Enterprises are highly complex systems in which one or more organizations share a definite mission, goals and objectives to offer a product or service. In this study, an ontological framework is built as a mechanism for exchanging information and knowledge models for multiple applications and effective integration between hierarchical levels. The potential of the general semantic framework that is developed is demonstrated using a case study concerning the enterprise supply chain network design-planning problem. (C) 2013 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.