Over the years, advancements in control and enterprise technology have promised to give manufacturers the competitive edge they need to survive in a difficult economy. But applying technology without the context of standard processes and best practices can cause more harm than good, especially given the current circumstances manufacturers are up against: global competition, lean operations, and a whittled-down workforce. Without standards, manufacturers can spend the majority of their time trying to figure out how to use technology productively, rather than leveraging its inherent capabilities.
Nobody knows that better than Dennis Brandl, chief consultant at BR&L Consulting, who, over the past 20 years, has worked tirelessly, effectively, and voluntarily to define industry standards to help manufacturers become more productive.
Brandl has played central roles in two key standards: the ISA-88 standard for batch control and the evolving ISA-95 standard for integration between enterprise and control systems. Both have been developed under the aegis of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), which is a part of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), a network of national standards institutes across 157 countries. These groups are on a mission to help automation professionals deal with the rapid pace of change by applying standards to each process. For its part, ANSI enlists the help of ISA, a non-profit group that develops open automation standards.
With Brandl's considerable help, ISA-88 and ISA-95 are moving manufacturing forward in an organized manner and improving business. Indeed, when the ISA-88 batch standard has been applied, companies have seen a 30% improvement in productivity, Brandl says. And he should know, because he wrote the book on it.