ISA-95 in the Age of Industry 4.0: Relevance and the Path Forward

Recently, at an event focusing on Industry 4.0 transformation, I was asked an intriguing question during a round-table discussion: “What is the applicability of the ISA-95 model in the modern industrial landscape, and what is its future?” As a Solution Architect specializing in AWS-led Industry 4.0 solutions, this is a question that often comes up. The ISA-95 standard has been a cornerstone in the manufacturing industry for decades. Yet, the swift advent of Industry 4.0 technologies prompts us to reevaluate its relevancy and anticipate its evolution or replacement.

A Brief Recap: What is ISA-95?

ISA-95, also known as the Enterprise-Control System Integration standard, has long provided guidance for integrating enterprise and control systems. Its principal aim was to standardize the interface between control functions and other enterprise functions, ensuring smoother interoperability between systems that were often disjointed in earlier industrial phases.

ISA-95 in Today’s World

With the advent of Industry 4.0, where the lines between physical production and digital technologies blur, the ISA-95 model’s hierarchical structure might seem somewhat rigid. Today’s production systems lean towards flexibility, adaptability, and real-time decision-making capabilities. The connectivity, data proliferation, and analytics of Industry 4.0 challenge the traditional demarcations set out by ISA-95.

For instance, with IoT devices, edge computing, and real-time analytics powered by AWS services such as AWS, SiteWise Greengrass or AWS IoT Core, decisions can be made at various levels, not strictly adhering to the hierarchy proposed by ISA-95.

The Way Forward

As a Solution Architect leading Industry 4.0 Solutions with AWS, I foresee a paradigm shift. Instead of completely replacing ISA-95, we might consider evolving it. Here’s how:

1. Modularity Over Hierarchy: Modern systems, especially those built on cloud platforms like AWS, emphasize modularity. This allows components to be easily added, removed, or modified without impacting the entire system. A revised ISA-95 can focus on modular interfaces rather than strict hierarchical layers.
2. End-to-End Security: With increased connectivity comes the challenge of security. Integrating security principles right from the design phase, as emphasized in AWS’s well-architected framework, will be crucial.
3. Enhanced Data Management: Data is the lifeblood of Industry 4.0. The evolved ISA-95 model should consider data management, quality, and analytics as core components. AWS services such as AWS Glue for ETL, Amazon Redshift for data warehousing, and Amazon QuickSight for visualization can play pivotal roles here. AWS Industrial Data Fabric will make it easier for organizations to build the foundation for digital industrial transformation and optimize operations across many cases such as in quality, maintenance, materials management, and process optimization.
4. Adaptive Workflows: Workflow definitions will need to be more adaptive, taking advantage of machine learning and AI. Services like AWS Step Functions combined with Amazon SageMaker can be game-changers in this arena.
5. Integrating Digital Twins: The concept of a “digital twin”, a digital replica of physical assets, processes, people, places, systems, and devices, can be integrated into the evolved ISA-95 model, providing real-time insights and analytics.
6. Open Standards and APIs: Embracing open standards and API-driven architectures will be fundamental to ensuring the broader applicability and integration capabilities of the new model.

Ending Note

While the ISA-95 model has significantly contributed to standardizing the interface between enterprise and control systems, the dynamic nature of Industry 4.0 requires a more flexible and adaptive approach. By evolving ISA-95 to be more modular, data-centric, and inclusive of modern concepts like digital twins and adaptive workflows, we can ensure its relevancy in the modern industrial landscape.

It’s an exciting era for industry and technology alike, and with platforms like AWS enabling rapid innovation, the possibilities are boundless.

Disclaimer: – This note was written by me (Mayank Nauni) in my personal capacity. The opinions expressed in this article are solely my own and do not reflect the view of my employer or my preference towards any of the OEMs.