by Gary Mintchell | Jun 30, 2026 | News, Organizations
I received two not wholly unexpected emails today from an organization with whom I’ve been affiliated and one I devoted much work in the past—MESA International Also known as the Manufacturing Execution Systems Association and the Manufacturing Enterprise Resources Association, this organization of developers and users of software comprising the Level 3 of the Purdue Enterprise Reference Model.
I don’t know when I noticed that the last remaining large sponsor—Rockwell Automation—dropped its sponsorship. That was the end of financial stability. This particular market has been difficult. I believe that until this day the largest competitor is Microsoft Excel. I am saddened. But we move on.
Dear MESA Community,
For more than three decades, MESA International has served as a trusted global community advancing the use of manufacturing technology through collaboration, education, and best practices. The relationships built, the knowledge shared, and the progress made through this community represent a legacy we are deeply proud of.
It is with great respect for that legacy that the MESA International Board of Directors has voted to dissolve the organization effective June 30, 2026.
This was not a decision made lightly. After careful review of the organization’s financial position and operational capacity, the board determined that voluntary dissolution is the responsible and appropriate path forward. We want to be transparent with the broader manufacturing community that has followed and engaged with MESA’s work over the years.
What’s Next for MESA’s Resources
We are pleased to share that the International Society of Automation (ISA) has agreed to serve as the new home for MESA’s assets and content. ISA is a global 501c(3) organization whose standards, including ISA-95 and ISA-88, form the technical foundation of much of MESA’s educational work. MESA’s content, resources, and community programs will be accessible through ISA going forward. Please visit here for more information.
Thank you for your engagement with MESA International over the years. This community has made a real difference in manufacturing operations around the world.
With gratitude,
The MESA International Board of Directors
by Gary Mintchell | Jun 30, 2026 | Manufacturing IT, Operations Management, Organizations
Before I could compile all my news from last week, a subsequent news item superseded this one. Long-time partners The Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association International (MESA) and Tech-Clarity, Inc. are once again teaming up for an important survey on manufacturing operations. Unfortunately, MESA just sent a release announcing that they are closing as of today, June 30, 2026.
I’m not surprised. I noticed a few months ago that the last of the major sponsors, Rockwell Automation, have pulled out of sponsorship. There were no longer enough sponsors to finance the organization. I devoted many hours to MESA over the years. I also met many great people. I feel an empty space.
I contacted long-time friend Julie Fraser who assured me this research is still on.
TL;DR—Knowledge Sharing Opportunity: Complete a survey to get the results and learn from other manufacturers
[The Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association International (MESA) and ]Tech-Clarity, Inc. invite manufacturers to respond to a new survey on managing manufacturing operations. Responses are confidential, and participants will get a copy of the resulting research report.
Research topics include:
- Why are companies investing in MES/MOM manufacturing operations software (MOS) now?
- What is the business value of these level 3 applications? Are implementations delivering the expected benefits? How long does it take to achieve the benefits?
- How is MES/MOM evolving? What functions such as quality, maintenance, scheduling, and analytics are separate, from one solution provider, or share a common data model? Are these systems hosted on-premise, SaaS, or a hybrid?
- What is the impact of AI at the manufacturing operations level? What are companies doing now and planning? What are they expecting? What benefits are they achieving?
- What are the best practices to maximize value from manufacturing operations software investments? What can we learn from each other? Are AI and MOS applications better together?
Most predictions are for double-digit growth in the MES market this year and beyond. Thus, these questions are pressing for both manufacturers and the solution providers who serve them. The program has five sponsors, each a leading player in this software arena: Critical Manufacturing, Infor, ISE, Parsec Automation LLC, and SAS.
Manufacturing Operations Software (MOS): Tech-Clarity defines MOS as commercial plantwide software (as defined in level 3 of the Purdue model) needed to run a manufacturing facility. MOS includes MES, MOM, and industry-specific capabilities such as eBR and eDHR. It may also encompass associated functions in quality, maintenance, scheduling, inventory, environmental, health, safety, and connected worker. MOS also refers to new approaches, such as factory operating systems, composable manufacturing software, industrial data intelligence/AI, and platforms with applications.
