Open Process Automation

What Exactly is Open Process Automation (OPA)?

An Open Process Automation (OPA) system is a software-defined control system that merges the reliability of traditional DCS systems with the flexibility of modular automation. Unlike proprietary, single-vendor systems, OPA enables interoperability, allowing plants to integrate best-in-class technologies from multiple vendors. Through containerized applications and an Open Process Communication Framework (OCF), OPA simplifies real-time data integration, empowering engineers with enhanced process visibility and data-driven decision-making.

Breaking Down Barriers for Industrial Progress

Aging legacy control systems can turn a routine failure into a costly modernization nightmare—delayed, over budget, and draining resources. This can create a scenario where an automation upgrade becomes a roadblock, trapping the plant in vendor-locked constraints from another era. And without a budget or sufficient resources, modernization efforts can have a significant impact on a plant’s operational efficiency, scalability, and profitability.

"Today’s automation systems are expensive to update, challenging to expand, and difficult to integrate with new technologies, often locking users into a single supplier. Open Process Automation (OPA) provides a future-proof automation platform that eliminates these limitations."
—Mark Hammer

How the Open Process Automation Forum (OPAF) is Opening up the Future of Control

The Open Process Automation Forum (OPAF) is setting the foundation for a standards-based, open, and secure process control architecture. Key goals include:

Access to cutting-edge automation capabilities
Seamless integration of best-in-class components
Reducing replacement costs while preserving application software
Driving innovation and operational efficiency
Providing scalable, flexible solutions for multiple industries
Enabling secure, vendor-neutral automation strategies
Establishing open systems architecture for long-term sustainability

As industrial operations continue to evolve, adopting open, scalable, and future-ready automation is no longer an option—it’s a necessity. Open Process Automation is leading the way in unlocking new possibilities for industrial efficiency, flexibility, and innovation.

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1. What is Open Process Automation (OPA)?

Rather than proprietary Distributed Control Systems (DCS) and Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) of today's factory automation strategies, open process automation is a new generation of process control that's open, secure, and interoperable. In short, OPA is a software-defined automation system, not tied to a specific hardware platform.

2. Who is behind OPA?

The Open Process Automation Forum was created in 2017 by End Users, under the Open Group to create the Open Process Automation Standard (OPA-S). It is a group of over 100 companies that have come together to create a standard of standards aimed at the next generation of controls focused on lowering Capital and Operational Costs.

3. What is the status of O-PAS standard?

The second version, 2.1, of O-PAS (The Open Group Open Process Automation Standard) has come out to help the chemical industry harness new digital tools such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, data analytics, and edge computing while working within system constraints such as:

keeping human/machine interfaces and operational procedures usable by current and new workers
aggressively implementing digital security
never compromising operational safety

The technical components of the O-PAS Standard are as follows:

Technical Architecture
Security Aspects
Profiles
Connectivity Framework
System Management
Configuration Portability
Physical Platform
Application Portability

Version 3.X is under development and is focused on the system management and physical platform standards. Version 2.1 focuses on the connectivity framework and Security.

Understanding Industrial Process Automation

Globally, Industrial Process Automation drives the production processes for the vast majority of industries. By automating the completion of mundane, repetitive, and otherwise manual tasks, Industrial Process Automation improves quality, consistency, and efficiency while reducing production costs and waste.

Other benefits include enhanced safety, predictive maintenance, flexibility, traceability, and information accuracy.

To achieve this, Industrial Automation Systems monitor, manage and optimize all automated tasks via sensors, automatic control devices, computer technology, and software engineering.