Valueflows Ontology

The action has this effect on an inventoried resource primary accountable agent.

The action has this effect on an inventoried resource accounting quantity.

An action verb defining the kind of flow and its behavior.

• accountable effect ^op
• accounting effect ^op
• contained effect ^op
• can create resource ^op
• event quantity ^op
• input/output ^op
• location effect ^op
• onhand effect ^op
• pairs with ^op
• stage effect ^op
• state effect ^op

• action ^op
• pairs with ^op

An entity that can commit to and/or perform economic and/or ecological activity under its own power or authority.

• in scope of ^op
• object ^op
• primary accountable ^op
• proposed to ^op
• provider ^op
• receiver ^op
• subject ^op

• Ecological Agent ^c
• Organization ^c
• Person ^c

An ongoing voluntary association between 2 agents of any kind.

• object ^op
• relationship ^op
• subject ^op

A relationship role defining the kind of association one agent can have with another.

• inverse role label ^dp
• role behavior ^op
• role label ^dp

Any type of agreement among economic agents.

• bundled in ^op
• realizes ^op
• realizes reciprocal ^op
• rules
• stipulates ^op
• stipulates reciprocal ^op

• bundles ^op
• clause of ^op
• realization of ^op
• reciprocal clause of ^op
• reciprocal realization of ^op

A grouping of agreements to bundle detailed line item reciprocity.

A way to tie an economic event that is given in loose fulfilment for another economic event, without commitments or expectations. Supports the gift economy.

• appreciation of ^op
• appreciation with ^op

A claim for a future economic event(s) in reciprocity for an economic event that already occurred. For example, a claim for payment for goods received.

A planned economic flow that has been promised by an agent to another agent.

• clause of ^op
• independent demand of ^op
• reciprocal clause of ^op

• fulfills ^op
• has independent demand ^op
• stipulates ^op
• stipulates reciprocal ^op

The action has this effect on an inventoried resource contained in resource.

The action can create an economic resource.

A non-human being; or a functional group of non-human beings; or an ecosystem of living beings that includes non-humans.

An observed economic flow, as opposed to a flow planned to happen in the future. This could reflect a change in the quantity of an economic resource. It is also defined by its behavior in relation to the economic resource (see vf:action)

• corrects ^op
• fulfills ^op
• realization of ^op
• reciprocal realization of ^op
• settles ^op
• to location ^op
• to resource inventoried as ^op

• appreciation of ^op
• appreciation with ^op
• corrects ^op
• realizes ^op
• realizes reciprocal ^op
• triggered by ^op

Economic or environmental inputs to or outputs from processes.

• accounting quantity ^op
• conforms to ^op
• contained in ^op
• current location ^op
• current virtual location ^dp
• expires on ^dp
• onhand quantity ^op
• primary accountable ^op
• tracking identifier ^dp
• unit of effort ^op

• contained in ^op
• resource inventoried as ^op
• to resource inventoried as ^op

The action involves the event resource quantity, event quantity, or both.

The action is an input or output of a process, or not related to a process.

A proposed or planned or estimated economic flow, prior to a commitment or agreement, which can lead to commitments and/or economic events.

• available quantity ^op
• minimum quantity ^op

• publishes ^op
• reciprocal ^op
• satisfies ^op

The action has this effect on an inventoried resource current location.

The action has this effect on an inventoried resource onhand quantity.

A functional structure, formal or informal, which can include people and/or other organizations, and has its own agency. Something called a group is an Organization in Valueflows if it has its own agency.

A human being. All people are considered agents.

A logical collection of processes that constitute a body of scheduled work with defined deliverable(s).

• has independent demand ^op
• plan includes ^op

• independent demand of ^op
• planned within ^op

An activity that changes inputs into outputs, by transforming or transporting economic resource(s).

• based on ^op
• has input ^op
• has output ^op
• nested in ^op

• input of ^op
• output of ^op

Specifies the kind of process.

• based on ^op
• process conforms to ^op
• stage ^op

Published requests or offers, sometimes with what is expected in return.

• eligible location ^op
• listed in ^op
• proposed to ^op
• publishes ^op
• purpose ^op
• reciprocal ^op
• unit based ^dp

A grouping of proposals, for publishing as a list.

