Artificial Intelligence Notice: ISA prohibits the entry of any ISA intellectual property (“ISA IP”), including standards, publications, training or other materials into any form of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT. Additionally, creating derivatives of ISA IP using AI is also prohibited without express written permission from ISA’s CEO. In the case of such use, ISA will suspend a licensee’s access to ISA IP, and further legal action will be considered. Please review ISA's policies for Use of AI Tools, Intellectual Property and Terms and Conditions for further information or contact permissions@isa.org.
When a critical decision can affect safety, cybersecurity, cost or performance for years to come, the guidance behind that decision matters.
ISA standards give you access to guidance developed by experts across the automation industry. With more than 150 consensus standards and guidelines shaped by the contributions of more than 3,000 experts worldwide, you can make better decisions and apply requirements more consistently.
What is a Standard?
A standard gives you a common set of requirements for a process, system, product or material. It gives teams a shared basis for decision-making and execution, drawing on knowledge and experience from across the industry.
ISA standards are developed through a consensus process. Experts contribute their technical knowledge and experience, review proposed requirements and work together to reach an agreement on the requirements that become part of the standard.
ISA standards are voluntary documents, not government regulations. They may be referenced in regulations, and private contracts may also require adherence to specific ISA standards.
Put Industry Knowledge to Work
Standards help you apply established knowledge rather than develop requirements from scratch. They can help you:
• Increase human safety
• Improve communication across teams
• Reduce design and implementation costs
• Support component and system interchangeability
• Reduce downtime and maintenance costs
• Reduce the need to maintain large inventories
• Protect the natural environment
The value goes beyond having a set of requirements to follow. Standards give you a common foundation for making decisions, communicating expectations and carrying work from design through operation.
More Than Standards
ISA also develops two types of informative documents to help you understand and apply its standards. These documents support the work of ISA standards committees but do not have the normative standing of an ISA standard.
Recommended Practices (RPs) provide guidance that may be followed or adopted for specific applications within the scope of an ISA standards committee.
Technical Reports (TRs) provide informative material and guidance to help you understand and apply an existing standard or explore a topic within the scope of an ISA standards committee.
Built on Industry Expertise
Accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), ISA develops standards through a process that brings together experts from across the automation industry.
Experts from more than 40 countries participate in standards committees. They contribute technical knowledge and experience, review proposed requirements and work toward consensus before a standard is approved.
ANSI is a nonprofit organization, not a government agency. Participation is open to experts from any country, and you do not have to be an ISA member to contribute.
For us, international standardization at ISA is a rare opportunity to have asset owners, integrators, manufacturers and service providers sit at the same table, discuss their daily challenges, and find consensus how to address them. That’s why we happily volunteer to bring the perspective of admeritia’s customers into ISA’s cybersecurity standards. —admeritia
In the ever-changing world of technology surrounding automation and control systems, having a reliable resource for guidance, standards, and subject matter expertise is invaluable. As an OEM of assembly equipment, AGR has greatly benefited from the insights and information provided by ISA. These resources have been instrumental in equipping and enabling our machines with the technology infrastructure required to integrate them into an Industry 4.0 solution. —AGR
Based on over half of the documents having direct applicability to our business we went ahead with the purchase of a license to the entire library and have subsequently maintained our license. Having ready access to the library for all engineering personnel has helped to streamline work processes and enhance the quality of technical decisions which supports the safety and reliability of our operations.
—Enbridge
ISA consensus industry standards and associated training and certification programs have had a major impact in advancing safety, efficiency and understanding across the globe. Kenexis is proud to be part of these vital ISA programs. —Kenexis
At Rhize Manufacturing Data Hub, we view ISA-95 as more than a standard: it is an ontology to describe a manufacturing process. Through our participation in ISA, we have been able to make recommendations that advance both our offering and the power of the standard. The ability to collaborate with other ISA-95 practitioners is invaluable. —Rhize
One of the most impactful contributions of ISA has been its leadership in establishing Alarm Management as an international standard. Without ISA's dedicated efforts, this critical aspect of automation may not have gained the widespread adoption and recognition it enjoys today. We also deeply appreciate ISA's inclusive approach to standards development. By welcoming broad participation in standards development, ISA fosters a spirit of collaboration and innovation that benefits the entire industry. ISA is more than an organization, it's a community that empowers professionals to grow, innovate, and make a lasting impact. —TiPS
UCDS recognizes the significant contribution ISA makes to the global automation community. As a consulting company, we leverage the many consensus standards that ISA produces to ensure our clients are provided the best possible guidance to maintain safe and profitable operations. —User Centered Design Services
Willowglen continues to participate in and support ISA and the international standards development process as we have greatly value the opportunity to work with ISA to collaborate with leading automation experts to develop internationally recognized standards in key areas as SCADA, industrial cybersecurity, documentation and functional safety; all of which are core to delivering integrated automation systems across multiple industries. —Willowglen Systems
