Glossary · IT & systems
Interoperability
The extent to which systems exchange data without problems.
Interoperability is the extent to which systems can exchange data with each other without problems. Two systems that work well together understand each other's data without anyone having to sit in between to translate or retype it.
It depends mainly on shared agreements and standards. If systems use the same way of representing, say, an address or a date, the exchange runs smoothly. If they differ, things clash and you need extra translation work.
When buying a new system, it pays to ask in advance how well it can talk to other systems. A package that is hard to connect later becomes an island that holds your organisation back.