The type of proposal, an offer or request (others may be added).

Specifies an exchange type agreement as part of a recipe.

• recipe stipulates ^op
• recipe stipulates reciprocal ^op

• recipe clause of ^op
• recipe reciprocal clause of ^op

The specification of a resource inflow to, or outflow from, a recipe process.

• recipe clause of ^op
• recipe input of ^op
• recipe output of ^op
• recipe reciprocal clause of ^op

• has recipe input ^op
• has recipe output ^op
• recipe stipulates ^op
• recipe stipulates reciprocal ^op

Specifies a process in a recipe for use in planning from recipe.

• has recipe input ^op
• has recipe output ^op
• process classified as ^op
• process conforms to ^op

• recipe input of ^op
• recipe output of ^op

Specifies the kind of resource, even if the resource is not instantiated as an EconomicResource. Could define a material item, service, digital item, currency account, skill or type of work, etc.

• default unit of effort ^op
• default unit of resource ^op
• substitutable ^dp

• conforms to ^op
• resource conforms to ^op

The general shape or behavior grouping of an agent relationship role.

An estimated or analytical logical collection of higher level processes used for budgeting, analysis, plan refinement, etc.

• nested in ^op
• refinement of ^op

The type definition of one or more scenarios.

The action has this effect on an inventoried resource stage.

The action has this effect on an inventoried resource state.

The primaryAccountable should be updated to the event receiver, or not.

The increment and/or decrement effect the action will have on the accounting quantity of an inventoried resource.

The current amount and unit of the economic resource for which the agent has primary rights and responsibilities, sometimes thought of as ownership. This can be either stored or derived from economic events affecting the resource.

Defines the kind of flow, such as consume, produce, work, transfer, etc.

The economic event being appreciated (gift economy).

The economic event implemented in appreciation (gift economy).

The place where an intent, commitment, or economic event occurs. Usually mappable.

The quantity of the offered resource currently available.

The definition or standard specification for a process.

This agreement is bundled with other agreements.

All the agreements included in this agreement bundle.

References one or more concepts in a common taxonomy or other classification scheme for purposes of categorization or grouping.

This commitment is a primary part of the agreement.

The primary resource knowledge specification or definition of an existing or potential resource.

The contained in resource should be updated or removed.

Used when a stock economic resource contains units also defined as economic resources.

Used when an event was entered incorrectly and needs to be backed out or corrected. (The initial event cannot be changed.)

The action can create an economic resource.

The current place an economic resource is located. Could be at any level of granularity, from a town to an address to a warehouse location. Usually mappable.

The default unit used for use or work.

The default unit used for the resource itself.

The scenario definition for this scenario, for example yearly budget.

The amount and unit of the work or use or citation effort-based action. This is often a time duration, but also could be cycle counts or other measures of effort or usefulness.

Location or area where the proposal is valid.

The event quantity applicable is resource quantity, effort quantity, or both.

The commitment which is completely or partially fulfilled by an economic event.

The independent commitments for which this plan was created.

All the input flows of a process.

All the output flows of a process.

All the inputs of a recipe process.

All the outputs of a recipe process.

In the context of an agent, a grouping generally used for accounting, reporting.

Represents a desired deliverable expected from this plan.

Relates an input flow to its process.

Denotes if a process input or output, or not related to a process.

This proposal is part of a list of proposals.

All the proposals included in this proposal list.

This action can update the current location of an inventoried resource.

The minimum required order quantity of the offered resource.

The process with its inputs and outputs is part of the scenario.

The object of a relationship between 2 agents. For example, if Mary is a member of a group, then the group is the object.

The increment and/or decrement effect the action will have on the onhand quantity of an inventoried resource.

The current amount and unit of the economic resource which is under direct control of the agent. It may be more or less than the accounting quantity. This can be either stored or derived from economic events affecting the resource.

Relates an output flow to its process.

The action that usually affects the same resource as a complement in the same flow.

The processes and and non-process commitments/intents that constitute the plan.

The non-process commitment/intent or process with its inputs and outputs is part of the plan.

The agent currently with primary rights and responsibilites for the economic resource. It is the agent that is associated with the accountingQuantity of the economic resource.

