ISA-95 framework and layers

ISA-95 is an international standard for integrating enterprise and control systems, organized into layers that span physical processes to business-related activities. It provides a framework facilitating efficient communication and coordination between diverse elements of manufacturing operations.

What are ISA 95 framework & layers?

ISA-95 is the international standard for the integration of enterprise and control systems. ISA-95 consists of models and terminology. Its official name is “ANSI/ISA-95 Enterprise-Control System Integration” (known internationally as IEC/ISO 62264). However, the standard title does little to provide any information regarding its value. Leveraging this standard can bring a company-wide perspective to system integration that allows you to take thousands of actions and data points and boil them down in an understandable framework. It focuses on activities - and it is meant to define and integrate the activities between business and ERP on one hand and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) on the other. The standard even covers the detailed level of sensors and the physical processes.

These models can be used to determine which information has to be exchanged between systems for sales, finance, and logistics, and systems for production, maintenance, and quality. This information is structured in UML models, which are the basis for the development of standard interfaces between ERP and MES systems. The ISA-95 standard can be used for several purposes, for example as a guide for the definition of user requirements, for the selection of MES suppliers, or as a basis for the development of MES systems and databases.

ISA-95 incorporates the layers model of technology and business processes for manufacturing enterprises as levels for the standard. These levels are:

Level 0 - Defines the actual physical processes.
Level 1 - Defines the activities involved in sensing and manipulating the physical processes.
Level 2 - Defines the activities of monitoring and controlling the physical processes.
Level 3 - Defines the activities of workflow to produce the desired end products.
Level 4 - Defines the business-related activities needed to manage a manufacturing operation.

Manufacturing Operations Management systems reside in Level 3 of the model. From a component or software perspective, Levels 1 to 4 can be seen like this:

Level 1: Intelligent devices
Level 2: Control systems (e.g., PLCs, DCSs)
Level 3: Manufacturing operations systems (e.g., MES)
Level 4: Business logistics systems (e.g., ERP)

Related products: Opcenter Intelligence, Opcenter Execution

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Understand the benefits

Holistic system integration

Seamlessly integrate and coordinate diverse enterprise and control systems, fostering a comprehensive, company-wide perspective on system interactions and activities.

Efficient workflow definition and optimization

Structure activities across levels, enabling standardized processes and streamlined communication between system, ultimately leading to shorter lead times, optimized asset utilization and increased production visibility.

Interoperability and standardization

Utilize a consistent framework and terminology, facilitating seamless integration between various systems and enabling organizations to establish common models and interfaces for MES systems and databases.

ISA 95 and Manufacturing Operations Management

Manufacturing operations management systems address the following critical manufacturing functionalities: quality, safety, reliability, efficiency and regulatory compliance. ISA-95 Part 3 defines the activities that occur in Manufacturing operations management systems as follows:

Production operations management
Maintenance operations management
Laboratory (i.e. quality) operations management
Material handling and storage management (including inventory control)
Supporting activities, including management of security, information, configuration, documentation, regulatory compliance and incidents/deviations

Today’s MOM systems allow manufacturers to standardize and optimize processes across the enterprise, minimizing lead times, optimizing asset utilization, speeding time-to-market and increasing both production visibility and collaborative abilities. In the global marketplace - dispersed over vast geographies, ever more reliant on manufacturing networks - MOM systems are taking an increasingly central role in enabling manufacturers to compete efficiently and profitably. ISA-95 Part 3 defines MOM as “activities, functions and exchanges within level 3 of a manufacturing facility that coordinate the personnel, equipment, and material in manufacturing.” It includes production operations management, maintenance operations management, quality operations management, and inventory operations management.