A framework for interoperability assessments in Systems of Systems and Families of Systems
Title:
A framework for interoperability assessments in Systems of Systems and Families of Systems
Author:
Choi, Don Sage, Andrew P.
Appeared in:
Information, knowledge, systems management
Paging:
Volume 11 (2012) nr. 3-4 pages 275-295
Year:
2012-09-28
Contents:
Interoperability is a major concern for many organizations. For organizations to work effectively, the information systems supporting an organization must work together to realize the full potential of built-in capabilities. Furthermore, organizations are not isolated islands. They need to work with external entities, therefore the systems of an organization need to work together with the systems of other organizations. Accomplishing interoperability among various organizations is a difficult and costly problem, both in terms of time and money. Achieving interoperability is difficult because organizational systems are often conceived, specified, architected, designed, built and managed independently of one another. This is further complicated by the rapidly changing nature of information technology. Over the last few decades, many approaches have been taken to manage and ideally solve interoperability problems. Specifications of common standards, technical guidance, and common development processes and tools are among the most tried approaches to this end. Though some interoperability improvements have been made, these attempts have often not resulted in successfully interoperable systems. Today, interoperability still remains a major concern. This paper addresses the interoperability problem by improving interoperability assessments of Systems of Systems (SoS) and Families of Systems (FoS). A precise and easy to use method for assessing a system's interoperability with other systems at early stages of system development will allow systems engineers and associated professionals to make informed decisions for better interoperability.