, finish, and planning dates |
| PROPOSAL | Proposal milestone dates |
| EVENT | Event or entry dates |
| DATES | System or reporting dates |
| DERIVED | Computed or derived date fields |
Typical use:
- delivery tracking
- forecasting
- milestone reporting
6. Resource & Organisation
These describe people, teams, and organisational structure.
| META_TYPE | Description |
|---|---|
| ASSIGNMENT | Project or organisational assignment |
| JOB | Job classification attributes |
| PAYROLL | Employee demographic or payroll data |
| ORGANISATION | Organisational structure data |
| DEPT | Department hierarchy |
| LOCATION | Geographic or organisational location |
| ROLE | Assigned project roles |
| SKILLSBASE | Skills or capability tracking |
Typical use:
- workforce analysis
- team structure reporting
- resource allocation
7. Operational Context
These describe system or operational metadata.
| META_TYPE | Description |
|---|---|
| CONTEXT | Operational reference context for records |
| INFO | System metadata or ingestion details |
| NUMERATION | Numbering schemes and codes |
| STRUCTURE | Structural grouping of projects or programmes |
| TYPE | Type classifications |
| IDENTITY | Additional identifying attributes or historic identifiers |
Typical use:
- interpreting source system context
- categorisation of objects
8. Domain-Specific Types
Some META_TYPEs exist for specific business domains.
| META_TYPE | Description |
|---|---|
| ABSENCE | Absence management attributes |
| LIMIT | Absence limits or allowances |
| HOURS | Time and effort tracking |
| TIME | Timesheet attributes |
| Expense | Expense claims |
| Mileage | Travel mileage claims |
| TRAVEL | Travel classification |
| GHG | Environmental conversion factors |
Typical use:
- HR reporting
- operational activity tracking
- sustainability reporting
Interpreting META_TYPE in Analysis
Analysts should use META_TYPE to:
- Identify the category of an attribute
- Understand the semantic meaning of the data
- Filter related attributes together
Example:
Instead of filtering individual attributes:
ATTRIBUTE IN ('ACTUAL', 'PLANNED', 'ESTIMATED')
Use:
META_TYPE = 'COST'
This improves consistency and maintainability.
Notes for Analysts
- META_TYPE groups attributes but does not determine data grain.
- Some attributes appear in multiple META_TYPEs where they represent different meanings.
- Functional types such as
ITEM_KEYandOBJECT_SEQare structural identifiers and not analytical metadata.