# Reference Model

{% hint style="info" %}
**Technical Capabilities**

“Technical Capabilities” is a smarter way to represent Reference Models.
{% endhint %}

Reference Models are used to group Portfolio Elements to a hierarchal structure or category to perform different assessments, e.g., to identify the functional redundancy of applications or technologies.

The demo data set of YouDesign Command contains following pre-defined reference models, which can be adapted to the own requirements or can be deleted to use other reference models:

* Business Applications
* Software Products
* Hardware Products
* Strategies
* Information Objects

## Reference Models Overview

Open the Portfolio Features -> Reference Models table from the Application Menu.

**A** – Click the New button to define a new entry for a Reference model. We recommend a bulk load to add multiple lines of data.

**B** – Available Reference Model entries.

![](/files/mG8qgW8mVXv0Bb7KC34h)

## Creating a new Reference Model Entry

The Reference Model definition form contains all necessary information at a glance required to create a new entry.

**A** – Parent Reference Model i.e. upper level to which the entry belongs. Leave this field empty, if the created entry should be level 1.

**B** – Name of the Reference Model. It will show this name as the primary key in all related entries.

**C** – Optional description field.

**D** – The target table to which the Reference Mode entry will apply to.

**E** – The hierarchy level is calculated by the system automatically.

![](/files/AGkZSb0AtvEX83O0Bpo4)

## Reference Model Tab

Within forms of Portfolio Elements e.g. Business Applications, click on the Reference Model tab to see the related Reference Model entries, or to create a new reference to a Reference Model Entry.

**A** – Click the Edit button to open the Reference Model Selection Form.

**B** – Shows the selected Reference Models which the current Portfolio Element belongs to.

**C** – Use the Insert a new row… to select a Reference Model entry as an alternative to option A.

![](/files/sYu5KaIb9NWKh9QHxW3H)

## Reference Model Selection Form

The Reference Model Selection Form provides a quick way to filter and related the Portfolio Element to a Reference Model Entry.

**A** – By default a filter is set to the Portfolio Element table. Add additional filters to reduce the results.

**B** – List of filtered Reference Model Entries.

**C** – Current selected Reference Model Entries.

**D** – Additional Information based on the current selection.


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.ins-pi.com/command/features/reference-model.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.