1. Enterprise Interoperability Basic Concepts, Definitions and Approaches
David Chen
IMS-LAPS
University Bordeaux 1
FRANCE

2. Various views on interoperability
The ambiguous definition of interoperability
Society view of
interoperability
eBusiness
Dream
Networked
enterprise
eGouv
ERP/CRM/SCM
Integration
Collaborative
work
Service Oriented
Architecture
Seamless
interactions
Agent
technology
Methodology
Middleware
Standards
XML/ebXML
User’s
expectations
IT provider’s
concepts

3. Interoperability – general view
Oxford: ‘able to operate in conjunction’.
Webster: “ability of a system to use the parts of another system”
Generally, “Inter-operate” implies that one system performs an operation on behalf of (or for) another system.

4. Interoperability - IEEE Definition
Ability for two (or more) systems or components to exchange information and to use the information that has been exchanged
IEEE standard computer glossaries (1990)

5. Interoperability – software view
Two co-operating software can easily work together without a particular interfacing effort.
It also means establishing communication and sharing information and services between software applications regardless of hardware platforms.
In other words, it describes whether or not two software that were developed with different tools and from different vendors can work together.

6. Interoperability vs. portability
The concept of interoperability is closely related to the concept of portability. TOGAF defined the portability as:
the ease with which a system, component, data, or user can be transferred from one hardware or software environment to another.
a quality metric that can be used to measure the effort to transport or convert the software for use in another environment
Portability is the ability of data or system to be moved, and interoperability is the ability of software or systems to understand and use information coming from other software or systems.

7. Interoperability vs. interchangeability
Interoperable ≠ interchangeable
Interchangeable
=> replace a system or component to provide a same service with an equivalent behaviors (ex. response time)
Interoperable
=> simply ability to exchange service without necessity to have the same behaviors.

8. Interoperability – system view
Reversibility: Even if the implementation of the interoperability between partners leads to an adaptation or a modification of the systems, these systems have to be able to come back to their initial state at the end of the interoperation E1 E2 E1 E2 E1 E2
Initial state
Interoperability
Initial state

9. Interoperability vs. integration
Interoperability has the meaning of co-existence and co-operation, while integration relates to the notion of collaboration and uniformalisation.
In (Vernadat, 1996), interoperability is defined as the ability to communicate with another system and use the functionality of the other system
=> Interoperability = communication + interaction
However, integration is more large and broad
=> Integration = communication + co-operation + co-ordination

10. Interoperability vs. integration
Consistency between local and global objectives
Do not seek for consistency
Tightly coupled
Two parts are inter-dependent
loosely coupled
Two parts are independent
Decrease differences (languages, methods, tools,...)
Identity and diversity preserved
Intra-enterprise
(Merge, restructuration, etc.)
Inter-enterprise
(Networked enterprise,…)

11. Interoperability vs. collaboration
Interoperability ≠ collaboration
Interoperability
=> has no direct business mission / goal
=> does not directly solve any business problem
Two interoperable enterprises may not have any collaboration project
Two enterprises in collaboration may have serious interoperability problems

12. Enterprise
a unit of economic organization or activity; especially : a business organization (Merriam-Webster dictionary)
The entire organization, including all of its subsidiaries. It implies a large corporation but may also refer to a company of any size with many systems and users to manage.
The terms "enterprise“, "company“, "corporation" and “firm" are used synonymously.

13. Enterprise interoperability
Ability of interaction between enterprises (or part of it). The enterprise interoperability is achieved if the interaction can, at least, take place at the three levels: data, application and business process with the semantics defined in a business context
IDEAS Project

14. Enterprise interoperability
Hypothesis of the research:
- Enterprise systems are not interoperable because of barriers to interoperability
- Barriers are incompatibilities of various kinds at the various enterprise levels
- There exist common barriers to interoperability and generic solutions to remove barriers

15. Enterprise interoperability
Three main issues:
Interoperability concerns
=> the part of an enterprise involved in interoperation
Interoperability barriers
=> the types of obstacles which prevent interoperability to happen
Interoperability approaches
=> the fundamental ways through which barriers are removed

