What is Interoperability?
Interoperability is the ability of two or more systems to exchange information and use that exchanged information without special effort – requiring both standardised communication protocols and standardised data models.
Technical Definition: The ability of two or more systems or components to exchange information and use the exchanged information without special effort from the user. True interoperability requires standardised data models, not just standardised communication protocols.
Why it matters: Many systems can communicate without being truly interoperable – they transfer data, but the receiving system cannot interpret it without custom mapping. True interoperability enables plug-and-play integration between components from different vendors.
HubMind’s view: We test interoperability during commissioning, not after. If a system claims interoperability but requires custom mapping for every integration, it is not truly interoperable – regardless of what the marketing materials say.
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HubMind helps you understand and apply Interoperability in your facility.