Strategy

ARC STRATEGIES
By Dave Woll, Larry O'Brien,

Dick Hill, and Paul Miller
MARCH 2011
Evolving Collaborative Process Automation

Systems Create New Opportunities
Executive Overview .................................................................... 3
CPAS Goes Beyond the Scope of Traditional DCS............................. 4
CPAS Vision and Guiding Principles................................................ 5
CPAS Functional and Logical Views ................................................ 8
CPAS Application Levels..............................................................11
Standards and Technology in CPAS ..............................................13
Where Is CPAS Headed? .............................................................16
Recommendations .....................................................................20
VISION, EXPERIENCE, ANSWERS FOR INDUSTRY
ARC Strategies March 2011
From
DCS
To
CPAS
Plant Business
Operations
ISA 95.01
Definition
Business
Production
Definition
Business
Work
Processes
Production Production Production

Capability
Plan
Information
Manufacturing Operations
Management Applications
Manuf acturing
Work
Processes
Continuous
Batch
Logic
Sensors, Actuators and Logical Devices
Process
CPAS Functional View
Value
(ROA)
Operational
Excellence
Flawless Execution
Effectiveness
Agility
Performance
Intelligence
Autonomous Automation
Explicit Execution
Work Process Facilitation
Common Contextual Information
Common Infrastructure
Automation
Asset
Management
Functionally
Transparent &
Logically Concise
Data Certainty
& Contextual
Information
CPAS Guiding Principles
2 Copyright ARC Advisory Group ARCweb.com
ISA 88
Control & Monitoring
Executive Overview
In 2002, ARC coined the term, Collaborative Process Automation Systems, or CPAS, to describe the vision of how process automation
systems should evolve. The initial report we published at the time (a rather
voluminous ARC study), represented the culmination of extensive research
into the state-of-the-art process control system. The goal was to identify
available technologies, standards, and principles available at the time to
The goal of ARCs initial CPAS report
was to identify available technologies,
standards, and principles available at
the time to describe what a process
automation system could and should
be, based on end user needs.
describe what a process automation system could

and should be, based on end user needs. It became
one of ARCs most successful reports.
Late last year, ARC issued an updated report,
CPAS 2.0, which adds clarity; fine-tunes the vision
based on evolving user requirements, applications,
and technology; provides a glimpse into where we believe CPAS is heading; and attempts to explain what this means to automation end users and
suppliers alike. For more information on the updated CPAS 2.0 study,
readers can contact their ARC Client Manager, send an e-mail to
info@arcweb.com, or visit our website at www.arcweb.com/res/cpas.
Process manufacturing encompasses chemicals; petroleum; coal; textiles
and apparel; metal; wood; minerals; paper; printing and publishing; and
consumables such as food, pharmaceuticals, beverages and tobacco. Eight
years after ARC published the first edition of our very popular CPAS
study; the process industry faces even more challenges than it did at the
beginning of the 21st century. Based on numerous engagements with end
user clients over the years, ARC has identified ten reoccurring issues related to automations potential impact on their evolving business
requirements:
1. How can we achieve and sustain exceptional business performance?
2. How do we increase asset reliability?
3. How do we reduce complexity and customization?
4. How can we create a proactive culture to capitalize on unforeseen opportunities?
5. How do we buffer our business from unprecedented external?
6. How do we unify business and manufacturing with a common business
plan?
Copyright ARC Advisory Group ARCweb.com 3
7. How can automation help satisfy health, safety, and environment requirements?
8. How do we protect our companys critical infrastructure from cyber
attacks?
9. How do I deal with demographic issues associated with the aging
workforce?
10. How much value can we potentially obtain from automation?
This ARC Strategy Report briefly addresses each of these issues.
CPAS Goes Beyond the Scope of

Traditional DCS
Readers should think of CPAS as an application-enabling environment for
process control, advanced process control, and operations management applications, plus human empowerment applications such as decision
support and advanced analytics. CPAS expands the
CPAS expands the vision beyond
the traditional distributed control
system (DCS) scope, presenting an
environment designed for agility
and adaptability.
vision beyond the traditional distributed control system

