Interoperability

Intro

Interoperability is the ability of diverse systems, organizations, and processes to work together. In EA, it is critical for integrating applications, data, and services across the enterprise and partners.

Key points:

• Enables end-to-end processes across boundaries.
• Reduces duplication and integration cost.
• Common use cases across EA/BPM/Data/App/Tech include API integration, data exchange standards, cross-domain workflows, and vendor solutions.
• Pitfall: focusing only on technical interfaces and ignoring organizational alignment.

Examples:

• ERP integrates with CRM via standardized APIs.
• Healthcare data exchange using agreed schemas.
• Government agencies sharing case data securely.

In practice:

Define interoperability principles, standards, and governance to ensure consistent integration patterns.

Related terms: API; Architecture Principles; Integration Architecture

FAQs:

Q: Is interoperability only technical?
A: No; it includes policy, process, and organizational factors.

Q: How is it measured?
A: By compatibility, successful data exchange, and end-to-end process performance.

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