Factors of a given system of PDEs are solutions of an adjoint system of PDEs related to the system's Frechet derivative. In this paper, we introduce the notion of potential conservation laws, arising from specific types of factors, which lead to useful potential systems. Point symmetries of a potential system could yield nonlocal symmetries of the given system and its linearization by a noninvertible mapping. We also introduce the notion of linearizing factors to determine necessary conditions for the existence of a linearization of a given system of PDEs.