> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL. > For a complete documentation index, see https://tieback.io/docs/llms.txt. > For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://tieback.io/docs/_mcp/server. # Enterprise Systems & Data Architecture > A section overview of the enterprise systems and data layers that produce trusted product information, and how they relate to Digital Product Passports. ## Introduction Every claim a product makes in public originates somewhere private. Specifications come from design systems, materials from bills of materials, commercial terms from planning systems, test results from quality systems, and movements from logistics systems. A Digital Product Passport is the last step in that chain, not the first. This section covers the systems that hold product information, the way that information is classified, and the architectural decisions that determine whether a passport programme is a publication exercise or a data rescue operation. ## What This Section Covers * Product master data: what it is, who owns it, and why it is the system of record. * The difference between master data, reference data, transactional data and event data. * How enterprise systems such as PLM, ERP, MDM, MES, WMS and QMS divide responsibility. * Governance: ownership, quality, versioning and the audit trail behind published claims. * Integration patterns between systems of record and the layer that publishes to the outside world. ## Who Should Read This Data owners, enterprise architects, IT leaders and product operations teams, together with compliance owners who need to understand where the evidence behind a passport actually comes from. No specific platform knowledge is assumed, and nothing in this section is vendor specific. ## Recommended Reading Order 1. [How Product Data Moves Through the Supply Chain](/docs/knowledge-base/standards-and-technology/how-product-data-moves-through-the-supply-chain): the external view of how product information travels. 2. [What is Product Master Data?](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/what-is-product-master-data): the internal foundation everything else rests on. 3. [Implementation](/docs/knowledge-base/implementation/overview): turning the architecture into a delivery plan. ## Published Articles * [What is Product Master Data?](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/what-is-product-master-data): the definitive explanation of product master data, how it differs from transactional and event data, and why Digital Product Passports depend on it without replacing it. * [ERP vs PIM vs PLM: What's the Difference?](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/erp-vs-pim-vs-plm): what each enterprise system owns and does not own, how they work together, and where a Digital Product Passport programme should source each attribute. * [How Enterprise Systems Support Digital Product Passports](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/how-enterprise-systems-support-digital-product-passports): how ERP, PLM, PIM, MES and supplier systems contribute through an integration layer, and the difference between systems of record and systems of engagement. * [What is Product Data Governance?](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/what-is-product-data-governance): why governance matters more than technology, and the six dependent layers of ownership, quality, policies, stewardship, lifecycle and compliance. * [How to Build a Trusted Product Data Foundation](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/how-to-build-a-trusted-product-data-foundation): a practical roadmap through the six levels of the Product Data Maturity Model, from data collection to continuous improvement, with guidance on assessing and improving maturity. * [What is Product Data Quality?](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/what-is-product-data-quality): what product data quality means across completeness, accuracy, consistency, validity, timeliness and traceability, and why technically valid data is not automatically trustworthy data. * [What is Product Data Stewardship?](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/what-is-product-data-stewardship): how business ownership, data ownership, stewardship, custody and consumption divide responsibility for product information, and why stewardship is an organisational capability rather than a software feature. * [What is a System of Record?](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/what-is-a-system-of-record): what makes a system authoritative, why one product can have several authoritative systems, and why a Digital Product Passport consumes governed information rather than replacing the systems that hold it. * [What is Master Data Management (MDM)?](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/what-is-master-data-management): how master data differs from Master Data Management, how MDM relates to ERP, PLM and PIM, and why MDM coordinates trusted master data between enterprise systems rather than replacing them. * [What is a Golden Record?](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/what-is-a-golden-record): how trusted product information is assembled from multiple authoritative sources through identity resolution, validation and survivorship rules, and why a Golden Record is a governed representation rather than a system, a platform or the best available record. * [Building an Enterprise Digital Product Passport Architecture](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/building-an-enterprise-digital-product-passport-architecture): the capstone article for this pillar, setting out a vendor neutral seven layer reference architecture from source systems to consumers, the capabilities that cut across it, and the three information flows a passport programme has to carry. Further articles in this section are in preparation. They will appear here and in the navigation as they are published, so this page never links to unfinished material. ## About This Article About This Article
Last Reviewed
2026-08-08
Next Scheduled Review
2027-08-08
Article Version
1.0
tieback Knowledge is a continuously maintained reference library covering Digital Product Passports, product traceability, product compliance and related regulations. Articles are reviewed regularly as legislation, standards and implementation guidance evolve. ## Related Docs * [Getting Started](/docs/knowledge-base/getting-started/overview) * [Digital Product Passports](/docs/knowledge-base/digital-product-passports/overview) * [Standards & Technology](/docs/knowledge-base/standards-and-technology/overview) * [Implementation](/docs/knowledge-base/implementation/overview) * [Governance & Assurance](/docs/knowledge-base/compliance-frameworks/overview)