Data Academy · Layer 0 · Understand & model

Industry Knowledge & Reference Layer

External knowledge that seeds enterprise context before a single table is read.

Lesson 2 of 17 · Find it on the platform map

01 What it is

What this layer does

The Industry Knowledge & Reference Layer brings in what is already known about an industry before any enterprise table is read: reference process models, standard ontologies, taxonomies, regulations and benchmarks. It gives the platform a starting vocabulary and structure, so enterprise context is built on recognised practice rather than invented from scratch.

02 Concepts

Four ideas to hold on to

Reference model

A published, industry-agreed description of processes or value chains, such as APQC, SCOR or BPMN notation. It provides a common skeleton that an enterprise then tailors.

Standard ontology

A formal, shared definition of concepts and how they relate in a domain, such as IFRS for financial reporting or SNOMED for clinical terms. Using one means meaning travels between organisations.

Taxonomy and code standard

An agreed classification scheme such as GS1, UNSPSC or NAICS for products, spend or industry sectors. It lets data from different systems be grouped the same way.

Jurisdiction pack

A set of the regulators and regulations that apply in a given country. It lets compliance context be selected by where the business operates.

03 In SCIKIQ

What the layer contains

Industry reference models (APQC, BPMN, SCOR)Reference architectures per industryBest practicesStandard ontologies (IFRS, SNOMED, ISO)Taxonomies and standards (GS1, UNSPSC, NAICS)Regulations and compliance (ESG, SOX, HIPAA)Public data and benchmarksLLM knowledge (general and domain)Change intelligence (news and regulation watch)Framework and ontology importers (APQC, SCOR, OWL)Jurisdiction packs (regulators and regulations per country)

04 What good looks like

Signs it is working

Each process and classification used in the enterprise model can be traced to a named reference standard or marked as enterprise-specific.
The regulations in scope are listed per country, with the regulator responsible for each.
Imported frameworks such as APQC, SCOR or OWL ontologies are versioned, and the version in use is visible.
Regulatory and news changes relevant to the industry are surfaced to a named owner for review.

05 Diagnostics

Questions to ask your team

1
Which industry reference models and standards have we adopted, and which have we deliberately departed from?
2
How do we learn that a regulation affecting us has changed?
3
Where do our product, spend or sector codes diverge from the standards our partners and regulators use?
4
When we use LLM knowledge to fill gaps, how do we check it against authoritative sources?

06 Keep going

Frequently asked

Why start with external knowledge rather than our own data?

Reference models and standards give a tested structure and shared vocabulary, so enterprise context starts from recognised practice and only the genuine differences need to be modelled.

Can we import our own frameworks?

The layer includes framework and ontology importers for formats such as APQC, SCOR and OWL, so recognised frameworks can be brought in and kept versioned.

What role does LLM knowledge play here?

General and domain LLM knowledge sits alongside published references as one input; it helps fill gaps, while standards, regulations and benchmarks remain the authoritative anchors.