Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for intelligent metadata management and data lineage tracing. In exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, a data element can be traced throughout multiple applications, platforms, and technologies present in an enterprise to determine how and where the specific data element is utilized. The data element is traced via a hierarchical key that defines it using metadata. In this way, metadata is interpreted and used to trace data lineage from one end of an enterprise to another.