The main place an agent is located, often an address where activities occur and mail can be sent. This is usually a mappable geographic location. It also could be a website address, as in the case of agents who have no physical location.

References a concept in a common taxonomy or other classification scheme for purposes of categorization or grouping.

The standard specification or definition of a process.

The agent(s) to which the proposal is published.

The economic agent from whom the intended, committed, or actual economic event is initiated.

The primary intent(s) of this published proposal. Would be used in intent matching.

The type of proposal, offer or request.

This non-reciprocal economic event occurs as part of this agreement.

All the non-reciprocal economic events (with or without commitments) that realize the agreement.

All the reciprocal economic events (with or without commitments) that realize the agreement.

The economic agent whom the intended, committed, or actual economic event is for.

Relates a flow to its exchange agreement in a recipe.

Relates an input flow to its process in a recipe.

Relates an output flow to its process in a recipe.

Relates a reciprocal flow to its exchange agreement in a recipe.

All the primary clauses of a recipe exchange.

All the reciprocal clauses of a recipe exchange.

The reciprocal intent(s) of this published proposal. Not meant to be used for intent matching.

This commitment is a reciprocal part of the agreement.

This reciprocal economic event occurs as part of this agreement.

This scenario or plan refines another scenario, often as time moves closer or for more detail.

The role of an economic relationship that exists between 2 agents, such as member, trading partner.

References a concept in a common taxonomy or other classification scheme for purposes of categorization or grouping.

The primary resource specification or definition of an existing or potential economic resource. A resource will have only one, as this specifies exactly what the resource is.

Economic resource involved in the flow.

The amount and unit of the economic resource counted or inventoried.

The generalized behavior of this agent relationship role.

An intent satisfied fully or partially by an economic event or commitment.

References a claim that is fully or partially settled by the economic event.

References the ProcessSpecification of the last process the economic resource went through. Stage is used when the last process is important for finding proper resources, such as where the publishing process wants only documents that have gone through the editing process.

The stage of the inventoried resource should be updated, or not.

The state of the desired economic resource, after coming out of a test or review process.

The state of the from or to inventoried resource should be updated, or not.

All the primary commitments that constitute the agreement.

All the reciprocal commitments that constitute the agreement.

The subject of a relationship between 2 agents. For example, if Mary is a member of a group, then Mary is the subject.

The new location of the receiver resource.

Additional economic resource on the economic event when needed by the receiver. Used when a transfer or move, or sometimes other actions, requires explicitly identifying an economic resource on the receiving side.

References an economic event that implied the claim or event, often based on a prior agreement.

The unit used for use or work or sometimes cite actions.

The current virtual place an electronic economic resource is located.

The time something is expected to be complete.

If the resource is being tracked as a lot or batch, this is the date the batch expires, after which it is not recommended to use/consume.

The commitment or intent or process is complete or not. This is irrespective of if the original goal has been met, and indicates that no more will be done.

The planned or actual beginning of a flow or process.

• Scenario ^c or Intent ^c or Economic Event ^c or Proposal ^c or Process ^c or Commitment ^c
• time:TemporalEntity

The planned or actual end of a flow or process.

• Scenario ^c or Intent ^c or Proposal ^c or Process ^c or Commitment ^c or Economic Event ^c
• time:TemporalEntity

The planned or actual time of a flow; can be used instead of hasBeginning and hasEnd, if so, hasBeginning and hasEnd should be able to be returned with this value.

• Economic Event ^c or Intent ^c or Commitment ^c
• time:Instant

The uri to an image relevant to the entity, such as a logo, avatar, photo, diagram, etc.

A comma separated list of uri addresses to images relevant to the resource.

The human readable name of the role, inverse from the object to the subject. For example, 'has member'.

An override label to optionally display for units of measure.

An override symbol to optionally display for units of measure.

A textual address that can be mapped using mapping software.

An informal or formal textual identifier for an object. Does not imply uniqueness.

The human readable name of the role, inverse from the object to the subject. For example, 'is member of'.

Defines if any resource of that type can be freely substituted for any other resource of that type when used, consumed, traded, etc.

Any identifier used to track the resource, such as a serial number or VIN or lot/batch identifier.

This proposal contains unit based quantities, which can be multipied to create commitments; commonly seen in a price list or e-commerce.

The web address relevant to the entity.