New MESA International Whitepaper Provides Real-World Methodology for Managing the Convergence of Plant and Enterprise Applications


MESA Whitepaper #31: Intelligent Integration Interface (I3) published to MESA Resource Library

Chandler, AZ - MESA International today announced the availability of MESA Whitepaper #31 to help MESA members master the complexities of integrating their Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) systems vertically and horizontally within their plants and enterprise.

Charlie Gifford, Chair of the MESA/ISA-95 Best Practices Working Group and one of the paper's authors noted, "Real-time MOM solutions are the only set of IT applications that actually optimize day-to-day plant operations to bring actionable value to their business processes. But manufacturers have been slow to recognize the difference between actionable metrics resulting from implementing any given part of MOM functionalities versus periodic KPIs used for visibility versus interfaces."

Decision makers are often reluctant to start any kind of MOM implementation because of the reputation MOM solutions have gained for being large in scope and carrying high risks and costs. Gifford continued, "Instead of forcing companies into Big Bang implementations of a full-blown MOM solution with the potential risks, best practices suggest starting small, addressing the cultural adoption and alignment issues, and then later extending the functionality according to a detailed MOM Project and Functionality Roadmap. Such a project approach, called "Intelligent Integration Interface (I3)", is detailed in this whitepaper."

The I3 concept described in this paper is based on well known standards, including ISA-95 and B2MML and adds some further functionality to the integration between an ERP system and a process control system. It describes the I3 methodology and provides an example of how standards are applied in "real-life".

This paper was produced as part of the MESA/ISA-95 Best Practices Working Group through an international peer review process involving 5 or more subject matter reviewers. This MESA whitepaper will also be published in one of two methodologies best practices collections by ISA, "Book 2.0, When Worlds Collide in Manufacturing Operations". (Collections published by ISA, 1/1/11)

This whitepaper is available via MESA's Resource Library at: https://services.mesa.org/ResourceLibrary/ShowResource/fba24f12-db88-4810-ad59-d4438d16a996

MESA premium members have complimentary access to over 250 white papers, presentations, MOM/MES guidebooks, industry studies and web casts in the Resource Library. Others can purchase individual papers from the Resource Library for $25.00 per paper.

ABOUT MESA
MESA International is a global community of manufacturers, producers, industry leaders and solution providers who are focused on improving Operations Management capabilities through the effective application of technology solutions and best practices. We accomplish this through the following:
  • Collect, share and publish best practices and guidance to drive greater productivity and the overall profitability of the manufacturing enterprise
  • Facilitate innovation and collaboration to enable the real-time enterprise and Plant to Enterprise (P2E) integration
  • Enable members to connect, contribute, cultivate understanding, and exchange strategies to drive operations excellence
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