---
sourceDocument: Australia Customer Service Management
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/customer-service-management

 Release :

    - australia

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Australia Customer Service Management

ft:clusterId :

    - csm

bundleId :

    - csm

workflow :

    - Customer and Industry


---

# Data model

# Service Model Foundation data model {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Australia  
Updated September 28, 2026  
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## Summary of Service Model Foundation data model

The Service Model Foundation (SMF) data model establishes the core structure that ensures data consistency and defines relationships across the Service Model Foundation environment.
It supports the organization and connection of key entities such as services, locations, and accounts through an entity-relationship diagram (ERD) and reference architecture.
This framework enables scalable, integrated, and reliable management of service-related data for customers.
Show full answer Show less  
Recent releases have updated certain table and field labels to improve clarity, with mappings available for transitioning from former to current names.

## Key Features

* **Business Organizations:** The model includes central support entities within main organizations and three types of service organizations---Internal Organizations, External Organizations, and Outsourced Service Providers---that can represent physical or logical entities.
* **Entity-Relationship Model:** The ERD illustrates relationships among service organizations, internal/external organizations, outsourced providers, and their associated workforce (employees and external staff). It differentiates internal versus external service and sales contexts while maintaining unified user and staff linkage for consistent access control and visibility.
* **Reference Architecture and Data Flow:** The SMF reference architecture diagram details the technical framework, showing how system components, tables, and services interact to manage service operations. It highlights data flow between primary data tables, transaction tables, and custom tables, especially the integration between internal and external organizations, service offerings, and case management.
* **Entities Included:** The model provides foundational entities such as Organizations (service organizations), Internal and External Organizations, Customers (both B2B and B2C), Employees and Staff, Roles defining job functions, Responsibility Definitions to link agents and customers, and Relationships that define data access and interaction between agents and customers or between consumers.

## Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers

ServiceNow customers leveraging the Service Model Foundation data model benefit from a structured yet flexible framework to represent their business structures accurately. This enables consistent data management across multiple service organizations and workforce types, supporting complex service delivery scenarios. The clear differentiation and integration of internal and external entities promote effective access control and data visibility. The reference architecture aids in understanding system interactions, facilitating customization and extension to meet specific business needs.

Understanding the updated entity names and relationships helps customers maintain data integrity and leverage the full capabilities of the Service Model Foundation for service management, customer engagement, and operational efficiency.  
The Service Model Foundation data model defines the underlying structure that supports data consistency and relationships across Service Model Foundation. The data model explains its purpose, including how entities such as services, locations, and accounts are organized and connected through the entity-relationship Diagram (ERD) and
reference architecture. It provides a unified view of data design, confirming scalability, integrity, and seamless integration across Service Model Foundation components.  
Important:  
Some table and field labels have been changed across recent releases. For a mapping of former labels to current labels, see [Service Model Foundation renamed Entities](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/GOd50bOlCGACQLLY5iN1tA "The renamed entities display several Service Model Foundation entities that are renamed, including the previous and current names.").

Service Model Foundation provides a framework that your customers can use to create structured yet flexible data models that represent their business structure. Central support represents the supporting entity
within the main organization. Service organizations represent additional entities providing customer support.  
There are three types of service organizations:

* Internal Organizations (formerly Internal Business Locations (IBL))
* External Organizations (formerly External Business Locations (EBL))
* Outsourced Service Providers (OSP)
{#data-models-smf__ul_wjw_zc2_1hc} Note: These business organizations can also be logical entities and not necessarily physical locations.

## Entity relationship model {#data-models-smf__section_qww_2f2_1hc}

The following entity-relationship diagram (ERD) shows the tables and their relationships that comprise the Service Model Foundation data model.Figure 1. Service Model Foundation entity-relationship diagram (ERD)

This ERD illustrates the structural relationships among business organizations (formerly
business locations), and staff or employees within the Service Model Foundation. A service organization manages multiple internal
organizations, external
organizations, and outsourced service providers (OSP), each associated with its own
workforce, that is employees or external staff, who perform service activities.

