--- sourceDocument: Australia Customer Service Management sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/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 --- # Overview # Service Model Foundation overview {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Australia Updated March 12, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 2 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. ## Summary of Service Model Foundation overview The Service Model Foundation framework, part of the Customer Service Management (CSM) application, enables ServiceNow customers to model complex business organization structures, customer organizations, and their relationships. This core, flexible data model extends the CSM data model and supports various industries such as banking, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and government. It includes entities like companies, service organizations, internal/external organizations, departments, divisions, business units, and outsourced service providers. Show full answer Show less ## Key Features * **Omnichannel support:** Business organization members can request support through multiple channels (virtual agent, phone, text, live chat) with automatic identification of the related business organization, helping agents quickly understand the context. * **Business Organization Support Portal:** Team members can submit and track requests on behalf of their organizations, access knowledge articles, contact details, and install base data. The portal provides an intuitive case view for commenting and closing cases without leaving the interface. * **Business Location 360 View:** Agents gain a comprehensive view of the business organization, including current and past requests, member information, and a visual hierarchy, all accessible in one workspace. * **Shared Case Visibility:** Cases created for a business organization are visible to all authorized members and managers, reducing duplicates and enabling faster case handling. * **Role-Based Access:** Access is managed by combining user roles with location-based responsibilities, allowing administrators to assign appropriate permissions across multiple locations to match specific user roles. ## Benefits * Enables modeling of detailed service organization structures including internal and external entities. * Allows assignment of customer service agents to specific business organizations with controlled access to related cases and customer information. * Supports establishing relationships between agents and customers for efficient case management. * Facilitates tracking of consumer relationships, including household members, improving service delivery and customer understanding. ## Practical Application for ServiceNow Customers By leveraging the Service Model Foundation framework, ServiceNow customers can efficiently manage complex organizational relationships and customer interactions. This leads to improved case visibility, streamlined support processes, and tailored access controls that align with organizational roles and responsibilities. The framework supports faster, more informed service delivery across multiple industries and enhances collaboration among team members handling business organization requests. The Customer Service Management (CSM) application includes the Service Model Foundation framework, formerly named Industry Data Model, which enables you to model the business organization structure, customer organizations, and relations between them. 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."). The Service Model Foundation framework expands the Customer Service Management (CSM) data model, including the Install base model. It's a core framework that enables the configuration of all the above entities and is highly flexible to enable support for various industries. It covers all organization entities, like company, service organization, internal/external organizations (formerly internal/external business locations), departments, divisions, business units, and outsourced service provider entities. It's designed to support various industries such as banking, insurance, government, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and the public sector. ## Service Model Foundation capabilities {#csm-industry-data-model__section_fdm_rsd_1hc} As a robust data model, the Service Model Foundation enables organizations to track and act on critical information. Here are a few ways that Service Model Foundation powers end-user experiences. * Omnichannel support: Members of a business organization can request support for their service organization using the same channels as end customers, like virtual agent, phone, text, or live chat. The associated business organization is automatically identified, helping agents recognize that the request concerns a location rather than an individual. * Business Organization Support Portal (formerly Business Location Service Portal (BLSP)): The Business Organization Support Portal lets team members submit and track requests on behalf of their business organizations. It serves as a central hub to access knowledge articles, contact details, and install base information. The portal also offers an intuitive case view where teams can comment on or close cases without switching to the workspace. * Business Location 360: Agents can view the complete business organization context through a dedicated 360 view in the workspace. It displays current and past requests, member details, and a visual organization hierarchy, all in one place. * Shared case visibility: Cases created on behalf of a business organization (formerly business location) are visible to all its members and managers. This shared visibility reduces duplicate requests and enables faster follow-ups, as any authorized member can track or respond to updates. * Role-based access according to location: Service Model Foundation manages access through a mix of user roles and location-based responsibilities. Administrators can assign users to multiple locations with different access levels, confirming permissions match each user's specific responsibilities. {#csm-industry-data-model__ul_nv1_myd_1hc} ## Benefits {#csm-industry-data-model__section_hlc_psd_1hc} Use the Service Model Foundation framework to model the service organization structure that is involved in supporting your end customers. With this framework, you can: * Create a service organization structure that includes both internal and external organizations. * Assign customer service agents to business organizations and provide access to the cases and customer information in their business organizationhierarchy. * Establish relationships between agents and specific customers that enable agents to manage cases and information for those customers. * Establish relationships between the consumers, including consumers who are members of the same household. {#csm-industry-data-model__ul_lvm_j2p_dmb} **Related concepts** * [Integration with Sales Customer Relationship Management](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/jZdoxXskwkOJkZMbuDkGnQ "Integrate Service Model Foundation with Sales Customer Relationship Management to enable business organizations (formerly business locations) to operate as sellers. This integration triggers sales quote generation, order capture, and fulfillment.") **Related tasks** * [Configure Service Model Foundation](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/NErmx0wMjO0qzsbHT0is9Q "Configure the Service Model Foundation feature to enable a foundational data model framework. You can use this framework to create structured and flexible data models that represent your business needs.") **Related reference** * [Service Model Foundation business organizations](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/8d9jBIDlEJ1J8qGfpbo_fw "Use the business organization (formerly business location) entity to create an organizational structure that includes internal and external organizations (formerly internal and external business locations) such as stores, branches, franchises, and dealerships.")