Interface design for the Purdue enterprise reference architecture (PERA) and methodology in e-Work

One of the primary concerns of enterprise integration is the establishment of the necessary interconnections or interfaces between the components and/or subsystems of the enterprise system. Such integration is considered a fundamental requirement for effective e-Work environment. As a Type 2 Enterprise Reference Architecture, PERA presents under its framework two major types of interfaces, the Internal System Interfaces and the Programme Interfaces. The former interface type provides the necessary interconnections between the components of the enterprise implementation or operational systems. The latter provides the necessary interconnections between the different phases of an enterprise development programme. The concepts of interfaces as illustrated in PERA indicate that the design of the system interfaces should be included in the design of the overall methodology together with the design of implementation architectures. A phased development programme for any enterprise integration project needs such well-designed communication interfaces between the project phases to assure that the desired information exchange occurs between the parties involved.