(DCS) scope, presenting an environment designed for
agility and adaptability. CPAS is the product of several
decades of technological process automation evolution,
each with its specific characteristics and focus.
CPAS spans from sensors and actuators to ERP interfaces. To minimize

confusion, CPAS does not recognize software such as MES or HMI SCADA
as subsystems, but rather, addresses these as classes of applications. Within
the constraints of the IEC61131-3 programming and configuration standard,
CPAS incorporates a single model with distributed processing and shared
services. It is data-driven, all-digital, and based on true international standards. Inherently robust, CPAS delivers high accuracy with low total cost
of ownership (TCO) and supports a high level of collaboration.
End users of process automation systems want to have technology that can
easily adapt to the business environment changes. We believe that CPAS
2.0 describes just such a system. Suppliers want to provide their customer
the best technical solutions, while at the time give them compelling reasons
to return to them in the future for more innovative ways to meet their business requirements.
We believe that CPAS 2.0 removes most of the
technology roadblocks and dead-ends that have hindered some suppliers in

the past.
ARC believes that the industry is mature and ready for game-changing
ideas in the expanded roll of the process automation system. Suppliers and
owner/operators alike should understand that CPAS 2.0 goes far beyond
the traditional definition of a distributed control system (DCS), and uses a
very broad definition of automation. CPAS 2.0 makes every attempt to
break down artificial barriers to allow information to flow as required to
accomplish the required purpose.
Users and suppliers alike should understand that CPAS is not a singlesupplier environment, but a combination of structure, technologies, and
guiding principles that allow it to act as if a single supplier provided it.
Both users and suppliers can then focus on what they need to be best at
providing for their prospective customers.
CPAS Vision and Guiding Principles

When the benefits of utilizing information technologies in process plants
became obvious, the major process automation companies all brought new
systems to market. This marked the evolution to the next generation of automation systems. Each system differed, based on how a specific supplier
viewed the problems to be solved and its perceived solutions to those problems.
This led to a period of confusion for users during which several major operating companies retained ARC to draft the vision for a system that
supported process control, advanced process control, and operations management
applications,
complemented
by
human
empowerment
applications such as decision support and advanced analytics. This vision

needed to include general guiding principles, while also providing enough
detail to allow in-depth internal discussions as well as productive problemsolution discussions with external suppliers. This effort resulted in the Collaborative Process Automation System, or CPAS, which continues to evolve
based on new user requirements and new enabling technologies and applications.

ARC established guiding principles for applying collaborative process automation to create the functional requirements, architecture, and
technology choices for CPAS. We view these principles as a layered structure, with each subsequent principle supporting those above it.
Value
(ROA)
Operational
Excellence
Flawless Execution
Effectiveness
Agility
Performance
Intelligence
Autonomous Automation
Explicit Execution
Work Process Facilitation
Common Contextual Information
Common Infrastructure
Automation
Asset
Management
Functionally
Transparent &
Logically Concise
Data Certainty
& Contextual
Information
Return on Assets (ROA) - Value Definition
ARC believes process automation offers the potential to deliver significant

unrealized return on assets (ROA) throughout a process plant. However,
most users purchase process automation systems to stay technologically
current and reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) to minimize risk, rather
than to achieve continuous improvement and associated economic gains.
ARC also believes the project-oriented nature of acquiring automation
tends to mask appreciation for the true contribution process automation
can make to ROA. This is because the project ends before the contribution
is realized and overall project ROA does not recognize benefits achieved
from process automation. The absence of a return on investment (ROI)
feedback mechanism and a common business basis for measuring performance between business and manufacturing systems further complicates
the issue.
The Race for Operational Excellence (OpX)
Operational excellence is the first supporting layer to ROA. Operational

excellence delivers measurable performance improvements by focusing on
doing more with less as well as working more effectively and reducing cost.
OpX results from more people making better decisions more often. The
OpX continuous improvement methodology reinforces the concept that
OpX is an ongoing process.
Effectiveness, Agility, and Visualization
Effectiveness, agility, and performance visualization are keys to operational

excellence. Effectiveness and agility support the principle of flawless operation. Research shows that, on average, process plants in North America
operate at less than Four Sigma performance levels.
Automate and Empower
By automating everything that should be automated, plants can ensure that

manual tasks will be executed based on best practices every time, all the
time. It also provides time for worker empowerment, providing the opportunity for these knowledge workers to perform more value-adding
functions.
Automation Asset Management
Because CPAS is based on standards, it can support a mixed supplier environment, with each application having its own configuration and system
management facility. Traditionally, each DCS employed a proprietary sysCPAS provides an open platform and a
mixed supplier environment.
A unified
automation asset management facility for

configuration management and system
health addresses the issue of multiple
system and configuration facilities.
tem and configuration management environment.
CPAS, in contrast, provides an open
platform and a mixed supplier environment. In