The model differentiates internal versus external service and sales delivery contexts while maintaining a unified link through the sys_user and external
organization staff (formerly service organization external staff) tables. It provides the foundation for access control, visibility, and data consistency across all Service Model Foundation entities.

## Reference architecture and data flow model {#data-models-smf__section_rbx_tj2_1hc}

The following reference architecture diagram illustrates the technical framework and data flow within the Service Model Foundation (SMF) system.
Figure 2. Service Model Foundation reference architecture

This reference architecture highlights how various system components, tables, and services interact to deliver and manage service operations. It shows the flow of data between primary data tables, transaction tables, and
custom tables, emphasizing the integration points between internal and external
organizations, service offerings, and case management processes.

The reference architecture ensures a clear understanding of how information is processed, routed, and stored across the Service Model Foundation system.

## Entities included with Service Model Foundation {#data-models-smf__section_x5q_nzc_gmb}

The Service Model Foundation feature includes the following entities.{#data-models-smf__table_ky1_wy4_dmb__entry__3}

| Entity | Definition | Examples |
|-|-|-|
| Organization Cores (formerly Service organizations) | The internal and external entities that are involved in providing a service to customers. A service organization provides the base framework that supports the customer service value chain. This framework includes internal and external organizations. You can extend the service organization to create entities as needed. | * Financial service organizations with multiple branches * Automobile manufacturers with multiple dealerships * Government agencies with multiple office locations {#data-models-smf__ul_zqg_xmq_gmb} |
| Internal organizations | The internal entities that belong to a business organization and are involved in providing goods and services. | * Stores * Branches * Centers {#data-models-smf__ul_rqw_r1p_dmb} |
| External organizations | The external entities that belong to a business organization and are involved in providing goods and services. | * Franchises * Dealerships {#data-models-smf__ul_jzg_v1p_dmb} |
| Customers (B2B) | The external customers in the business-to-business model who use goods and services. | * Accounts * Contacts {#data-models-smf__ul_nm4_h1p_dmb} |
| [Configuring households](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/qYvT0qm84aAvvhHMGMy0NQ "The household entity represents a group of consumers that usually share a common address and use services as a group.") | The external customers in the business-to-consumer model who use goods and services. | * Consumers * Households {#data-models-smf__ul_j1b_z4q_gmb} |
| Employees and staff members | The people who work at internal and external organizations and assist customers. | * Internal employees * External agents * External staff {#data-models-smf__ul_pyd_m1p_dmb} |
| [Roles](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/LXy4Rw~SqVx8~DMaHKfvGA "Roles that are included with the plugins that enable the Service Model Foundation feature.") | Job functions that are performed by various users in the business organization. | * Location managers * Location agents * Location consumer agents * Location relationship managers * Location manager contributors {#data-models-smf__ul_w31_wpr_2mb} |
| [Responsibility definitions](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/IRkr6JYkOyBl3uC48nnsIQ "A responsibility, or responsibility definition, describes a role or a function that supports a customer. Use responsibility definitions to create relationships between an agent and a customer or between two consumers.") | Definitions of the responsibilities that an agent can perform for a customer or that a consumer can perform for another consumer. Use these responsibilities to create relationships between agents and customers or between consumers. | * Location agents * Location consumer agents * Location contributors * Location manager contributors * Location manager fulfiller * Location relationship manager {#data-models-smf__ul_yyc_brr_2mb} |
| [Relationships](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/LrvS_WP8nTMlO4hCLy1_~A "Create relationships between an agent and a customer or between two consumers that provide additional access to customer data.") | Relationships that are created between agents and customers or between two consumers, are based on specific responsibilities. Use these relationships to provide additional access to data. | * Relationships between an employee or staff member and a customer * Relationships between two consumers {#data-models-smf__ul_dys_hvr_2mb} |
[Table 1. Service Model Foundation entities]

{#data-models-smf__table_ky1_wy4_dmb}