Which batch exceeds the inspection limit?
Inspection limit 3%
- Lot A1.2%
- Lot B1.8%
- Lot C4.6%
- Lot D1.4%
Enterprise data ontology
Understand your operations through connected data.
Assets and tasks. Products and orders. Teams and documents. An ontology defines what your data means and how it connects, helping you understand related information together.
Talk to salesWhat is an ontology?
An ontology is a shared blueprint for describing real-world objects and relationships in data. It defines what an object means, which properties describe it, and how it relates to others. In a business, that can include products, equipment, customers, documents, teams, and processes.
Objects
What does the model represent?
Define the types and meanings of the objects that matter: products, equipment, people, teams, documents, or activities.
Properties
Which information describes them?
Specify information such as location, quantity, status, and time.
Relationships
How do the objects connect?
Describe which equipment supports a task, which products belong to an order, or which documents provide evidence for an activity.
Definitions
Which meanings and conditions are shared?
Agree what completion means, how objects are distinguished, and when relationships apply so teams interpret data consistently.
Different industries. The same modeling approach.
The objects and relationships you model depend on the work you want to improve. Ontologies can support asset operations, supply management, projects, and organizational knowledge.
Examples across workflows
Which product needs more stock to meet orders?
AvailableRequested
- Product A200Available180Requested
- Product B120Available180Requested
- Product C240Available200Requested
How does a longer review affect the handover?
Contract handover Jun 18
- Review10-13
- Revise13-19
- Approve19-21
- Handover21-22
Explore more workflows and connection criteria
| Work | Data to connect | Connection criteria | Questions to explore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asset operations | Asset registers · schedules · inspections | Asset IDs · task subjects · time | Which records describe this asset and its related work? |
| Process & quality | Process records · production history · inspections | Process steps · production lots · quality criteria | Which process and production lot does this result belong to? |
| Products & supply | Catalogs · supply records · stock · orders | Product IDs · supply links · stock allocations | Which orders should we review when supply changes? |
| Projects & contracts | Contract terms · project schedules · deliverables | Contract IDs · milestones · acceptance criteria | Which terms and acceptance criteria apply to this deliverable? |
| Teams & knowledge | Teams · processes · policies · documents | Roles · activity types · applicable versions | Who owns this work, and which guidance applies? |
Production has slipped. Which orders need attention?
Connect production schedules, stock, and customer orders to see how a delayed task affects shipments and which responses to consider.
Which orders use stock, and which depend on production?
60 modules in stock are allocated to an existing order. Another 180 in production are allocated to two customer orders. A delay affects the orders waiting for that production batch.
Available stock60 units
Stock records
In production180 units
Production schedule
Industrial moduleLinked by product
Existing shipmentShips from 60 units in stock
Orders awaiting production
Hanbit customer order120 units
Mirae customer order60 units
A two-day production delay affects two shipments.
The module batch now finishes on June 20 instead of June 18. The next available shipment is June 21, so the two orders due to ship on June 19 need a deadline review.
- Orders to review
- 2 orders
- Allocated production
- 180 units
- Shipping delay
- 2 days
- Schedule review
- Original completion
- Promised shipping
- Revised completion
- Revised shipping
| Affected order | Quantity | Shipping dates | Team to consult |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanbit customer order | 120 units | Jun 19 → Jun 21 | Sales & logistics |
| Mirae customer order | 60 units | Jun 19 → Jun 21 | Sales & logistics |
Connected recordsStock recordsProduction scheduleCustomer orders
Reschedule shipping, or check stock elsewhere?
180 modules due to ship on June 19 are affected by a production delay. Review order terms and stock allocations before choosing a response.
| Response | What to check | Teams involved |
|---|---|---|
| Reschedule shipping | June 21 shipping availability and customer deadlines | Sales & logistics |
| Check other stock | The same product in other warehouses and existing allocations | Inventory & logistics |
| Consider a partial shipment | Available quantities and the contract’s partial-delivery terms | Sales & production |
Criteria for the decision
- Product identity
- Existing allocations
- Partial-delivery terms
What can connected maintenance data tell you?