this environment, each application has its own
system and configuration management.
With
CPAS, a unified automation asset management

facility for configuration management and sys-
tem health addresses the issue of multiple system and configuration facilities. Configuration management includes an audit trail, priority access, and
failsafe configurations for all applications and devices in the system. Ultimately, this function will become part of the operating system as an
advanced application executive.
Functionally Transparent and Logically Concise
Applications need to interoperate directly across a work process, without

requiring intermediate databases or gateways. By removing barriers, applications can operate in tight, but open, configurations.
Tight
configuration refers to operation inside of a unified communications environment. To be efficient, applications also need to be logically concise in
the way they perform their functions. The unified communication environment allows the applications to be functionally transparent. Unified
relates to minimization of gateways and a reliance of standards.
Data Certainty and Traceability
Data and information represents CPAS blood flow. At any point in time,
up to 10 percent of the device signals can be inaccurate for one reason or
another. Therefore, it is important for this data to have associated quality
tags. Dependent variable data should also have quality tags. In the regulated industries product constituents must be traceable through their
processes, thus CPAS also accommodates traceability functions.
CPAS Functional and Logical Views

When discussing CPAS, ARC often finds it helpful to present functional
and application views separately to avoid confusion.
Functional View
From a functional view, with CPAS there are only two systems in a process
plant: the business system and the automation system, each with different
classes of applications. CPAS is the automation system. Unlike distributed
control systems of the past, CPAS is not hierarchical.
This is because Ethernet TCP/IP allows it to collapse onto a single communications backbone with all applications, including the field devices, able to
exchange data and information without barriers. This satisfies the CPAS
principle of a common infrastructure, functionally transparent, logically
concise and standards based. TCP/IP includes a protocol stack and manages the communications. This satisfies the CPAS principle of no artificial
barriers to information. However, there are some good reasons for having
some structure, such as consistency, deterministic operation, and clarity.
The ISA88 Reference Model provides this structure for process control applications and the ISA95 Reference Model provides the structure for
operations management applications. A third international standard, IEC
61131-3, organizes and prescribes the use of the five most commonly used
process control languages to provide structure for programming and configuration. Together, these standards help facilitate the CPAS principle of
flawless execution.
From
DCS
To
CPAS
Plant Business
Operations
ISA 95.01
Definition
Business
Production
Definition
Business
Work
Processes
Production Production Production

Capability
Plan
Information
Manufacturing Operations
Management Applications
Manuf acturing
Work
Processes
Continuous
Batch
Logic
Sensors, Actuators and Logical Devices
ISA 88
Control & Monitoring
Process
CPAS Functional View
Global data access (GDA) adds another dimension to data and information
management across CPAS.
Object management (OM) for data services
enables GDA.
Logical View
From a logical perspective, the CPAS architecture centers on the common
information infrastructure, or single communications backbone.
Since
Ethernet TCP/IP has become the standard networking protocol for business, manufacturing, and personal use, it can serve as the single logical
communications backbone. While security components provide some separation, this remains a common backbone for all practical purposes.
This standards-based architecture will have a long lifecycle, and for the first
time, supports an evolutionary approach to system upgrades and subse-
quent new generations of systems that suppliers inevitably bring to the

market. In the past, these were replacement events.
This architecture supports a wide variety of functionality. For example, it
provides a native architecture for interfacing to wireless local area networks
(LANs). The standards-based FOUNDATION fieldbus for process control and
Profibus and DeviceNet for logical control are easily interfaced through
linking devices. Application-specific appliances such as analyzers, tracking
devices and others can also be easily interfaced. Application servers supporting mission-critical applications interface through redundant channels;
with loosely coupled, non-mission-critical applications interfaced through
OPC. And finally, since they share the same logical backbone, business systems and automation systems can communicate natively.
Business
Systems
Ethernet
Production Management
Process
Visualization
Wireless
Firewall
FT (Option)
OPC
APIs
Common Information Infrastructure

OM
OM
Profibus
FOUNDATION
fieldbus
Process Control
DeviceNet
Application
Specific
Appliances
PAC
Other Buses
Discrete Control
Logical View
Although CPAS is a single model with distributed processing, the configuration standard (IEC61131-3) utilized in CPAS requires the use of common
services, primarily system management and master time. System management
monitors the health of the system and reports any abnormalities. Master
time provides the basis for all time stamps in the system; synchronized to
the network time protocol in TCP/IP. Both these shared services reside on
a station in the system with a provision for each to be automatically reconstituted on a backup station if the primary station fails.
CPAS Application Levels

