The International Society of Automation (ISA) has established the ISA113 Distributed Workflow System Integration Committee to develop an ontology-based framework for interoperability in industrial control systems and enterprise software. The initiative invites stakeholder participation in building standardized models for distributed workflows across physical devices, virtual systems, and human operators, using domain-neutral terminology and consistent interface structures. The specification will align with ISA-88 and ISA-95 standards, with the objective of reducing integration costs, risks, and errors in industrial environments.
Background
ISA-95 and ISA-88 are key automation standards that facilitate integration between enterprise and control systems, and batch control, respectively. ISA-95 Part 4 specifies objects and attributes for manufacturing operations management, while ISA-88 Part 1 defines models and terminology for batch control. The ISA113 standard will extend these frameworks by establishing abstract information exchange models that orchestrate workflows across heterogeneous environments without prescribing implementation specifics1ISA113–Distributed Workflow System Integration Committee. The committee's scope emphasizes interface models over runtime execution, supporting consistent terminology and minimizing integration challenges1ISA113–Distributed Workflow System Integration Committee.
Details
ISA113 will release a specification based on ontology to orchestrate workflows across industrial, administrative, operational, automated, semi-automated, and manual processes. The framework accommodates devices, systems, and humans, and remains compatible with mobile and intermittently connected equipment1ISA113–Distributed Workflow System Integration Committee. It preserves recipe-equipment separation per ISA-88 and supports choreographed workflows as described in ISA-95, while refraining from defining workflow execution or management, which will remain vendor-driven1ISA113–Distributed Workflow System Integration Committee.
Unified interface terminology and domain-neutral models are expected to reduce implementation complexity, engineering effort, and integration risk. While ISA has not released formal projections, the organization points to potential benefits such as faster asset onboarding and improved OT (operational technology) and IT (information technology) system alignment. Early feedback suggests a three-phase development structure: creation of a data dictionary and reference architecture, validation of interoperability scenarios, and broader adoption through certification and open application programming interfaces (APIs)-consistent with typical ISA committee progressions1ISA113–Distributed Workflow System Integration Committee.
Outlook
ISA113 is projected to evolve through stages, from conceptual modeling to pilot validation, and ultimately the introduction of adoption tools such as certifications and open APIs. If realized, the ISA113 framework may streamline cross-vendor deployments, enhance supplier onboarding, and bolster cybersecurity through unified data models. Achieving consensus across diverse industry sectors will be vital, and ISA will face challenges in formulating practical standards that address both industrial automation and converged OT/IT environments.
