What is interoperability in IT and what are the challenges for businesses?

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Have you tried to send a document to the Administration, but it couldn’t be read? Or have you tried to send an invoice to your customer, but he can’t read the file?

This type of incident has several consequences: it can cause delays in the process and, as a result, lead to penalties from the relevant agencies, or it may require you to manually enter the information into an Excel or Word file, for example, in order to send it.

But interoperability can help you avoid such situations.

In this article, we explain:

• What is interoperability in IT?
• And the challenges for companies

What does “interoperability” mean?

Definition

Interoperability defines a set of systems capable of operating and communicating together without barriers (semantic, syntactic, technical, etc.).

According to the EIF (European Interoperability Framework), there are several levels of interoperability. These levels make it possible to define standards that stakeholders must agree upon in order to exchange data without restrictions.

Interoperability levels

To be able to exchange, understand and communicate, stakeholders need to use a common language. Hence the notion of interoperability. As mentioned above, there are different levels of interoperability, which determine the standardized communication norms that apply in a given context.

Political level

For this to work, stakeholders need to have a shared vision, a strategy aimed at the same goal, and so on.

Legal level

Refers to the compliance of exchanges with the legal framework (national law, confidentiality, etc.) and contractual agreements (exchange modalities, etc.).

Organizational level

Refers to the functioning of an organization through processes, skills and knowledge.

Semantic level

The term “semantics” refers to the meaning of words. Thus, semantic interoperability is the agreement among stakeholders on the definition of a word.

Technical level

Within this level, we’ll distinguish two parts: the “exchange protocol” part, referring to data transmission. And the second part, “syntax”, refers to technical formats (structure, coding, etc.).

To understand interoperability in the IT context, we need to understand the notion of an information system.

What is an information system?

An information system (IS) is characterized by the collection, storage, processing , and communication of information related to business management, in our context. The IS makes it possible to provide information at the right time and in the right format.

So, to return to the definition of interoperability in IT, we can define it as the ability of two or more IS to communicate without restriction.

The General Interoperability Regulation (GIR)

What are the General Interoperability Regulations?

The General Interoperability Regulation defines the rules that will promote the interoperability of government information systems. This delimitation is achieved through a set of standards.

The scope of the regulation :

1. Exchanges between administrative authorities (A2A)
2. Exchanges between administrative authorities and a company (A2B)
3. Exchanges between administrative authorities and citizens (A2C)

(see diagram).

(source: General Interoperability Regulation)

Thus, the RGI will highlight the common standards that must be implemented to ensure interoperability within the scope mentioned above.

The choice of standards made by the RGI is based on several criteria, which we will describe in detail below.

The interoperability criteria of the General Rules of Interoperability

For a device to be considered interoperable, it must meet the six criteria defined by the general interoperability regulations.

According to the RGI, the criteria for an interoperable standard are as follows:

• Open: the standard is considered open if it is free, complete, public, and without access or implementation constraints. What’s more, it must be royalty-free and implemented by a non-profit organization. Its evolution must be transparent, open and accessible. One last important point on this first criterion: the standard must be compatible with both open-source and proprietary software.
• Relevant: for this second criterion, the aim is to highlight the usefulness of the standard and ensure that it is recognized in the marketplace. The standard must be necessary and easy to integrate.
• Mature: the maturity of the standard must be demonstrated by its use in a real-life context and its implementation within technological infrastructures.
• Independent: no acquisition, technological or material constraints.
• Easy to deploy: implementation doesn’t have to be cumbersome or costly.
• Supported by the industry : the standard must have a solid reputation in its field.

It is on the basis of these six criteria that the General Interoperability Regulation will determine the common language to be adopted in order to be able to exchange with administrations and other companies.

Where do interoperability standards come from?

It should be noted that it is not the RGI that creates the standards; these come from international standardization bodies whose reputation is well established, as well as from public bodies.

Here is a summary of the organizations in question:

(source: General Interoperability Regulation )

It is through a series of consultations with organizations that the RGI can propose standards that will guarantee interoperability.

Let’s take a look at the selected standards.

What norms or standards are defined as “interoperable”?

The tables below list the standards defined by the RGI as interoperable.

Technical standards

(source: General Interoperability Regulation )

Syntax standards

(source: General Interoperability Regulation )

The challenges of interoperability for businesses

Background

In administrative management, companies have to deal with other organizations (companies, administrative authorities).