Rather than attempt to discuss all applications that CPAS supports, this section focuses on those ARC feels are pivotal.
We discuss structured
applications at an abstract level, and unstructured applications in more de-
LEVEL 1
LEVEL 2
LEVEL 3
LEVEL 4
tail to provide a basis for implementation.
Manufacturing
Operations Management
Dispatching Production, Detailed
Production Scheduling, Reliability
Assurance, etc.
Business Planning
and Logistics
Plant Production Scheduling,
Operational Managem ent, etc.
Business Applications
Supervisory Applications
Control & Monitoring Applications

Discrete
Control
Continuous
Control
Batch
Control
Field Applications
ISA95 Application Levels
The primary purpose of CPAS is to support applications, because applications (rather than hardware) deliver the value to users. CPAS is comprised
of various classes of applications. Level 1 field applications include those
associated with manufacturing assets. Level 2 control and monitoring applications are defined within the ANSI/ISA88 standard. Level 3 operations
management applications, including the integration to business systems,
are defined within the ANSI/ISA95 standard. Level 4 business applications
are outside the scope of CPAS.
Level 1: Field Applications

CPAS utilizes a real-time, data-driven approach to achieve optimal performance.
This entails use of comprehensive, state-of-the-art proven field
instrumentation, incorporating game-changing innovation, where appro-
priate. CPAS utilizes wireless sensing wherever practical, with standard

wired bus technology used for mission-critical communications.
Level 2: Control and Monitoring Applications

In the past, users often did not consider many potential opportunities to
automate because the ROI did not always justify the investment. ARC believes this is an unacceptable arrangement; that above a reasonable
threshold, automation suppliers should always be able to offer users an automation solution they can readily cost-justify.
This requires CPAS
suppliers to offer their automation solutions in a fully scalable manner that

enables users to pay only for the specific control functionality required for
any particular application. Scalability should apply to all basic measures of
robustness such as capacity, performance, availability, I/O, environmental
hardening and others. CPAS emphasizes the need for a high correlation
between cost and functionality.
Level 3: Supervisory (Operations Management)

Applications
As described by ISA95, manufacturing operations management (MOM)
refers to applying collaborative manufacturing principles to manage manufacturing processes. These processes include applications that deal with
production issues such as quality, quantity, material utilization, and energy
management. Production management level applications that deal with
production asset utilization, availability, and condition management are
also included. The following is a list of significant operations management
applications:
Detailed Production Scheduling
Production Resource Management
Production Dispatching
Product Definition Management
Production Execution
Production Data Collection
Production Tracking
Production Performance Analysis
Maintenance Operations
Quality Assurance Operations
Inventory Operations
Inventory Operations/Transfer Tracking
Management of Security
Management of Configuration
Management of Documents
Management of Regulatory Compliance
Level 3/4: Operations to Enterprise Connectivity

Over the past few decades, the automation middle ground of operations
management applications has been random, disjointed, and the source for a
great deal of unnecessary cost, complexity, and confusion. Recognizing this,
ISA developed the ISA95 Enterprise/Control System Integration Specification.
Order
Processing
(F1.0)
Product Cost
Accounting
(F8.0)
Procurement
(F5.0)
international standard (IEC 62264). Both

Product
Inventory
Control(F7.0)
Production
Scheduling
(F2.0)
Material and
Energy Control
(F4.0)
The IEC subsequently adapted ISA95 as an
Product
Shipping Admin
(F9.0)
Production
Control
(F3.0)
Maintenance
Management
(F10.0)
Quality
Assurance
(F6.0)
are based on the familiar Perdue University Automation Reference Model.

Manufacturers typically use multiple
production
management
applications
from different suppliers, making integraResearch

Development
& Engineering
ISA95 Reference Model
Marketing
& Sales
tion
complex
and
expensive
implement and maintain.
to
The ISA95
specifications are intended to reduce in-
tegration costs by encouraging commonality in terms and models across

software supplier products and end user reference architectures.
The ISA95 specifications standardize terminology, concepts, and models for
integrating manufacturing operations functions with enterprise functions.
The integration focus is on connecting the production scheduling processes,
which are spread over both enterprise-level products and production-level
products. The specifications also include the detailed production plans,
status, and reporting that are passed back to the enterprise applications.
Standards and Technology in CPAS