Tech-Clarity’s Julie Fraser and Rick Franzosa are leading the research program, supported by MESA’s Knowledge Committee, headed by Chris Monchinski, and the rich community of five sponsors.
“The desire to leverage AI in manufacturing operations is adding to the allure of having trustworthy manufacturing operations data in context. We see growing interest in ensuring that production IT and OT data, as well as quality, scheduling, maintenance, and worker support data, all flow smoothly. We’re looking to understand the details of how companies want to do that,” says Fraser, Vice President of Research for Operations at Tech-Clarity and MESA’s leader of the Smart Manufacturing Community.
MESA’s International Knowledge Committee Chair Chris Monchinski of InflexionPoint states, “Getting MES or MOM systems ready for AI may have many dimensions. While they are the best foundation for this work at level 3 of the Purdue model, many implementations are not quite ready for the rigors of AI’s data needs.”
“MES has been delivering solid benefits for many years. The question is where manufacturers are focusing their investments and projects, and how AI both forces the need and accelerates progress for these systems,” says Tech-Clarity’s Vice President of Research for Manufacturing, Rick Franzosa.
by Gary Mintchell | Apr 24, 2026 | Events, Organizations
Here’s a chance to meet me and share your thoughts about what I should really be writing about. Plus getting the latest updates from Inductive Automation and its partners.
The Ignition Community Conference, ICC2026, will be held again in Sacramento September 22-24. Tickets are now available. See you there.
by Gary Mintchell | Apr 23, 2026 | Networking, Organizations, Security
This news release falls clearly into the category of Duh!!!
Human social engineering and humans gaining unauthorized access while serving as contractors and the like have long been known to be a cybersecurity risk. But, I’m happy to note that an august group has perceived the obvious.
The Industrial Security Harmonization Group (ISHG) has released a joint industry perspective highlighting a critical truth in industrial cybersecurity: secure communication is not determined by protocols alone, but by how they are deployed and managed in real-world environments.
Or, maybe, it’s along the lines of “it’s not all our fault?”
The ISHG—comprising leading industry organizations including the FieldComm Group, ODVA, OPC Foundation, and PROFIBUS & PROFINET International—collaborates regularly to align security concepts across Ethernet and non-Ethernet communication protocol technologies. Their shared mission is to reduce complexity for end users and promote consistent, effective cybersecurity practices in industrial automation systems.
I once set at an industrial communication organization meeting where an end-user pleaded for application guidelines. He was studiously ignored.
Industrial communication protocols serve as the backbone of modern automation, enabling seamless connectivity between devices, systems, and applications across both process and factory environments. However, many widely used protocols were originally developed without cybersecurity as a primary design consideration.
It now emphasizes a more practical and realistic approach:
- Security is context-dependent — It relies on how protocols are configured, where they are deployed, and the surrounding operational environment.
- Built-in security features are not sufficient alone — Even advanced protocols require correct implementation and maintenance.
- Compensating controls are essential — Network architecture, segmentation (zones and conduits), monitoring, and physical safeguards play a critical role, especially for legacy and non-Ethernet systems.
by Gary Mintchell | Oct 1, 2025 | News, Organizations, Standards, Technology
My last post discussed how the market has changed enough that consolidation of technology and business associations has become inevitable. And there are benefits. This news shows some of the benefits of previously competing organizations working together.
In brief:
Updated FDI technology specification paves the way for single device integration for process and factory automation device management.
FieldComm Group’s Strategic Integration Committee (SIC), composed of leading automation industry suppliers and Standards Development Organizations (SDOs), has announced the official timeline for releasing the updated Field Device Integration (FDI) Specification. This milestone marks a critical step toward unifying device integration across process, hybrid, and factory automation.
Following the transfer of FDT/DTM assets to FieldComm Group in 2024, the organization has significantly accelerated its efforts toward unified device integration. The resulting roadmap is a product of coordinated work by the SIC and specialized working groups. Comprised of board-level companies from FieldComm Group along with key leaders from OPC Foundation, ODVA, and PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI), the SIC has led the harmonization of FDI and FDT technologies. This collaboration aims to deliver a unified, intuitive, and scalable device integration standard that addresses the evolving needs of modern manufacturing, helping both end users and vendors.
