The Harmonisation Process – Content Matters Why a Substance Information System is Successful Over 10 Years

Abstract

In most applications the focus to interoperate between information systems often concentrate on the harmonisation of technological aspect of application’s interface. The best example is the hype of XML interfaces, which let pop-up revised applications now providing the 'harmonised' standard interface. This development is good and necessary to exchange data more easily in a wider scope. The use of these standards and frameworks lays the basic for a real inteoperabilty. Nevertheless, the question of harmonising the content of information systems seems quite different. Content is understood as the information, which is described in the technical data model of the involved applications/ information systems.