ISA Interchange

Welcome to the official blog of the International Society of Automation (ISA).

This blog covers numerous topics on industrial automation such as operations & management, continuous & batch processing, connectivity, manufacturing & machine control, and Industry 4.0.

The material and information contained on this website is for general information purposes only. ISA blog posts may be authored by ISA staff and guest authors from the automation community. Views and opinions expressed by a guest author are solely their own, and do not necessarily represent those of ISA. Posts made by guest authors have been subject to peer review.

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Save 30% with ISA on Black Friday

The International Society of Automation is hosting its annual Black Friday Week sale—join in on the fun!

Black Friday can savelanding-page-max-waaving-the-flag-1 you big bucks and ISA has some of the best career resources on sale for professionals in the automation industry. During the week of Black Friday, customers can save 30% off on ISA training, books, events, and select ISA standards. Members will receive this Black Friday discount on top of their membership discount for even more savings!

Use promo code BFCM23 at checkout from midnight ET on 20 November through 27 November and take advantage of major savings!

Interested in these incredible deals? Check out the details on some featured products below


Fire and Gas Mapping Specialist Certificate Program 

ISA Fire and Gas Mapping Certificate Program Image of inspection at steel long pipes and pipe elbow in station oil factory

The technical report ISA-TR84.00.07-2018, Guidance on the Evaluation of Fire, Combustible Gas, and Toxic Gas System Effectiveness lays out a comprehensive framework for performance-based fire and gas design. The Fire and Gas Mapping Specialist Certificate Program provides an understanding of these principles and gives you hands-on experience with techniques and associated software tools.

Ideal for control systems engineers, fire and gas system specialists, process safety professionals, engineering management professionals, facility engineers, and industrial hygiene professionalsthis program will grant you the Fire and Gas Mapping Specialist badge upon successful course and exam completion. There are no required prerequisites or applications for this program. Learn more about this program by visiting our site!


Using the ISA/IEC 62443 Standards to Secure Your Control Systems

With the move to using open standards like ethernet, transmission control protocol, internet protocol (TCP/IP) and web technologies in supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and process control networks (PCN)systems are being exposed to the same cyberattacks facing corporate information systems.

guy in control roomUsing  the ISA/IEC 62443 Standards to Secure Your Control Systems (IC32) is a course providing a detailed look at how the ISA/IEC 62443 standards framework can be used to protect critical control systems. It also explores the procedural and technical differences between the security for traditional IT environments and those solutions appropriate for SCADA or plant floor environments. Learn more about this course here


Manufacturing Execution Systems: An Operations Management Approach, Second Edition

This book and the accompanying workbook were designed to help manufacturing operations management (MOM) practitioners and students understand how to implement and utilize manufacturing execution systems (MES) to optimize data collection and review, improve process efficiency and ensure/improve product quality to achieve the desired return on investment.

Manufacturing Execution Systems: An Operations Management Approach, Second Edition discusses the potential for MES to drive real-time, data-driven performance improvement by expanding on the following concepts:

  • How the MES application supports operations planning, analysis, and reporting

  • How MES identifies quality issues and provides the data needed to determine the causes and resolve the problems

  • The full scope of MES planning and implementation and its impact on manufacturing operations

  • Designing, configuring, and implementing MES systems, and other important concepts

Learn more about this excellent reference guide here.


ISA/IEC 62443 Series of Standards

The ISA/IEC 62443 series of standards define requirements and processes for implementing and maintaining electronically secure industrial automation and control systems (IACS). These standards set best practices for security and provide a way to assess the level of security performance. Their approach to the cybersecurity challenge is a holistic one, bridging the gap between operations and information technology, as well as between process safety and cybersecurity. 

ISA IEC 62443 Series of Standards
The ISA/IEC standards set cybersecurity benchmarks in all industry sectors that use IACS, including building automation, electric power generation and distribution, medical devices, transportation, and process industries such as chemicals and oil and gas. Standards must be purchased individually. Learn more about the ISA/IEC standards by visiting our site.


Don’t miss these featured products, and remember to check out the rest of the ISA training, events, books, and standards on sale. Visit isa.org/blackfridayweek23 for details!

Ashley Ragan
Ashley Ragan
Ashley is Digital Content Specialist at the International Society of Automation (ISA).

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