Asset status, maintenance schedules, and procedures may live in separate records. An ontology defines how assets and maintenance work relate, so you can review the condition, responsible team, and relevant procedure together.
1Records live separately
Asset register- Asset
- Cooling unit
- Condition
- Inspection needed
Work schedule- Task
- Routine inspection
- Asset
- Cooling unit
- Team
- Operations team
Work guidance- Document
- Inspection procedure
- Applies to
- Routine inspection
2Ontology defines the relationships
Inspection task- What is inspected
- The target asset
- Who is responsible
- The responsible team
- Which procedure applies
- The inspection guidance
Define what ‘inspection complete’ means so teams interpret the same status consistently.
3Review the information together
What do we need to inspect the cooling unit?
- Asset and conditionCooling unit · inspection neededAsset register
- Responsible teamOperations teamWork schedule
- Applicable procedureInspection procedureWork guidance
How does ontology differ from related technologies?
An ontology defines meanings and relationships. It can work alongside knowledge graphs that connect facts, RAG that retrieves document evidence, and digital twins that reflect real-world conditions.
| Technology | What it does | Example at work |
|---|---|---|
| Ontology | Define what objects mean and how they relate. | Define how an inspection relates to an asset, a responsible team, and applicable guidance. |
| Knowledge graph | Represent actual records as connected facts. | Explore the inspections, responsible team, and maintenance history connected to a cooling unit. |
| RAG | Retrieve relevant material to support an AI answer. | Answer ‘How should this asset be inspected?’ using the relevant procedure document. |
| Digital twin | Reflect changes in real assets or processes through data and models. | Use a cooling unit’s measurements and operating status in a model to explore changes and their effects. |
How does ontology relate to a digital twin?
A digital twin represents real objects or operations through data and models that reflect changes in reality. An ontology can supply shared meanings and relationships within that representation.
- Meanings and relationships
What is represented and how it connects
The shared model an ontology defines - Data from reality
How status, history, and measurements update
Data connections and update design - Analysis and use
Which questions and scenarios to evaluate
The analysis, prediction, or simulation models needed
Start with the work you want to improve.
Start with what you need to understand and which decisions you want to support. Then identify the objects and data those questions require.
Work and expected results
Describe the questions and results you need, such as understanding status, tracing dependencies, or finding evidence.
Objects and data
Review the objects involved, their data sources, identifiers, and how records change.
Relationships and definitions
Work with domain owners to define connections and agree what terms and states mean.
Access and operating environment
Review access permissions, integration scope, internal-network needs, and how the model will be used.
What should your organization connect?
Tell us about the work you want to improve and the data you use, whatever your industry or data format. We can explore the objects, relationships, and adoption scope together.
Talk to salesBefore you adopt an ontology
What is an enterprise data ontology?
It is a shared model for describing real-world objects and relationships in data. It defines meanings, properties, and connections for products, assets, people, teams, documents, or activities. It is not limited to one industry or data format.
Why do companies describe ontology differently?
The core concept is a model that defines object meanings and relationships. Some products use the term more broadly to include data integration, analytics, AI, and operational actions. Evaluate both the model and the capabilities a particular implementation provides.
Are ontology and digital twins the same thing?
An ontology defines object meanings and relationships. A digital twin uses data and models to reflect real objects or operations as they change. An ontology can provide its shared model; data updates, analysis or simulation, and operational connections also need design.
How can ontology work with RAG?
RAG retrieves material to support an answer, while an ontology defines the meanings of the objects and relationships that material describes. Together, they can provide document evidence and context across systems.
How is it different from a knowledge graph?
An ontology specifies how objects and relationships are described. A knowledge graph represents actual objects and connected facts as a graph. It can use ontology definitions to connect data consistently.
Which data can we evaluate?
Start with data relevant to your workflow, such as documents, drawings, business-system records, operational history, or measurements. Data meanings, identifiers, quality, and access determine connection methods and usage scope.
Can we discuss an internal-network deployment?
For internal-network requirements, we review data access, processing, and existing infrastructure. Ontology adoption is scoped around the systems involved, operating requirements, and security needs.