HomeGeneral InformationSociety Leader ResourcesSocietySociety Leaders' BRIEF

The Society Leaders’ BRIEF

Volume 1   Issue 3 – June 2006

ISA is fortunate to have over 1,200 volunteers working in the various leadership roles available via society units – Sections, Districts, Divisions, Standards – and the society itself. Although dedicated to a particular activity, we are one organization in pursuit of a common objective: serving the membership and industries we represent. To be most effective as a leader, a broad range of information about society happenings is needed. The Society Leaders’ BRIEF, a bi-monthly resource, is intended to draw your attention to the facts that can enable and empower your volunteer service.

The tie that binds….

EXPO 2006  – 17-19 October – Houston, Texas. During these days, ISA will be at the Reliant Center offering a conference and exhibits that cover the broad field of automation. This is the event that brings the total of ISA interests together – every society unit is aware of the event. Whether your personal interest is in Divisions, Sections, or Standards development, you will find fellow ISA Members and industry professionals with whom you can share your thoughts. Before you go to your next ISA activity or get that call from a curious acquaintance, take a look at the Resources for ISA Leaders that may help you answer questions and promote your profession. The address is http://www.isa.org/ISALeadersResources OR going to www.isa.org , look in the left navigation bar under Products and Services>Conferences & Exhibits>ISA EXPO 2006. Get the word out and keep your constituency informed.

What’s in a name?....

Have you heard? The spring and fall business meeting is no longer called the President’s Meeting. Seems there was a lot of confusion about who was to attend. Some thought that you had to be a President of some kind to participate. Actually, the working committees of the society meet during this time, plus a lot of leader training goes on. In truth, all ISA leaders and interested members are invited to participate. To foster a better understanding of the spring and fall meeting, the name has been changed to the Spring/Fall Leaders Meeting. Information about the Fall Leaders Meeting, including registration, can be found at www.isa.org. Look in the left navigation bar under General Information>Leadership Resources>Governance>Leaders Meetings>Fall Meeting. Or go to: http://www.isa.org/FallMeeting. Of course, next spring you’ll go to the same place to find details about the Spring Leaders Meeting. Be sure to share this information in your newsletters and conversations.

Fisher’s Batch Legacy Continues – A little history….

The late Thomas G. Fisher had a vision. According to Bill Hawkins, co-author of ISA’s newly released version of Fisher’s book, Batch Control Systems: Design, Application, and Implementation, 2nd Edition, this vision led to the formation of the ISA SP88 committee in 1988 and to the subsequent development of the batch automation standards. In the book’s dedication to the memory of Mr. Fisher it states, “Without Tom’s leadership and vision, there would be no ANSI/ISA-88.01-1995, Batch Control Part 1: Models and Terminology, he is therefore rightfully known as the Father of Batch Automation.”

So what is the ISA 88 series? For the uninitiated, the ISA 88 series is made up of five documents with some still under development. The first four parts are defined as follows:

• Models and Terminology defines reference models for batch control as used in manufacturing automation industries and terminology that helps explain the relationships between those models and terms.
• Data Structures and Guidelines for Languages defines data models that describe batch control as applied in the manufacturing automation industries, data structures for facilitating communications within and between batch control implementations, and language guidelines for representing recipes.
• General and Site Recipe Models and Representation defines a model for general and site recipes; the activities that describe the use of general and site recipes within a company and across companies; a representation of general and site recipes; and a data model of general and site recipes.
• Batch Production Records defines a reference model for batch production records containing information about production of batches or elements of batch production.

 “ISA 88 is important for several reasons,” states Hawkins, “but is best known because it has been proven to deliver measurable benefits when properly applied to define and implement batch process automation.”

In the book’s preface, Hawkins sums up the standard’s process best when he says, “Most of us know that standards do not create themselves. Strong leadership is required, with extra skill in herding cats that all want to go their own way. Creative leadership is required when no standard exists. …Perhaps it is more accurate to think of laying bricks in a wall. Many people have worked on batch process control over the years, each laying one or more bricks to contribute to the height of the wall. …SP88 has laid a lot of brick, more or less straight and level, but the wall isn’t done yet.”

Thanks to the continued hard work and dedicated leadership of the SP88 committee members, Fisher’s vision lives on.

ISA’s grass roots….

ISA’s grass roots are its Members – wherever they live and however they are connected to ISA. These grass roots Members have various views and opinions of the society that largely reflect their direct, personal experience of ISA activities, products, or services. The influence of activities comes from the society units led by volunteers in Divisions, Districts, Departments, or Sections. Additionally, it may come from benefits realized from doing business with ISA through our web site. And remember, there are oversight committees of Members keeping an eye on those products and services. Regardless of the point of influence, all ISA Members joined for career reasons – to enhance their professional standing.

As an ISA leader, your goal is to feed the need for professional growth with information and guidance from the specific leadership position you hold. As you expand your own awareness of ISA and all that it has to offer the membership and industry, you increase your effectiveness as a leader, because you are in a better position to recommend a standard for a certain business problem or direct an employee to a Division symposium that will be of particular use. By sharing what you know at just the time it is needed, you will be recognized as a “go to” person. Never be shy about speaking up when you know ISA has an answer for a problem. And make an effort to stay ISA aware – continue to read the Society BRIEF, of course, but why not check out an area of the web site that you’ve never visited. You just might learn something new.

If you would like to suggest or submit for consideration content for the Society Leaders' BRIEF, Laura Crumpler will be happy to hear from you: 919-990-9232 or lcrumpler@isa.org