Our experience with Schema.org

I work for a New Zealand based health insurance company.  We have been introducing the new generation of 'semantic web' tools and techniques into our core systems.  We are using Schema.org, JSON-LD and Hydra.

I'd just like to report our experience to, hopefully, encourage people in the community.

Schema.org saved us a month!  Yes, this is actual feedback from the agile team developing a new wellness product.  Schema.org not only provides a direct, timesaving, 'dictionary' style reference to the data we have mapped in the core insurance system; but it provides a first order model for all the key elements of /Person, /Organisation, etc.

Schema.org/Action built a system!  We have used the Schema.org/Action and /Event to specify a new generation of customer 'interaction' system.  Again, Schema.org helped us way beyond data mapping and models.  The structure of Schema.org, as a massively peer reviewed, Internet ready,  semantic 'model' saved so much specification time.

Schema.org helps us understand our closed data!  We have mandated Schema.org mapping in all our systems as part of our new data strategy.  Our Business Intelligence head as many complex tools for the mapping and analysis of data (SAP, etc.) - she endorsed Schema.org mapping for all our systems because we can apply it everywhere (AWS and Azure) with simple tools

Schema.org killed my dog?  Yes of course, not everyone agrees with the application of Schema.org (our rate and extent of use).  I have heard people say that they 'hate' Schema.org - but I have never heard a coherent argument against it.  I have found the commentary on this thread very useful in providing perspective and support for exploring the potential of Schema.org.  (I regularly distribute ideas and comment from the community group to our internal teams).  I believe that if people understand Schema.org they will find a myriad of uses well beyond SEO.

Schema.org/Respect

David Gibson - Application Architect
Southern Cross Health Society
Phone 09 925 6025  Mobile 022 181 4342
Email david.gibson@southerncross.co.nz
Southern Cross Medical Care Society
Level 1, Ernst & Young Building, 2 Takutai Square, Auckland 1010
Private Bag 99934, Newmarket, Auckland 1149 www.southerncross.co.nz/society<outbind://626/www.southerncross.co.nz/society>

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