Data model overview for users of FSC data

Picture: FSC conceptual model for the information of a service: service, classification of the service in different ways, connection, service channel and organisation

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The conceptual model of the service describes the key data entities linked to the service. 

Key concepts 

• Service: describes the information of the service provided 
• Service channels: describes where the customer can obtain the service. The service channel types are e-service, website, service location, printable form and telephone service. 
• Connection: connects a service and a service channel, may contain additional information 
• Organisation: may be the provider of the service and/or the responsible organisation 
• Classification data: Target group, Service class, Keyword, Freely assigned keyword, Life event, Industrial class 

Links between concepts 

• A service may be available in one or more service channels, and a service channel may offer one or more services. A service is linked to a service channel through a connection. 
• A service has one main responsible organisation, between zero and several other responsible organisations, and one or more provider organisations 
• Classification data are linked to a service: one or more target groups, service classes and keywords, and between zero and several freely assigned keywords, life events and industrial classes  

When using the API, note the following 

The metadata describing and classifying the content improve the findability of the service. The key ones are target group, service class and keywords. 

A service must have one main responsible organisation. A service may also have several other responsible organisations. At least one provider must be appointed for each service. There may be more than one producer. 
 
The service may be available in several service channels (at least one). 

Note! If the general description has been utilised to describe the service: 

• The service always supplements the information in the general description, it does not inherit or overwrite the information. 
• Retrieving the information about the service returns the identifier of the general description. 
• A combination of a service and a general description has the same rules as a service. For example, the combination must not have overlapping classification data. 
• The number of selections is checked for the combination of data. For more information on general descriptions, see section General description. 

Glossary: Service Opens in a new window. 
FSC API documentation (version 12) of the Customer Test Environment: ServiceOpens in a new window. 
Logical data model: ServiceOpens in a new window. 
More information: Instructions for service description 
Business rules: Processing rules for a service (in Finnish)

Picture: FSC conceptual model for the information of a service channel: service channel, type of service channel, connection, service time and contact information

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The conceptual model of the service channel describes the key data entities linked to the service channel.  

Key concepts 

• Service channel: describes the channel from which the service can be obtained (e-service, service location, telephone service, printable form or website)  
• Connection: links the service channel and the service, may contain additional information (e.g., fees, service times)  
• Service: describes the information of the service offered by the service channel  
• Organisation: the owner of the service channel 
• Service time: describes the opening hours, when the service channel can be used or when the service channel will exceptionally be closed  
• Contact details: for example, describes the telephone number of the service channel, the contact details of the service location or the email address that the client can contact when they need support in using the service channel 

Links between concepts 

• A service channel may offer one or more services. A service is linked to a service channel through a connection  
• A service channel has one owner organisation  
• A service channel may have between zero and several service time details   
• A service channel may have between zero and several contact details, e.g., the email address of user support  

 When using the API, note the following  

The service channel describes where a customer can obtain the service. In addition, the data of service channels includes separate fields for fees, service times, languages and regional data, for example. Some of the data consists of free text fields in the, some of it is standardized classification data.   

Glossary:  Service channel Opens in a new window. 
FSC API documentation (version 12) of the Customer Test Environment:  Service channelOpens in a new window. 
Logical data model : Service channel Opens in a new window.
More information: Instructions for service channel description 
Business rules: Processing rules for a service channel 

Picture: FSC conceptual model for the information of a connection: service, service channel and additional connection information

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The conceptual model of a connection describes the key data entities linked to a service channel.  

Key concepts 

• Connection: connects a service and a service channel  
• Service: describes the information of the service provided  
• Service channel: a service channel (e-service, service location, telephone service, printable form or website) linked to a service  
• Service time of a connection: describes the opening hours, how the selected service is available in a specific/in the selected service channel. This information is provided if the service time differs from the information of the service channel.   
• Contact details of a connection: describes the contact details of the selected service in a specific/selected service channel. This information is provided if the contact information differs from the contact information of the service channel  

Links between concepts 

• A service channel offers one or more services. A service channel is linked to a service through a connection  
• A service may be offered in one or more service channels. A service is linked to a service channel through a connection  
• A connection may have between zero and several service time details   
• A connection may have between zero and several contact details, e.g., the email address of user support  

When using the API, note the following  

In the structure of the FSC, a connection links a service and a service channel. It is used to describe in which service channels the service is available.   

The connection may also contain additional information specifying the availability of the service in the service channel in question. Additional connection information includes description, fees and additional information on fees, for example. In addition, service time and contact details may be provided if they differ from the information of the service channel.   

Why is this important for the API user?  

