ISA-95: The Standard for MES Architectures and ERP Integration

Modern manufacturing faces a fundamental challenge: bridging the gap between business planning systems and shop-floor operations. Without standardized interfaces, data silos and inefficiencies arise.
The ISA-95 (IEC 62264) standard provides the common language that connects these worlds. It defines how manufacturing systems communicate—from sensors to ERP—and remains the cornerstone of digital factory architectures.

What Is ISA-95?

Developed by the International Society of Automation (ISA), ISA-95 defines a universal framework for the exchange of information between Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES).

The standard specifies:

• Which functions exist within manufacturing IT,

• Which data objects are exchanged,

• And how this exchange is structured and named.

In practice, ISA-95 enables interoperability between automation, production, and business systems—creating the foundation for scalable, vendor-independent smart manufacturing.

The ISA-95 Layer Model

At its core, ISA-95 describes a hierarchical five-level architecture, often called the automation pyramid:

Level 3 acts as the bridge between OT (Operational Technology) and IT (Information Technology).
It manages production orders, collects performance data, and feeds real-time insights upward—while keeping shop-floor systems stable and autonomous.

This layered approach prevents overlap between planning logic (ERP) and operational control (MES), ensuring consistent data flow across the enterprise.

Functional Domains Defined by ISA-95

The standard divides manufacturing operations into four major functional areas, later adopted by VDI 5600 and the IEC 62264 series:

1. Production Operations Management – Order dispatching, scheduling, and performance tracking

2. Quality Operations Management – Inspection planning, SPC, traceability, deviation handling

3. Maintenance Operations Management – Equipment status, downtime analysis, preventive actions

4. Inventory Operations Management – Material flow, work-in-progress, stock levels

Together, these domains describe the core scope of any MES—and form the foundation for the functional cluster of manufacturing software.

Data and Interface Standards: B2MML & OPC UA

ISA-95 is not just conceptual; it defines how data should be exchanged in practice. Two key technologies bring it to life:

B2MML (Business-to-Manufacturing Markup Language)

An XML implementation of ISA-95 created by the World Batch Forum.
It provides standard schemas for messages such as production orders, schedules, and performance results—making ERP-MES communication transparent and consistent across vendors.

OPC UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture)

The de-facto standard for secure OT/IT communication.
It transmits real-time machine data, metadata, and events through a unified information model.
Combined with ISA-95, OPC UA enables true semantic interoperability—from sensors to enterprise dashboards.

ISA-95 in Practice

Manufacturers use ISA-95 as a blueprint for designing scalable, maintainable IT/OT architectures.

Typical applications include:

• MES rollouts across heterogeneous plants – ensuring uniform functionality and data semantics

• ERP-MES integration – using standardized objects for orders, bills of materials, and feedback

• Global reporting – harmonized KPIs across business units and suppliers

• Legacy modernization – connecting existing SCADA systems via OPC UA gateways

Example:
An automotive supplier integrates its SAP ERP with a modern MES through B2MML messages.
Production orders are dispatched automatically to lines; completion data flows back into ERP without custom mapping—reducing integration effort by 60 %.

Linking ISA-95, VDI 5600, and Industry 4.0

ISA-95 and VDI 5600 complement each other:

• ISA-95 defines structure and data flow;

• VDI 5600 defines functional scope.

Together, they form the basis of Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM).
Industry 4.0 extends this model through semantic standards such as the Asset Administration Shell (AAS) and Digital Twin concepts—essentially the next evolution of ISA-95’s framework.

Best Practices for ISA-95 Implementation

1. Start with information modeling: Define the data objects before selecting systems.

2. Use standardized formats: Combine B2MML and OPC UA to avoid custom integrations.

3. Maintain semantic consistency: Ensure identical naming and IDs across all systems.

4. Establish governance: Keep ISA-95 models under revision control and aligned with business goals.

5. Scale iteratively: Begin with a pilot line and extend step-by-step across sites.

Subtle Product Context

Many cloud-native MES platforms adopt the ISA-95 model as their architectural backbone.
Solutions such as SYMESTIC implement these principles to connect ERP, MES, and shop-floor data seamlessly—enabling fast deployment, standard interfaces, and scalable performance.

Conclusion

ISA-95 remains the architectural foundation of digital manufacturing.
It provides a shared vocabulary and structure for integrating automation, MES, and enterprise systems—ensuring interoperability, shorter project times, and long-term investment protection.
For any company aiming to build a future-proof smart factory, ISA-95 is the map that keeps complexity under control.