Data provenance is the recorded origin, history, and handling context of data. In manufacturing and industrial systems, it describes where a data item came from, how it was created or received, which systems or people handled it, and what changes or transfers occurred over time.
Data provenance is commonly used in traceability, quality records, audit trails, and system integration across MES, ERP, PLM, QMS, MRO, and supplier platforms. For example, a serialized part record may include the source system, inspection result, operator entry, timestamp, revision, export event, and receiving system that used the data.
Data provenance is related to data lineage, but the terms are not always identical. Lineage usually focuses on the path and transformation of data between systems. Provenance is often broader, including source authority, custody, timestamps, user or system identity, version context, and supporting evidence. Provenance records help explain how data was produced and used, but they do not by themselves prove that the data is correct, complete, or compliant.