16. Interoperability concerns
Data interoperability
Service interoperability
Business interoperability
Process interoperability
Enterprise # 1
Enterprise # 2

17. Interoperability concerns
Enterprise A
Enterprise B
Data
Services
Processes
Business
Data
Services
Processes
Business
Data
Services
Processes
Business
internal communication
external communication
Athena‘s View

18. Interoperability of data
Make work together different data models (hierarchical, relational, etc.) and of the different query languages.
Moreover, their contents are organized according to conceptual schemas (i.e. vocabularies and sets of structures of data) which are related to particular applications.
The interoperability of data is to find and share information coming from heterogeneous bases relating to these various aspects, and which can moreover reside on different machines with different operating systems and data bases management systems.

19. Interoperability of services
It is concerned with identifying, composing and making function together various applications (designed and implemented independently)
by solving the syntactic and semantic differences as well as finding the connections to the various heterogeneous data bases.
The term `service' is not limited to the ‘web services’ or any computer based applications; but also functions of the company or of the networked enterprises.

20. Interoperability of processes
It aims to make various processes work together:
a process defines the sequence of the services (functions) according to a specific need of the company.
Generally in a company, several processes run in interactions (in series or parallel).
In the case of the networked enterprise, it is also necessary to study how to connect internal processes of two companies to create a common process.
Interoperability includes mechanisms for linking process description languages (workflow standards) distributed, decentralized process formation and verification.

21. Interoperability of business
It is concerned with the capability of connecting business relationships internally or externally between enterprises, in spite of for example,
different visions, strategies, collaboration space, values
different business models, cooperation models
different modes of decision-making,
methods of work, legislations, industry dynamics
culture of the company and commercial practices etc.
so that business can be developed and shared between companies more easily.

22. Interoperability barriers
Three types of barriers
Conceptual barriers
=> Main barriers because of different ways to represent and communicate concepts
Technological barriers
=> Additional barriers due to the use of computer technologies to communicate and exchange information and data
Organizational barriers
=> Additional barriers because of different methods of work, ways to assign responsibility, security, etc.

23. Conceptual barriers Types of Heterogeneities
Naming heterogeneity: same entity, different names
mapping using ontologies
Different schemas, models (structure)
Schemas mapping
Different formats
Unifying formats

24. Conceptual barriers - Data syntax used by the two parties is different
- Data structure used by the two parties is different
Same meaning, different structure (Missikoff, 2004)

25. An example of semantic barrier
Ontology
Washer
Catalog No.
Shape
Size
Price
iMetal Corp.
E-Machina
Manufacturer
.45
1.25
Square
550298
.35
1.5
Round
550296
.75
XAB023
.25
XAB035 …
Price ($US)
Size (in)
Shape
Mfr No.
.25
1.25
Square
XAB035
.75
1.5
Round
XAB023 …
Price ($US)
Size (in)
Shape
Catalog No.
.45 31 S
550298
.35 37 R
550296 …
Price ($US)
Diam (mm)
Geom.
Part No.
Supplier A
Supplier B
Buyer

26. Interoperability Approaches
There are three basic ways to relate entities together :
Integrated
=> common format for all models to develop systems
Unified
=> common predefined format only exist at meta-level for mapping
Federated
=> No predefined common format, need dynamically adjustment and accommodation
More integration
More interoperability
Adopted from ISO 14258

27. Interoperability Approaches
Example: Unified approach for establishing enterprise model interoperability
(ATHENA A1)

28. Summary Basic concepts and issues APPROACHES BUSINESS PROCESS SERVICE
ENTERPRISE A
ENTERPRISE B
APPROACHES
CONCEPTUAL
TECHNOLOGICAL
ORGANISATIONAL
BUSINESS
PROCESS
SERVICE
DATA
INTEGRATED
UNIFIED
FEDERATED
BUSINESS
PROCESS
SERVICE
DATA
INFRASTRUCTURE
ENABLING TOOLS
METHODOLOGY
SOLUTIONS
BARRIERS