9/15/2025
BY: STEVE HELMINEN
Many manufacturers struggle with disconnected systems, data silos, and slow decision-making. Structured models like ISA-95 offer a proven way to integrate systems and gain clearer insight into operations.
In the last two blogs, we explored the first two parts of a three-part story. We began by recognizing that companies that succeed with Industry 4.0 and digital transformation have strong leadership commitment. These organizations are not just purchasing technology, they are making technology adoption a core capability of the company and a key part of their strategy for growth and prosperity.
The second blog examined the maturity process for manufacturers, from reactive manufacturing to autonomous manufacturing, and demonstrated how right-sized, right-timed technology delivers higher implementation success and fuels business growth.
In this third part, we look at ISA-95, a widely adopted set of standards for Enterprise-Control System Integration from the International Society of Automation (ISA). ISA-95 serves as a reference model for how data flows between business systems and the plant floor. It helps manufacturers align processes, improve visibility, and make smarter, faster decisions.
ISA-95 Enterprise-Control System Integration
“ISA-95, also known as ANSI/ISA-95 or IEC 62264, is an international set of standards aimed at integrating logistics systems with manufacturing control systems. It organizes technology and business processes into layers defined by activities taking place, and it outlines how an enterprise can set up an interface to communicate among these layers…
In the current era of Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart manufacturing, data flows are more distributed, and the ISA-95 model originated as a hierarchy. Still, the levels allow practitioners to describe boundaries between systems, an essential step in integration projects. ISA-95 remains in wide use today among manufacturing enterprises as a reference architecture and as an effective way to drive interoperability.” [1]
Included in the ISA-95 Standard is the ISA Automation Pyramid, which contains five levels numbered 0 through 4. Layer 0 represents the physical process and the sensors used to measure it.
Figure 1: ISA-95 Automation Pyramid
As a business matures, its technology solutions should expand to support more layers of the Automation Pyramid. Data should flow both upward and downward to keep operations informed and responsive. If a level is not meeting business needs, common signs include a heavy reliance on disconnected tools such as Excel, Word, or other stand-alone systems.
The Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) layer is the best place for most manufacturers to focus first. All other functions, such as Sales, HR, Maintenance, and Quality, support what is happening on the production floor. The more accurately MOM digitally represents real shop floor activity, the more valuable it becomes for decision-making.
From MOM, digital transformation can extend to other layers of the pyramid, provided:
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The solution addresses a Voice of Business or Voice of Customer opportunity.
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The solution is compatible with MOM.
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The solution enhances the MOM.
Building autonomy and decision-making capabilities lower in the pyramid enables faster responses to system changes or emerging issues. The Manufacturing Control level is often underdeveloped, even in otherwise mature organizations. This level provides the ability to quickly evaluate production performance through visual representations of key metrics. These visualizations can be displayed on screens at production stations or accessed from networked computers.
Designing digital manufacturing operations in alignment with a structured model such as ISA-95 leads to improved workflow efficiency. It also reduces redundant data entry and establishes a more cohesive manufacturing operating system for the organization.
ISA-95 and Beyond
Some of the historical challenges of ISA-95 are:
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The different levels are not easily connected, making real-time data sharing difficult.
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Data is aggregated as it moves upward, leading to loss of detail and latency.
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There is a lack of focus on how people are integrated, limiting human-centered design and usability.
In recent years, new frameworks have emerged that improve data integration, enable real-time monitoring, and boost operational efficiency in manufacturing. A framework is a structured model that defines how systems, data, and processes connect. These frameworks enable AI and advanced analytics to operate at scale across the enterprise.
Modern approaches aim to break down data silos and hierarchy layers by creating centralized access through a unified data layer or digital fabric. While ISA-95 outlines what should be connected and how it is structured, newer frameworks focus on connecting these elements in a more flexible and scalable way. When combined with unified, context-rich data layers, ISA-95 can form a foundation for AI-native industrial data operations, allowing AI to close the gap between business needs and technical execution.
For example, a modern unified data layer could enable maintenance teams to see equipment health data, quality teams to track defect rates, and production managers to monitor throughput, all from the same live dataset, so emerging issues can be detected and addressed within minutes rather than hours. Adoption of these approaches is growing in manufacturing, following the lead of industries such as banking, healthcare, and logistics.
Conclusion
Manufacturers who design their technology adoption around a structured model like ISA-95 and enhance it with modern frameworks are better equipped to integrate operations, access timely and accurate information, and achieve long-term business growth. The next step is to evaluate where your operation stands within the Automation Pyramid and identify the highest-impact opportunities to connect your systems.
MMTC’s free technology opportunity assessments help small and midsize manufacturers identify opportunities for technology adoption and develop a successful technology approach that aligns with budgets and business goals. Contact us today or call 888-414-6682 to get started!
[1] https://www.isa.org/standards-and-publications/isa-standards/isa-95-standard
MEET OUR EXPERT: Steve Helminen, Industry 4.0 Program Manager
Steve leads the Industry 4.0 initiatives at MMTC, guiding small and medium-sized manufacturers in adopting smart manufacturing technologies that drive innovation, efficiency, and competitiveness. With more than a decade of experience in manufacturing, Steve has worked alongside teams at all levels to help businesses optimize their operations.
Since 1991, the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center has assisted Michigan’s small and medium-sized businesses to successfully compete and grow. Through personalized services designed to meet the needs of clients, we develop more effective business leaders, drive product and process innovation, promote company-wide operational excellence and foster creative strategies for business growth and greater profitability. Find us at www.the-center.org.