ISA and IEC: Leaders in Standards for CPAS
The issues that CPAS covers range from field instruments and device integration to process control; safety and security; and integration with
business systems, the supply chain, and engineering. CPAS recognizes that
integration of previously separate domains does not stop with operations

management. Although the International Society of Automation (ISA) and
the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) are not the only source
for standards necessary to fulfill the evolving requirements for CPAS, they
provide essential building blocks.
Internet Standards Play Increasingly Important Role

Also, with the Internets triumph in everyday life, there is so much momentum behind the basic Internet technologies and standards that they can
hardly be overlooked in process automation. People are used to the Internet way of doing things and powerful tools and techniques exist that can be
reused for process automation. As CPAS evolves into its second generation
(CPAS 2.0), Internet standards and technologies will play an increasingly
important role.
The following is a list of some of the key standards and technologies that
form CPAS 2.0:
ISA95 defines terminology, functional models for operations management and information exchange objects.
ISA88 is an important standard for providing a definition library and

structure for batch process operation, and is a building block for other
activities such as packaging machine automation and modular procedural automation for continuous process operations.
IEC 61131 defines programming languages for programmable controllers and is an essential part of CPAS process control level.
ISA S18.02 outlines best practices for alarm strategy development for
both new plants and existing facilities. The standard also builds on the
fine work already done by the Abnormal Situation Management Consortium (ASM) and the Engineering Equipment and Materials Users
Association (EEMUA), and NAMUR.
ISA84 provides the original safety standard.
IEC 61511 provides best safety practices for all users to follow in the
implementation of a modern Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS).
IEC 61508 safety standard is divided into seven parts, starting with
general safety requirements to specific system and software requirements and guidelines to applications.
ARC suggests that when
evaluating a safety system, a user should select one certified by an independent third party, such as Factory Mutual (FM) or TV.
ISA S99 committee is chartered to develop new standards governing

the integration of common safety and security practices that prevent
dangerous situations and unwanted shutdowns in process control systems.
IEC 61850 has been developed to assist in the integration of electrical

equipment with process automation systems.
IEC 61346 encompasses the world of object-based systems. The standard uses the following important concepts for structuring: object,
aspect, and structure. Structuring provides a way to organize the objects of a system in a systematic way to facilitate all activities that need
to be performed during the entire life cycle of that system.
IEC 61158 defines an 8-part standard for field networks. Of particular

importance to CPAS is FOUNDATION Fieldbus, which provides CPAS
Process Control Infrastructure.
HART (Highway Addressable Remote Transducer) is a master-slave

field communications protocol that represents the majority of analog
field devices installed in plants worldwide.
EDDL is a text-based language for describing the digital communication characteristics of intelligent field devices and is part of IEC 61804
standard for device integration.
FDT (Field Device Tool) technology standardizes the communication

interface between field devices and systems.
OPC and OPC UA (Universal Architecture) provides application-toapplication connectivity. Before OPC was available, application software providers had to develop hundreds of proprietary drivers and
application programming interfaces (APIs).
Ethernet is now integrated into process automation systems, forming

the basis for CPAS communication.
XML (Extensible Markup Language) has already found its way into
CPAS enabling technologies, ISA95, OPC UA, and AutomationML.
Web services and SOA (service-oriented architecture) information technology already widely used by companies like SAP (NetWeaver), IBM,
Microsoft, Google, Amazon and many others. In process automation,
standards like OPC-UA and ISA95 are starting to be based on web services.
Wireless Network Technologies: Three technologies can be considered

for wireless connection of process control systems: Bluetooth, Wireless
LAN, and 3G wireless. Each has its own considerations, problems, and
benefits. Standards such as ISA100 and WirelessHART are addressing
the wireless field device communication trend.
Where Is CPAS Headed?

In most of the twenty-year periods of the Twentieth Century, we saw revolutionary innovation in the process automation market. However, that was
not the case in the last twenty years. Remember, the DCS came on the
scene in 1975 and smart field devices arrived about five years later. Since
then, ARC has seen incremental innovation, but nothing revolutionary.
With this in mind, we recast the request for ARCs view into the future of
process automation systems as an effort to identify innovation we think the
market needs to consider in the near future. In each instance, case we will
provide evidence that each example is not a technical challenge, but a challenge of progress.
Smart Field Devices Are Not Smart Enough

