Flexible and responsive cross-organisational Interoperability

Abstract

Inter-organisational cooperation holds a huge potential for exploiting opportunities of dynamical, globalised markets – especially for SMEs. Furthermore, today’s ICT potentially allows for quick exchange of information and for coordinating activities. However, state of the art software architectures and technologies also hamper cross-organisational interoperability. A technologically determined need for extremely detailed modelling of business processes is a significant obstacle for establishing coordinated processes, a pre-requirement for scheduling and control in organisational networks. An approach that achieves the exploitation of technological potentials for efficient and effective cross- organisational processes without hampering flexibility is still to be developed. It requires both, a simpler modelling and with it an easier adaptability of ICT on the one hand and a better integration of human factors on the other hand. This paper reflects on existing ICT technologies for cooperation, collaboration and coordination and identifies gaps and further research opportunities.