Did you know what interoperability is and what it is for?

Not only is it enough to know what interoperability is, but also to know how it works, to know its real importance in the public and private sectors.

Did you know what interoperability is and what it is for?

The world would not be the same if we were not equally connected, globalization is something that we take for granted today, but achieving it has been very complex, and in part, thanks to interoperability. In almost all aspects of our lives we are constantly transmitting and receiving information, the same thing happens in companies and public entities, rules and formats are needed to facilitate the transmission and reception of information.

This is what interoperability is about as a concept: a series of codes, formats, and procedures that allow data and knowledge to reach and be used easily by all the people who are involved. To a large extent, interoperability are computer aspects, but we must not forget the procedural part that affects the human factor in the transmission of information so that it is done in an orderly and clear manner.

Interoperability in public administrations

?In the case of the public administration, interoperability is a requirement, since coordination, easy access to information, and the unification of criteria are essential to correctly fulfill its responsibilities towards the public. Interoperability greatly facilitates cooperation between different public entities, however diverse their fields of action may be; allowing them to develop what is known as electronic administration and information society.

This is the last great leap that public administrations have taken, driven by the digital revolution, the massive spread of the Internet, and communication technology. They are the platforms that are created by administrations to facilitate and improve the services provided by officials to the general public, and are characterized by being transparent, accessible, and of course, unrelated to any private interest.

Society of Information

A concept that is often confused with digital transformation, but although both derive from the same social, economic, and cultural turning point caused by the accelerated development of technology in recent years, the information society defines the new way of maintaining interpersonal relationships within a context defined by the constant exchange of information.

Interoperability in private enterprise

Every day companies handle a greater amount of data, on which they depend more and more to carry out their economic activity, since technology is rooted in all economic sectors, making the transmission of data between companies, departments, collaborators , suppliers and customers is a fundamental aspect . To give an example, of the importance of interoperability in the private sector, we can mention some work methodology, such as the BIM methodology, which we have addressed on different occasions within the Structuralia blog, and which depends on interoperability to be effective.

At the business level, there are usually two levels of interoperability:

Semantic interoperability: It is the highest level of interoperability and goes far beyond the simple packaging of data and involves adding data about the data (metadata) and linking each element to a shared and controlled vocabulary. It is defined as a perfect degree of compression.

Technical interoperability: It is the level of interoperability related to the exchange of information between information technology systems and services, including interfaces, data integration, services, accessibility and security.

Importance of interoperability

Finally, if there are already several layers of concrete, we will place the next one when it still has a fluid consistency. The objective is to avoid cold joints or that there is a substantial difference in the state of the mixture. When adding the next one and after smoothing the surface, we will repeat the process with the vibrator. We will do it as many times as layers are incorporated.

Tips for making a good vibrate

In addition to public administration, the sectors where interoperability plays a decisive role in the effectiveness of their activity are those of logistics, production, and food control. In this s sectors a good system with a high level of interoperability brings great advantages in the market, since it allows real-time monitoring of its value chain, the versatility of its processes and almost total control of suppliers and customers.

In general, we can highlight the following advantages of highly interoperable systems:

Increased productivity: it allows all the existing information to be associated with the value chain, in such a way that it is possible to work and operate efficiently. And this implies that the information will always be available and accessible to all parties involved.

Accessibility: the greater the interoperability of various systems, the easier it is to know and understand the operation of a system, its criteria and even its interface, which speeds up the learning process and improves results.

Fault detection: when operating under clearly defined processes and concepts, it is much easier to detect any fault or change that may affect any of the systems.

In conclusion, interoperability is a concept that was born in response to the technological revolution, being the only way to manage the large amount of data that is generated every day and to be able to take advantage of it correctly. Today it is unthinkable that a comprehensive information system, be it of a company or a public entity, would be functional without taking interoperability into account. That's how important we can say that interoperability is.