• The connection indicates in which service channels the service is available  
• Additional connection information may contribute to what is shown in the user interface (e.g., special service times or information on fees)  
• If no additional connection information has been provided, the general data of the service channel will be used  

Observations  

• Additional connection information is not obligatory  
• Service time and contact details are primarily provided for a service channel. They are provided for a connection only if they differ from the information of the service channel  
• A connection does not create a new service channel, but connects an existing service channel to a service  

Glossary: Connection Opens in a new window. 
FSC API documentation (version 12) of the Customer Test Environment:  ConnectionOpens in a new window. 
Logical data model:  ConnectionOpens in a new window. 
More information: Instructions for making connections 
Business rules: Processing rules for a connection 

Picture: FSC conceptual model for the information of an organisation: organisation, electronic invoicing address, contact details and location. In addition, service, service collection, service channel and general description

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Key concepts 

• Organisation: may be the provider of the service and/or the responsible organisation. Owns a general description, service collection and service channel  
• Organisation’s contact details: describes the contact details of the organisation   
• Organisation’s location: describes the location of the organisation’s principal place of business  
• Electronic invoicing address: describes the address that can be used to send e-invoices to the organisation  
• Service: describes the information of the service  
• Service channels: describes where the customer can obtain the service  
• Connection: connects a service and a service channel, may contain additional information  
• General description: is a template for describing a service  
• Service collection: groups services and service channels  

Links between concepts 

• An organisation may have between zero and several sub-organisations  
• An organisation may be the main organisation, responsible organisation and/or service provider of one or more services  
• An organisation owns one or more service channels  
• An organisation may have between zero and several contact details 
• An organisation may have between zero and several electronic invoicing addresses  
• An organisation may have between zero and several location details  
• An organisation (DVV) may own between zero and several general descriptions  
• An organisation may own between zero and several service collections  

 When using the API, note the following  

In the Finnish Service Catalogue (FSC), each service, service channel, service collection and general description belongs to an organisation. In the FSC, organisation is used as background information explaining which organisation is responsible for the service or the service channel.  

An organisation may have sub-organisations. A sub-organisation is either an administrative and operational part of the main organisation, or a company or an unincorporated enterprise wholly owned by the main organisation. In the FSC, there can be a maximum of five levels of sub-organisations below the main organisation.  

An organisation’s details include basic information (such as name and summary), contact and location details, and electronic invoicing address details.  

 Glossary: Organisation Opens in a new window. 
FSC API documentation (version 12) of the Customer Test Environment: OrganizationOpens in a new window. 
Logical data model: OrganisationOpens in a new window. 
More information: Instructions for organisation description 
Business rules: Processing rules for an organisation 

Picture: FSC conceptual model of the information of a general description: general description, service, connection, service channels, classifications and organisation

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Key concepts 

• General description: includes ready-to-use information, such as the name of the service, service type, type of use, description texts, classifications (target group, service class criteria, keywords), possible conditions and criteria, and instructions  
• Service: the organisation’s own service, to which the general description can be linked,  
• Service channels: the general description may include proposals for service channels (e.g. MyKanta, Lupapiste), but they are not automatically linked to the service and must be linked manually.   
• Organisation: service provider and responsible organisation. Owner of the general description.  

Links between concepts 

• A general description has one owner organisation  
• A general description may include between zero and several proposals for service channels  
• A general description has classification data linked to it: one or more target groups, service classes and keywords, and from zero to several freely assigned keywords, life events and industrial classes  

When using the API, note the following  

The general description is a ready-to-use template drawn up in the FSC for describing the service. It contains general information about statutory or generally provided services and ready-made classifications and keywords. A general description may include proposals for service channels to be linked to the service. The general description types are municipal services, wellbeing services county services, employment area services, services of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and other services. 

Why is this important for the API user? 

• If the service described in the FSC uses a general description, the information of the general description data must be retrieved and displayed as part of the information of the service. In other words, the information provided for the service supplements the information of the general description. 

 Note! Some general descriptions include proposals for service channels to be linked to the service. These service channels serve as a proposals when the service description is drawn up, and the proposals must be separately linked to the service. The service channels of a service are the service channels that have been linked to the service. 

Glossary: General descriptionOpens in a new window. 
FSC API documentation (version 12) of the Customer Test Environment: General DescriptionOpens in a new window. 
Logical data model: General descriptionOpens in a new window. 
Additional information: What are general descriptions? 
Business rules: Processing rules for a general description (in Finnish)

Picture: FSC conceptual model for the information of a service collection: service collection, organisation, service, service channel and connection

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Key concepts 

• Service collection: groups services and service channels 
• Organisation: may be the provider of the service and/or the responsible organisation. Owns the service collection                                                                                                                                     
• Service: describes the information of the service provided 
• Service channel: describes where the customer can obtain the service. The service channel types are e-service, website, service location, printable form and telephone service 
• Connection: connects a service and a service channel, may contain additional information 

Links between concepts 

• A service collection has one owner organisation  
• A service collection may include between zero and several services  
• A service collection may include between zero and several collections of services 

 When using the API, note the following  

A service collection is an opportunity to group services and service channels to make them searchable in the interface as a single collection. The collection may include services or service channels of any organisation. A service collection has one owner organisation. 

For example, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s Suomi.fi web editors have created service collections which are presented in the Suomi.fi Web Service’s guides via an open interface. 

Glossary: Service collection Opens in a new window. 
FSC API documentation (version 12) of the Customer Test Environment: Service CollectionOpens in a new window. 
Logical data model: Service collectionOpens in a new window. 
More information: How can I create a service collection? 
Business rules: Processing rules for a service collection