Reference data is boring, yet it is incredibly important. On its own, it looks like endless tables, codes, and spreadsheets-dry, technical, and easy to ignore. But behind the scenes, it is the foundation of every accurate report, every reliable decision, and every credible ESG claim.
Without reference data, a factory is just a name, a supplier is just a label, and a product is just a part number. With it, everything gains meaning. You can trace emissions to a real site, tie risk to a real supplier, and calculate footprints from real materials.
In short, reference data may not be flashy, but it is the quiet hero that makes your data trustworthy, auditable, and actionable.
Finally…
I would be grateful for any additional references you may find, and I would appreciate it if you could bring them to my attention.
And, as always, this post does not reference or represent any organisation with which I am currently or previously associated. Any examples or descriptions are purely illustrative and not tied to specific companies or entities.
Geography and location
ISO 3166 country and subdivision codes
https://www.iso.org/iso-3166-country-codes.html
UN M49 country and region codes
https://unstats.un.org/unsd/methodology/m49/
Time zones (IANA time zone database)
https://www.iana.org/time-zones
Postal and address standards (UPU, national postal services)
https://www.upu.int
Financial and monetary
ISO 4217 currency codes
https://www.iso.org/iso-4217-currency-codes.html
ISO 10962 classification of financial instruments
https://www.iso.org/standard/54935.html
Exchange rate reference data (ECB example)
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/policy_and_exchange_rates/euro_reference_exchange_rates/html/index.en.html
Legal entities and organisations
Legal Entity Identifier (LEI)
https://www.gleif.org
D-U-N-S business identifier
https://www.dnb.com/duns-number.html
VAT and VIES (EU VAT validation and codes)
https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies
Trade and product classification
Harmonized System (HS codes)
https://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/nomenclature/instrument-and-tools/hs-nomenclature-2022-edition.aspx
EU TARIC and CN
https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/customs-4/customs-procedures-import-and-export/customs-tariff_en
UNSPSC product and service codes
https://www.ungm.org/Public/UNSPSC
GS1 code lists and identifiers
https://www.gs1.org/standards
eCl@ss product classification
https://www.eclass.eu
Industry and economic activity
NACE (EU)
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/nace
NAICS (North America)
https://www.census.gov/naics
ISIC (UN)
https://unstats.un.org/unsd/classifications/Econ
SIC (legacy industry codes)
https://www.sec.gov/divisions/corpfin/cf-manual/topic-2
ESG, sustainability and environmental
EU Taxonomy activity classification
https://finance.ec.europa.eu/sustainable-finance/tools-and-standards/eu-taxonomy-sustainable-activities_en
CSRD and ESRS datapoints
https://www.efrag.org/lab6
GHG Protocol scopes and categories
https://ghgprotocol.org
Emission factor databases (example: Climatiq)
https://www.climatiq.io
UN Sustainable Development Goals
https://sdgs.un.org/goals
Units, measures and science
SI units
https://www.bipm.org/en/measurement-units
ISO units and symbols
https://www.iso.org/standard/64973.html
Energy units and conversion factors
https://www.iea.org/reports/unit-converter
Engineering and materials reference data
Ansys Granta materials data
https://www.ansys.com/products/materials
Granta MI materials and compliance
https://www.ansys.com/products/materials/granta-mi
Material compliance and substance lists (REACH, RoHS, SVHC)
https://echa.europa.eu
Business status and internal code sets
Here things become a tad more hairy. In any organisation, many things require consistent classification to ensure reliable reporting, analytics, and operational processes. These are enterprise-specific reference data sets that we can govern just like ISO or HS codes.
Even though these are enterprise-specific, they should be managed with the same rigor as global reference data standards
- Unique codes – short, consistent identifiers for each status or class
- Authoritative definitions – everyone agrees on what each code means
- Centralized repository – managed in a data platform or master data hub
- Versioning / lifecycle – changes are tracked over time
- Cross-system usage – ensures consistent meaning across ERP, CRM, analytics, and reporting
Order Status
Tracks where a transaction or order is in its lifecycle. The purpose is to ensure all systems report the same order stage and allow consistent operational and financial reporting.
I like to follow these:
- Pending – order created but not yet processed
- Confirmed – order acknowledged and validated
- In Progress – order is being fulfilled
- Shipped / Delivered – order physically delivered
- Cancelled / Returned – order aborted or returned
I placed much on my existences on Reference Guides
- IBM InfoSphere MDM: Reference Data Management Best Practices
- Informatica: Reference Data Management Overview
Lifecycle Stages
Defines the stages of a product, project, or process. They aligns departments on the current stage of a product, service, or process for planning, reporting, and compliance
- Concept / Ideation – initial idea
- Design / Development – in development or prototyping
- Active / Operational – product live or process active
- Retired / Archived – no longer in use
Risk Classes
Classifies entities, activities, or assets according to risk. What we seek here is to enable consistent risk assessment and reporting across systems, ensuring proper prioritization and governance.
- Low / Medium / High – generic risk scale
- Critical / Non-critical – for compliance or operational risk
- Regulatory Risk / Financial Risk / Operational Risk – category-specific
Customer Types
Defines the kinds of customers for segmentation, reporting, or process flows. To me this supports targeted reporting, marketing segmentation, credit/risk assessment, and compliance tracking.
- Retail / Corporate / Government – by organisation type
- New / Existing / VIP – by engagement level
- Domestic / International – by geography
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