System of Record (SOR)
A System of Record (SOR) is the authoritative source of truth for a specific domain of data in an enterprise. In product engineering, PLM is the SOR for the engineering BOM and design intent; ERP is the SOR for procurement and work orders; MES is the SOR for the as-built configuration and production events. A digital thread connects these systems of record so that data flows reliably from one to another, but the thread itself is not a system of record — it is the infrastructure that keeps multiple systems of record synchronized and queryable together.
Why it matters
Confusion about which system is the SOR for which data is a major source of integration failure. If both PLM and ERP claim to be the SOR for the BOM, or if neither is the SOR for the as-built configuration, the thread cannot be built because there is no single source of truth to propagate from. Declaring SOR ownership upfront — and documenting the translation rules when data must be converted between systems — is a prerequisite for any thread program.
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Cite this definition
Finocchiaro, Michael. “System of Record (SOR).” DemystifyingPLM PLM Glossary, 2026, https://www.demystifyingplm.com/glossary/system-of-record-sor