In an effort to optimize human and financial resources, companies are increasingly turning to management solutions such as ERP, HRIS, payroll systems, and so on.

These tools provide reliable data for company management, as well as a single database.

Thus, it is through the data integrated into the management software’s information system that companies will interact with stakeholders in their environment (customers, service providers, government agencies): invoices, sales proposals, payroll, DPAE, etc.

As a result, data transmitted from one IS to another must be readable by software other than the sender.

It is in this context that interoperability is essential, as it guarantees communication between two software programs.

The different challenges of interoperability for businesses

The financial implications of interoperability

With recognized norms and standards, software publishers don’t need to make specific developments for each software language. This generates costs and has a major impact on software prices.

Freedom” at stake

Interoperability allows each player to be free to choose their own IT solution, while guaranteeing fluid exchanges between software.

As a result, each company is free to choose the management software that suits its needs, and continue to be able to transmit information to its various entities (suppliers, customers, administration).

The challenge of coherent information

A single piece of software can’t handle all a company’s needs. As a result, the latter use other software to complete the picture.

For example, an HRIS and payroll software.

To work together, the two software packages must be interoperable, and therefore have the same protocol, so that data can be enriched and transferred from one information system to another in a consistent way.

Time is of the essence

With interoperable software, the user doesn’t have to perform the task a second time.

Let’s take Tradeshift as an example! You’re probably familiar with this name, since some of your customers use it to manage their supplier invoices. In this scenario, without interoperability between your ERP and Tradeshift, you have to manually enter your client’s invoice—which is rather ironic when you have an ERP system.

In addition to the time lost by not moving forward on a project with higher added value, you’re not ruling out the risk of errors.

This is where interoperability comes into play, as it enables your ERP and Tradeshift to communicate with each other.

To conclude on interoperability in IT and its challenges for businesses

Interoperability in computing is characterized by the ability of several systems to communicate with each other using a common protocol.

Based on six criteria, the RGI has defined common software standards to guarantee interoperability.

In this way, different organizations can exchange information without constraint. For example, an ERP and the URSSAF platform for a DPAE.

In their day-to-day activities, companies are required to exchange a great deal of data with other players in their environment (suppliers, customers, public authorities, etc.).

This is where the RGI comes into play, by defining language standards. These standards give companies a choice of software, and enable them to transport information with other stakeholders.

Interoperability presents real challenges for companies in terms of cost, freedom, consistency and time savings.

Digitize your interoperable communications with Veryswing

At a time when digital exchanges between software, government agencies, customers, and partners are central to how businesses operate, ensuring the interoperability of your information systems is essential.
That’s why our VSActivity (ERP), VSExperience (HRIS), and VSPortage (ERP) solutions are designed to provide you with an interconnected, seamless work environment that complies with the standards defined by the RGI.

Optimize your data exchanges with our ERP and HRIS solutions

Our software facilitates communication between your internal tools and external platforms through the integration of interoperable standards. With it, you can:

• Centralize your data and make it accessible to different departments without having to re-enter it;
• Automate the export and import of files that comply with regulatory requirements (URSSAF, DGFIP, etc.);
• Save time on social security filings, electronic invoicing, and sending contracts.

Streamline communication with your partners and government agencies

Our software offers native interoperability with many business tools. This means you can:

• Easily integrate your ERP with platforms such as Chorus Pro or Tradeshift;
• Seamlessly transmit standardized documents (PDF, XML, JSON, etc.);
• Improve the reliability of exchanged data and minimize human error.

Stay compliant with current regulations

With Veryswing, you can be sure you’re working in an environment that complies with RGI standards:

• Our solutions comply with the recommended technical and syntactic standards;
• You can configure your data exchanges using the protocols most commonly used in the industry;
• You stay up to date with regulatory changes regarding digitization.

Why choose Veryswing software for optimal interoperability?

Choosing VSA, VSE, or VSP means:

• Streamline the flow of data between your software and that of your partners;
• Reduce costs associated with custom interface development;
• Provide a better user experience for your employees;
• Secure your data exchanges and avoid penalties in the event of format incompatibility.

But that’s not all! Our ERP and HRIS solutions also support you in the overall management of your business:

• Managing your sales operations;
• Accounting and Financial Management;
• HR tracking, time and attendance management, absence management, expense reports, and more.

Request your free demo now and discover how Veryswing can help you build an interoperable, high-performance, and sustainable architecture.