ArtefaktManagements

ArtefaktManagements is a discipline and set of practices focused on the governance of artifacts produced within projects, organizations, or research domains. An artifact in this context can be a software build, a data model, a research dataset, a document, or a physical object that has value for future use or verification.

Core aims include ensuring traceability, reproducibility, accessibility, and long-term preservation of artifacts. Practices cover artifact identification and naming conventions, version control, metadata capture, provenance tracking, and lifecycle planning from creation to disposition.

Key components include artifact repositories or vaults, standardized metadata schemas, and tooling for search and retrieval. Provenance and lineage tracking link artifacts to their origins, inputs, and transformations. Retention schedules, access controls, audit trails, and disaster recovery plans are also integral.

Applications span software engineering (build artifacts and container images), data science (datasets, models, experiment records), digital archives, and physical artifact management in museums or manufacturing supply chains.

Governance aspects involve defined roles, policies, compliance with applicable standards, and alignment with broader data governance or digital asset management programs. Common reference frameworks for preservation and interoperability include metadata standards and archiving models.

Challenges include ensuring metadata quality, scaling repositories, integrating heterogeneous systems, maintaining security and privacy, and balancing openness with controlled access. When implemented effectively, ArtefaktManagements supports reproducibility, risk reduction, and efficient reuse of artifacts across teams and over time.