A **Value Stream** is an entity within the [[Foundation (CSDM domain)|Foundation domain]] of the [[Common Service Data Model|Common Service Data Model]] (CSDM), a reference architecture developed by [[ServiceNow|ServiceNow]] that provides prescriptive guidance on service-related definitions and data modeling within the ServiceNow AI Platform. A Value Stream represents how work actually happens across an organization, encompassing all activities required to deliver value—whether a product or service—to a customer. Value is defined as a unit of measure representing a desired outcome. Value Streams are recorded in the cmn_value_stream table and are categorized using [[Value Stream Category (CSDM)|Value Stream Categories]] (cmn_value_stream_categories), which may be foundational to all businesses or specific to an industry. The base system includes 16 foundational categories such as Customer Engagement, Order Fulfillment, Digital Product Development, Technology Enablement, Human Resources, and Financial Management. Each Value Stream contains [[Value Stream Stage (CSDM)|Value Stream Stages]] (cmn_value_stream_stage), representing distinct groupings of activities as flow relationships. Value Streams can be mapped to [[Business Capability (CSDM)|business capabilities]] and [[Business Process (CSDM)|business processes]] through many-to-many tables, enabling organizations to relate value delivery to strategic management using Lenses from [[Strategic Portfolio Management (ServiceNow)|Strategic Portfolio Management]] (SPM) and to visually design value stream models using Enterprise Modeling and Visualization from [[Enterprise Architecture (ServiceNow)|Enterprise Architecture]]. ![[value-stream-ERD.png]]