Fifty to seventy-five percent of field device downtime is caused by lack of
confidence in measurements. The current generation of smart field devices
can convey their health in absolute terms. Most industries have found this
acceptable, since its a heck of a lot better than having to sending a maintenance technician out to the field to check out an instrument. However,
we feel process industries users could benefit substantially from a quantitative measurement of the health of a smart device is and, if there is an issue,
and indication of how long the device will continue to operate at an acceptable level.
When Will Distributed Control Systems Become Truly

Distributed?
Manufacturing challenges are changing and automation must change to
stay in control. We now deal with a high degree of uncertainty in an increasingly dynamic environment.
Manufacturing assets continue to
become more costly to purchase. Expansions to existing manufacturing

assets are expensive and almost impossible to replace. The availability and
skills of the next-generation work force is in question and solutions appear
to be inherently complex and extraordinarily expensive. While users can
view automation as a solution to a certain degree, automation systems
could potentially provide much more benefit if the functionality could be
freely distributed to where it was needed and could do the most good.
Future Requirements Need Intelligent Agents

Manufacturing challenges continue to change and the IEC 61131-3 standard
as it exists now will not be able to satisfy the execution semantics and new
requirements for a truly distributed and flexible automation system. IEC
61131-3 systems rely on the centralized programmable control model with
cyclically scanned program execution. Future distributed control systems
IEC 61499 will shape the next
generation automation systems,
facilitate manufacturing agents, and
mark the beginning of the future.
may have two or more programmable control models existing in two or more environments.
IEC
61499, which will standardize software-based function blocks for distributed industrial process
measurement and control systems, will shape the
next generation automation systems, facilitate manufacturing agents, and

mark the beginning of the future.
Adaptivity for CPAS 2.0

The computer science term, adaptivity, characterizes a computer system
that adapts itself to changes in user-related or environmental characteristics. In the context of CPAS, adaptivity refers to the ability to change the
functional control level as a result an external trigger or a derived internal
need. This proposed capability provides the foundation for zero downtime automation systems and the utilization of autonomous agent and
similar technology.
True Platform Independence

IEC 61499 function blocks provide the Common Object Model, a fundamental core requirement of CPAS in the future. This functionality is designed
to be hardware platform-independent.
Untethered Control
The technology exists or is certainly feasible to make the basic control system a multi-supplier structure. For example, if the control system network
were based on FOUNDATION fieldbus, then just as the field instruments can
be from different suppliers, the process controllers could also be from different suppliers. In other words, you could mix and match hardware at the
control level in the same manner you can field devices at the H1 level.
On-line Version Upgrade

Usually a typical process automation system supplier has at least one major
version release every year. Unlike a maintenance release, a version release
is large; usually requiring the system to be taken out of service or a supplier
needs to bring in a sizable team do the upgrade with the system still operational.
In industrial environments, users do not want to interrupt
production, but the act of upgrade itself can cause problems. Virtually all
available industrial automation systems allow a two-step version upgrade
without shutting down. This is accomplished by loading the new version
into the redundant side then committing the new software to the primary
side of the system and the process. We feel this approach is unreasonably
risky and not practical. However, in most cases, shutting down the system
or hot upgrades have been the only two choices for users. We feel that it
is incumbent upon all suppliers to develop a more elegant and less risky
approach to on-line version upgrades.
Business Demand-to-Operations Planning

Developing a production plan that satisfies users business demands for
both accuracy and timeliness can be very challenging. Normally the integration of disparate information is largely custom work and essentially oneoff engineering very specialized from project to project. Again, the technology is not the primary issue; the technology is available and proven.
The primary issue is having common, well-understood, and welldocumented work processes leading to hand off the proper information.
Application Executive of the Future

