The Gist
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Key to digital agility. Interoperability is essential for businesses aiming to remain agile by integrating flexible, composable technologies across digital ecosystems.
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Driving AI integration. Interoperability is the backbone of incorporating innovations like generative AI into existing systems.
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Incremental implementation. Achieving interoperability doesn’t require an overhaul. Businesses can adopt it gradually by integrating compatible technologies over time.
At the heart of any digital transformation is the immediate desire to create a more agile, and efficient enterprise system, but companies also must make sure future-proof standards are in place. Think of it this way. Would an engineer design a race car to drive one lap? No, that car would be built to last for the long haul, with an ability to accept upgrades and new parts over time.
When it comes to developing a digital transformation journey, interoperability is a key piece of the puzzle. More than just a technical consideration, achieving interoperability within an organization’s technology framework is a way to implement adaptable technology, develop a culture of experimentation and deliver a more efficient digital strategy.
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Optimizing Digital Strategies with Interoperability
While it would make a CTO’s life easier, interoperability isn’t a neatly wrapped black box solution that technology decision-makers simply drop into a marketing tech stack. Rather, interoperability is a strategy that business and technology leaders build composable technology around.
At its core, interoperability is an approach that relies on MACH-based technology solutions to work together in harmony across an organization’s digital ecosystem. The goal for the technology is to help teams work in concert, empower how they directly use various solutions and allow them to adjust to market trends in real time.
Interoperability executes across multiple layers within a business. It impacts the technology ecosystem, feeds a culture of innovation in a company and accelerates enhancements to the digital customer experience based on consumer behavior changes or market developments.
Starting with that technology layer, without interoperability in place, more than 60% of a company’s IT budget is spent on upgrading its predominantly legacy-based technology, according to the 2025 MACH Alliance Global Annual Research.
Adding to the argument, CMSWire’s State of the CMO 2024 report finds that no matter how technically mature an organization is, more than 60% of marketing leaders needed to increase their technical competencies significantly or moderately in the past three years.
Business leaders require flexible technology, and interoperability allows new composable and MACH-based technologies to create a sustainable digital ecosystem. This vibrant approach is even more important as companies continue to explore innovations like generative AI technology.
Related Article: How Stack Composability and AI Can Supercharge Martech Stacks
Use the Power of Generative AI With Interoperability
McKinsey & Co. reported that generative AI’s impact across more than 60 use cases in various industries will add more than $2.6 trillion to the global economy. Companies are finding ways to use the technology in marketing, sales, customer service, software engineering, research and development and more, as generative AI can vastly improve workflows.
When it comes to integrating generative AI into an organization’s tech stack, interoperability plays a key part and allows innovative solutions to be incorporated into existing systems and data sources. API-driven interoperability simplifies how business users access generative AI data in real time and powers cross-platform automation to produce real-time decision-making.
From an overall performance standpoint, interoperability delivers an agile digital experience. Companies that seek to add innovative technologies like generative AI will need an interoperable, MACH architecture. The framework supports businesses that want to adapt and change, much like that race car hitting a pit stop for a tune-up.
With interoperability, companies can not only respond to market dynamics as they occur and improve workflows with AI, but they can also make sure they stay relevant for the long haul.
Implement Interoperability One Step at a Time
According to the previously cited MACH Alliance Global Research study, the more mature a company is in their MACH journey, the more confident their business and technology leaders are in having an agile and competitive technology strategy. The report reveals that organizations that are less MACH mature say they have become more competitive. Forward-thinking innovation, agility and a competitive digital infrastructure is what keeps companies and their digital experiences relevant, and interoperability is a key to realizing innovation.
For companies exploring steps to achieve an interoperable approach to their technology, the first step is to take a hard look at legacy-based solutions sitting within their tech frameworks. Next, identify where composable and interoperable technologies can fit in, either within the existing framework or as part of a new one.
It’s important to remember that interoperability doesn’t need to be a rip-and-replace project. IT teams can take an incremental approach, launching and configuring interoperable components where they can over time. Companies can string together certain parts of the business first, such as how data flows between components, and then layer in more capabilities until the full system is communicating together and interoperable.
Related Article: Mastering Composable Technology: 4 Essential Pillars
Maintaining a Competitive Edge Through Interoperability
Interoperability is a foundational element for companies adopting a composable and MACH-based approach to technology.
To stay relevant, business and technology leaders need to build an interoperable digital enterprise, entrusting valuable data flows at top speed between various technologies and components. For a composable digital strategy to reach its full potential, systems, applications, data and teams must work together across diverse platforms and technologies to meet the needs of the market and achieve organizational objectives.
Implementing a standard of interoperability inside a composable, MACH framework is like designing a race car to go the distance, no matter what obstacles come their way.
Core Questions Around the Role of Interoperability in Digital Transformation
Editor’s note: Here are a couple important questions around interoperability in digital transformation:
What is interoperability in the context of digital transformation?
This refers to the ability of different technology systems, platforms and applications to work together seamlessly. It allows businesses to adapt to new technologies, optimize workflows and enhance customer experiences. By making sure that all components in a digital ecosystem can communicate and share data efficiently, organizations can stay agile and responsive to market changes.
How does interoperability help in integrating generative AI into a company’s tech stack?
Interoperability allows new AI tools and technologies to be smoothly incorporated into existing systems without disrupting workflows. API-driven interoperability gives real-time access to AI-generated data and supports cross-platform automation. This makes it easier for businesses to use generative AI’s capabilities while maintaining efficient, agile operations across all systems.
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