CIM Subject Areas
The model content is organized into domains, or Subject Areas, which represent major business concepts. Each Subject Area defines one or more Entity Groups, which in turn consist of a related collection of Entities. Each Entity has a set of Attributes defining the unique characteristics of the Entity.
Supported Subject Areas
CIM supports the following subject areas, each of which includes an Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD). See Diagram Conventions for the conventions used in the diagrams.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
Entities related to finances, such as payments and payment methods. |
|
Entities related to the fulfillment of goods and services, such as shipments. |
|
Entities related to the marketing and promotion of goods and services, such as individuals, customers, and suppliers. |
|
Entities related to actual goods and services, such as products and catalogs. |
|
Entities related to the selling of goods and services, such as sales orders and channels. |
|
Entities related to technical resources and artifacts. |
Diagram Conventions
The diagrams included in each subject group show the entities and relationships defined within that group. Relationships to entities defined in other subject areas are also provided for context. The following table summarizes the conventions used to indicate the status of each entity.
| Symbol | Entity Status | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Defined Group Entity |
An entity in the current group that has a concrete definition. |
|
Undefined Group Entity |
An entity belonging to the current group that does not have a concrete definition. |
|
Defined External Entity |
An entity defined in a different entity group or subject area. |
|
Undefined External Entity |
An entity belonging to a different group or subject area that has not been defined. |