One of the core functions of CPAS is the application executive that ensures
applications will run in a collaborative and synchronized way with other
applications, the system itself, and the personnel using the system. Today,
this is accomplished largely in a mixed environment of proprietary structures, de facto standards like Microsoft OS, and enabling technologies such
as OPC. Typically, one supplier is the acknowledged owner of the environment on which the applications reside and operate, even if this supplier
does not provide all the applications. This invariably creates challenges for
the initial integration of the various applications, and often creates problems when one application is upgraded resulting in the integration of
applications to fail.
One potential scenario for the future of the application environment is to
have this completely based on standards such that no single supplier has to
own the environment or platform for it to function properly. In this future vision, users would purchase applications from the supplier that
provided the best fit for his or her functions. The user would load the application into the system and it would auto-configure to adapt to the
specific operating system, communications protocols, and hardware requirements. The application executive would be part of the OS, and in fact
be available regardless of the physical location that the application was
loaded.
Of course, each application would still have to be configured to perform the
specific functions for the specific installation. For example, if the application required some real-time data from the plant, it would be a simple
matter of connecting the data point. If it required market information from
the ERP system, this too would be configurable. The application executive
would then ensure that the application runs properly at the right time and
with other applications in the combined system aware of its function.
Recommendations
While it has been almost ten years since ARC published our first comprehensive report on CPAS, the vision and guiding principles remain just as
relevant today as they did in 2002. With CPAS 2.0, ARC has fine-tuned the
vision and adapted the guiding principles to reflect the challenges faced by
todays process manufacturers and other large-scale industrial organizations.
In light of todays powerful, IT-fueled and internet-enabled technologies
and applications, ARC recommends that industrial automation system users re-evaluate their requirements and investigate how emerging CPAS 2.0
capabilities can help them improve their business performance, meet regulatory requirements, achieve sustainability objectives, improve safety, and
reduce risk. To do this, we suggest a five-step approach.
Assess Current Position

We have found that many manufacturers evolve their approach to process
automation from project to project. Between projects, they tend not to think
about their current installed systems from a strategic point of view. Fifteen
to twenty years (or more) can pass before personnel in a particular plant
might think about purchasing a new automation system. If this is the case
in your plant, we recommend that you determine the current reality of
your process automation system.
Although this assessment does not represent a commitment to make
changes, it is an important activity to undertake to understand where you
are. This is a team activity. Team members should be chosen not only as
decision makers, but also as the doers that, ultimately, will follow
through on the decisions they make, even if those decision are not imminent.
Determine Strategic Position

To determine strategically where you want to take your process automation
system, you first should consider what would be the ultimate position. The
ultimate position is not necessarily where you need to be now, but where
you would like be, if there were no constraints.
To assess your current and desired strategic positions properly, your team
needs to consist of more than the automation department. Operations and
maintenance, engineering, other stakeholders should also be involved. You
need to look at this as an opportunity to look up from the day-to-day details of running your plant with your current process automation systems
and answer the question, What would make the plant perform better for
the enterprise?
Strategy Filters
Strategic
Position
Ultimate
Position
Current
Reality
The Requirements Definition Process
Roadmap to Strategic Position

There may be several paths you could take to get to the strategic position.
In fact, each path needs to take into account possible scenarios or filters,
based on possible business, economic, and technology projections. Keep in
mind that the roadmap will not be perfect in any event. You need to build
in flexibility to be able to make adjustments in the future.
Consider Justification for Moving to Ultimate Position

Whether or not you are ready to actually consider options to move toward
your strategic position, it is important to consider how you would justify
making this change. This is where the team membership and team sponsorship becomes very important. You will not be able to move to your next
position, let alone your strategic position, unless management is behind
your approach.
Justification is based on understanding how the business will be better off if
the new position can be achieved. It is never too early to begin planning for
the justification step of your eventual move. These projects have capital
expenditure ROI targets and are meant to satisfy a unique set of KPIs.
Closing the Cycle

Closing the cycle means revisiting two correlations as a final due diligence
check. The first involves correlating your roadmap to justification. The
second is the on-going correlation of best choice to strategic solution in the
improvement. Whether or not you have funding to move forward toward
your strategic position, it is important to apply this test periodically to be
sure you still have the best vision and roadmap to get there.
By correlating the selection to the justification, the team and its management can be confident that they have identified the best available solution
that meets the original justification. For funded projects, this represents a
project-closing activity. However, by correlating the best strategic solution
with the best choice and the definition throughout the life of the production
facility, plants can make continuous improvements.
You Are Not Alone

Whether or not you are ready to start the journey to collaborative process
automation, this report should have at least got you to begin thinking along
those lines. While many tend to postpone making virtually any decisions
that involve capital expenditures until the very last moment, it is always a
good idea to have done some thinking in advance about potential options
and outcomes.
ARC will be glad to discuss this with you. ARCs recently published Collaborative Process Automation System 2.0 study provides a wealth of
information for both automation suppliers and end users. Once again, for
more information on the updated CPAS 2.0 study, readers can contact their
ARC client manager, send an e-mail to info@arcweb.com, or visit our website at www.arcweb.com/res/cpas.
Analysts: Dave Woll, Larry OBrien, Dick Hill

