Common Use Cases

Explore common scenarios and get inspiration for your reference data approach.

How to use this guide

This guide presents common real-world scenarios to inspire and guide your reference data approach. Each use case shows you a path from problem to solution.

How to approach this:

Review the scenarios below for inspiration and ideas.
Choose your learning path based on your experience level:
- New to reference data? Start with Quick Start, then follow the Get Started workflow.
- Ready for specific tasks? Jump to the relevant Work with Reference Data topics.
- Need advanced scenarios? Explore the Advanced Workflows.
Get additional guidance from Best Practices as needed.

New to reference data? Start with Quick Start to get hands-on experience, then return here to explore specific use cases.

I want to onboard reference data

Situation: Your reference data lives in Excel files, database tables, and different systems. Multiple versions exist and it’s unclear which is current or who owns it.

What you’ll learn about: Consolidated, governed reference data with clear ownership and automated distribution.

Learning path

Use case: Onboard Reference Data.
Get familiar: Start with Quick Start to get familiar with the platform quickly.
Get Started topics: Create Reference Data Tables > Set Up Access and Governance > Publish Your Data.

I want my team to access data independently

Situation: Business users constantly ask IT for reference data exports. You want to enable self-service access while maintaining control.

What you’ll learn about: Self-service data access with appropriate governance and audit trails.

Learning path

Use case: Govern Data Access.
Get Started workflow: Create Reference Data Tables > Set Up Access and Governance > Work with Published Reference Data.

I want to use reference data to improve data quality

Situation: Data quality rules fail because external reference data is incomplete or inconsistent. You need controlled, complete datasets for validation.

What you’ll learn about: Reliable data quality validation using well-maintained reference datasets.

Learning path

Use case: Explore Improve Data Quality.
Get Started: Create Reference Data Tables > Set Up Access and Governance.
Advanced Workflow: Create Validation Rules.

I want to export reference data to file storage automatically

Situation: You need to export reference data tables to file storage (such as Amazon S3) for use in downstream systems, data lakes, or automated workflows. You want scheduled, reliable exports that always use the latest published data.

What you’ll learn about: Automated exports of reference data to file storage using transformation plans with scheduling capabilities.

Learning path

Get Started: Create Reference Data Tables > Publish Your Data.
Export workflow: Export Reference Data to File Storage.
See also: Export to CSV for manual exports.

Next steps

Once you’ve explored these scenarios:

For step-by-step learning: Explore Advanced Workflows for complex scenarios.
For basic setup: Follow the Get Started section.
For daily operations: Use the Work with Reference Data section.
For general best practices: Review Best Practices.
If you encounter issues: Check Troubleshooting.

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