Portability (Format)
The degree to which a format can be applied in a wide range of situations.
- •Data formats that are widely supported and can be used across various applications and platforms.
- •Improved interoperability and ease of data exchange with internal and external systems.
- •Reduced need for custom format conversions, saving time and development effort.
- •Long-term accessibility of data as standard formats are less likely to become obsolete.
- •Data stored in proprietary or obscure formats that limit its usability and accessibility.
- •Difficulties in sharing data with partners or integrating with new technologies.
- •Increased costs and complexities associated with developing and maintaining format converters.
- •Risk of data becoming inaccessible if the software supporting a proprietary format is discontinued.
Story
Logistics: Adopting industry-standard EDI formats (e.g., EDIFACT IFTMIN for booking instructions) or widely supported APIs (e.g., RESTful JSON) for exchanging shipping information with partners.
Reporting: Generating reports in common formats like PDF, CSV, and XLSX ensures they can be easily viewed and used by various stakeholders and software.
Collaboration: Using standard office document formats (.docx, .pptx, .xlsx) or cloud-based platforms with broad compatibility for sharing project documentation.
Logistics: Using a highly specific, internal XML schema for data exchange that external partners or new software cannot easily parse or adapt to.
Reporting: Financial reports are generated only in a proprietary
A file format that can only be opened by one specific, outdated software.
Collaboration: Project plans are created using a niche project management tool whose file format is not compatible with commonly used tools by contractors.