← DictionarySingle Source of Truth
The one authoritative location for a given piece of information.
One place that is definitely correct.
What It Is
Single Source of Truth sits on the Execution side of the work, in the Systems area. The working definition is simple: the one authoritative location for a given piece of information.
It is an idea you reason with rather than a deliverable you hand over, so two teams can both hold it correctly and still apply it differently. That is the version worth keeping, because it survives contact with a real project.
How It's Used
Single Source of Truth comes up in project delivery, scheduling and the handover between people doing the work. It is usually discussed together with Version, Brand Asset Library and Database. The practical test is whether a decision changes because of it.
Why It Matters
Getting Single Source of Truth wrong is expensive in a quiet way. When it is unclear, work still happens — it just happens twice. It is worth pinning down before anyone builds on top of it.
It is a way of thinking, not a thing you can hold. One place that is definitely correct.
Termshift™
How the meaning shifts depending on who is using it, and where.
Practitioners use Single Source of Truth as shorthand and expect no explanation — the one authoritative location for a given piece of information.
Outside the industry, most people would just say: one place that is definitely correct.
The Bottom Line
Treat Single Source of Truth as a decision, not a description. One place that is definitely correct.