Interoperability Maturity Ladder

The Interoperability Maturity Ladder frames integration as an ordered progression from simple file exchange to structured contracts, native round trips, and eventually embedded workflow state. As partners move up the ladder, semantic fidelity and lifecycle-state preservation increase, but so does integration and support complexity. The boundary between systems becomes more explicit as ownership shifts from ad hoc handoffs to well-defined operational responsibilities. This spectrum describes how interoperability matures in practice, while recognizing that current maturity remains partner-specific and that no partner is assumed to occupy the highest stage.