Editor: Paul Miller
Distribution: EAS and MAS Clients
Acronym Reference: For a complete list of industry acronyms, refer to our
web page at www.arcweb.com/Research/IndustryTerms/
API
Application Program Interface
IEC
ANSI American National Standards

Institute
Commission
ISA
ASM Abnormal Situation Management

CAS
Collaborative Automation System
International Electrotechnical
International Society of
Automation
IT
Information Technology
CMM Collaborative Management Model
KPI
Key Performance Indicator
CPAS Collaborative Process Automation

DCS
LAN
Local Area Network
System
MES
Manufacturing Execution System
Distributed Control System
OM
Object Management
OpX
Operational Excellence
EDDL Electronic Device Description

Language
OS
Operating System
ERP
Enterprise Resource Planning
PAC
Programmable Automation
FDT
Field Device Tool
Controller
GDA Global Data Access
ROA Return on Assets
HART Highway Addressable Remote

HMI
ROI
Return on Investment
Transducer
SOA
Service Oriented Architecture
Human Machine Interface
UA
Universal Architecture
Founded in 1986, ARC Advisory Group is the leading research and advisory
firm for industry. Our coverage of technology from business systems to product and asset lifecycle management, supply chain management, operations
management, and automation systems makes us the go-to firm for business
and IT executives around the world. For the complex business issues facing
organizations today, our analysts have the industry knowledge and first-hand
experience to help our clients find the best answers.
ARC Strategies is published monthly by ARC. All information in this report is
proprietary to and copyrighted by ARC. No part of it may be reproduced without prior permission from ARC.
You can take advantage of ARC's extensive ongoing research plus experience
of our staff members through our Advisory Services. ARCs Advisory Services
are specifically designed for executives responsible for developing strategies
and directions for their organizations. For membership information, please
call, fax, or write to:
ARC Advisory Group, Three Allied Drive, Dedham, MA 02026 USA
Tel: 781-471-1000, Fax: 781-471-1100, Email: info@arcweb.com
Visit our web pages at www.arcweb.com
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ARC STRATEGIES

By Dave Woll, Larry O'Brien,

Evolving Collaborative Process Automation

VISION, EXPERIENCE, ANSWERS FOR INDUSTRY

ARC Strategies March 2011

Production Production Production

Sensors, Actuators and Logical Devices

CPAS Functional View

Work Process Facilitation

Common Contextual Information

CPAS Guiding Principles

2 Copyright ARC Advisory Group ARCweb.com

Control & Monitoring

ARC Strategies March 2011

describe what a process automation system could

Copyright ARC Advisory Group ARCweb.com 3

ARC Strategies March 2011

CPAS Goes Beyond the Scope of

vision beyond the traditional distributed control system

CPAS spans from sensors and actuators to ERP interfaces. To minimize

We believe that CPAS 2.0 removes most of the

4 Copyright ARC Advisory Group ARCweb.com

ARC Strategies March 2011

technology roadblocks and dead-ends that have hindered some suppliers in

CPAS Vision and Guiding Principles

applications such as decision support and advanced analytics. This vision

Copyright ARC Advisory Group ARCweb.com 5

ARC Strategies March 2011

CPAS Guiding Principles

Work Process Facilitation

Common Contextual Information

CPAS Guiding Principles

Return on Assets (ROA) - Value Definition

ARC believes process automation offers the potential to deliver significant

6 Copyright ARC Advisory Group ARCweb.com

ARC Strategies March 2011

The Race for Operational Excellence (OpX)

Operational excellence is the first supporting layer to ROA. Operational

Effectiveness, agility, and performance visualization are keys to operational

By automating everything that should be automated, plants can ensure that

automation asset management facility for

tem and configuration management environment.

CPAS, in contrast, provides an open

platform and a mixed supplier environment. In

CPAS, a unified automation asset management

Copyright ARC Advisory Group ARCweb.com 7

ARC Strategies March 2011

Functionally Transparent and Logically Concise

Applications need to interoperate directly across a work process, without

CPAS Functional and Logical Views

8 Copyright ARC Advisory Group ARCweb.com

ARC Strategies March 2011

Production Production Production

Sensors, Actuators and Logical Devices

Control & Monitoring

CPAS Functional View

Object management (OM) for data services

Copyright ARC Advisory Group ARCweb.com 9

ARC Strategies March 2011

quent new generations of systems that suppliers inevitably bring to the

Common Information Infrastructure

10 Copyright ARC Advisory Group ARCweb.com

ARC Strategies March 2011

CPAS Application Levels