TS EN 62656-5

TS EN 62656-5 is the part of the IEC 62656 series that addresses how activities and the relationships among them can be represented in a tabular ontology structure using spreadsheets. It builds on the Parcellized Ontology Model (POM) defined in Part 1 and applies that general model in the specialized form known as the Parcellized Activity Model (PAM).

A tabular model for describing activities

Within the scope of this standard, an activity may represent not only a single operation, but also part or all of an enterprise, an organization, a set of services, or interacting events and processes. In general technical terms, this kind of tabular ontology representation is used to organize knowledge in a structured, exchangeable form so that different systems can interpret the same concepts more consistently. It is especially useful where the exchange of physical or non-physical entities is part of the activity being described.

How PAM relates to the underlying POM

POM is the generic tabular ontology data model defined across the IEC 62656 series, while PAM is its dedicated use for activity description. In practical terms, this part adapts the broader ontology approach into a spreadsheet-friendly representation for processes, events, and their interconnections. That makes the model easier to read, manage, and transfer in environments where a tabular format is preferred.

The standard is relevant wherever activities need to be described with consistent terminology and explicit relationships, such as service collections, enterprise functions, or interacting process networks. Its value lies in providing a structured way to align conceptual meaning with spreadsheet-based data exchange.