The primary purpose of ISO/IEC 15944-10:2013 is to provide, in a single consolidated document, an integrated approach for the key concepts and their definitions as well as rules pertaining to "coded domains" as they already exist in the multipart ISO/IEC 15944 eBusiness standard, especially Parts 1, 2, 5 and 8. It does so in a systematic and rules-based manner. As such, ISO/IEC 15944-10:2013 serves as a methodology and tool for an IT-enabled approach to existing widely used standards, specifications, authority files, pick-lists, etc., of a "codes representing X" nature, i.e. as ISO/IEC 15944-10:2013 compliant coded domains, involving the making of (legally-binding) commitments, based on common business practices.

ISO/IEC 15944-10:2013 specifies the five key characteristics of coded domains and identifies twelve benefits of the use of coded domains. A key purpose of ISO/IEC 15944-10:2013 is to maximize and state very explicitly the level of "intelligence" at the highest and most precise required level with respect to the semantics of the actual data being interchanged among autonomous parties in a business transaction. Here the use of coded domains presents a simple and very pragmatic approach at the data element, i.e. semantic component level. It focuses on the development of intelligently coded data elements as part of coded domains. This involves rule-based, structured and pre-defined values whose purpose and use has been clearly stated and unambiguously defined (thereby facilitating an IT-enabled approach).

In an Open-edi and eBusiness context ISO/IEC 15944-10:2013 supports the use of coded domains as re-useable business objects among participating parties in any type of business transaction. Coded domains can be used is support of any type of scenario component, i.e. "roles", and "Information Bundles (IBs)", and "semantic components (SCs)", as well as scenario attributes. Re-use of coded domains is supported through coded domains being registered through procedures specified in ISO/IEC 15944-2.

The semantics of the data values in a coded domain are identified and referenced via unique and unambiguous "ID codes", i.e. as unique identifiers. With such unambiguous and unique ID codes, in ISO/IEC 15944-10:2013 compliant coded domains can be associated multiple human interface equivalents (HIEs) in many forms and languages. The approach taken here is that of the separation of the (single) IT interface requirements of semantic interoperability from their (multiple) human interface (linguistic) equivalents (required by the jurisdictional domains of the participating parties as well as those of an individual accessibility nature). Use of ISO/IEC 15944-10:2013 therefore facilitates semantic interoperability requirements of both jurisdictional domains and all kinds of parties to a business transaction [including where the buyer is an individual, and public policy requirements apply (e.g. consumer protection, privacy protection, individual accessibility, etc.)].

In addition to its twelve normative clauses and two normative annexes, ISO/IEC 15944-10:2013 provides extensive informative text in its Clause 0 "Introduction" and six informative annexes.