Definitions of interface terms

There is some confusion of terms in use between different companies and organisational groups - and even within companies and groups. Some terms are used for different meanings, and sometimes multiple terms seem to have the same meaning.

To help clarify the meaning of interface management and how it should be performed, the following description of terms is given – not to enforce a particular view but to help everyone understand each other

It is OK if one person's interface is another person's battery limit - as long as you understand each other!

There are a number of other terms not defined here - for example interface engineering, interface forum, interface map and interface plan - not all of which are easy to describe briefly, in simple terms.
Contact us for detailed information, or for help in setting up processes and systems - including an interface forum.

At the 2016 Interface Management conference in London we collected many new terms - from other industries, and from the system engineering world. We will be following up on these.

Many of the definitions include a last paragraph in green - like this - that explains how the meaning of terms are frequently mixed up, with links to the definition of the other term.