Key enhancements in the updated FDI Specification:
- Compliance, incorporating the requirements of the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA)
- Unified device integration standard for process and factory automation
- Support for legacy systems, enabling modernization without infrastructure replacement
- Real-time OT/IT connectivity through a common information model (PA-DIM)
- Support for modern platforms and development tools
- Empowering intelligent device and lifecycle management with protocol tunneling support, also known as nested communications
FDI specification timeline for migration:
- End of 2026: Release of the updated FDI Specification
- End of 2027: Deployment of the updated FDI Developer Toolkit
- 2029: Market availability of registered FDI-enabled systems and devices
Following are statements of leaders of participating organizations:
“Today’s industrial systems are more complex than ever, yet this complexity must not compromise interoperability,” said Steve Biegacki, Chair of the Strategic Integration Committee and former Managing Director of the FDT Group. “Our goal is to deliver a unified device integration solution that enhances data interoperability with OT/IT systems while supporting innovative features for modern manufacturing. This approach also provides a practical migration path, safeguarding existing investments and preparing the industry for future advancements.”
“As a co-owner of the FDI specification, the OPC Foundation is committed to robust and interoperable device integration for OPC UA users and fully supports the harmonization of FDI and FDT technologies to achieve this goal,” said Stefan Hoppe, President of the OPC Foundation.
“ODVA is pleased to support the harmonization of FDI and FDT technologies to enable enhanced device integration interoperability for users of EtherNet/IP,” said Al Beydoun, President and Executive Director of ODVA.
“PI appreciates that the FieldComm Group initiated the valuable discussions to determine the need for merging FDI and FDT, taking into account the needs of interested companies, as well as the technologies of the four participating standards development associations,” said Dietmar Bohn, Executive Director of PI.
Final statement of benefits:
This update will enable manufacturers to transition toward more intelligent, responsive operations, unlocking the full value of industrial data and modern automation architectures.
by Gary Mintchell | Oct 1, 2025 | News, Organizations
Things are tough these days for associations. I still belong to one, but I’m only peripherally involved for a few years. We’ve witnessed consolidation of the industrial networking and fieldbus organizations. This announcement notes the finalization of yet another pair of associations only a year following a consolidation within one of the pair.
I wrote in February 2024, Two major sources of technology buzz from around 2015 to 2020 or so found homes in industry consortia within The Object Management Group. I talked often with people from the IIC, aka Industry IoT Consortium, and with the Digital Twin Consortium. These were most likely too much overhead for the supporting suppliers and industry. They have merged under The Object Management Group.
Again I wrote just a few weeks ago, EDM Council and Object Management Group Combine to Create Global End-to-End Data and Standards Authority. First-of-its-kind non-profit trade association to foster the growth of data, software, systems, knowledge engineering, and standards capability.
And now we have the announcement regarding the successful completion of this consolidation. One paragraph talks of the acquisition of the assets, while another discusses the acquisition of the organization. Regardless, companies supporting all the efforts now only have one set of dues to pay.
EDM Association, the global trade association for data management and technology standards, announces the successful completion of its acquisition of the assets of the Object Management Group (OMG), the open membership, not-for-profit technology consortium. This unites two organizations with complementary expertise, creating the world’s largest association for data, software, systems, and standards professionals.
The acquisition strategically aligns OMG’s globally adopted standards, frameworks, and communities—including the OMG Standards Development Organization (SDO), Digital Twin Consortium, AREA (Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance), and CISQ (Consortium for Information and Software Quality)—with EDM Association’s data management best practices and professional development programs. By leveraging a single authoritative standards partner and global expert community, members will have a wider range of tools, support, training and expertise to advance data and technology, including AI, to drive better outcomes for their organizations.
Key Benefits of the Acquisition:
- A streamlined global trade association and authoritative partner linking data, technology, and standards to accelerate business transformation, AI adoption and best practices.
- Expanded access to globally recognized standards, with pathways to ISO, through a neutral sandbox for innovation.
- New professional development and certification opportunities that strengthen competitiveness in the AI and digital era.
- Enhanced collaboration through communities of practice, connecting world-class data management with cross-disciplinary engineering, technology, and standards expertise.
