Open Process Automation Systems Advance

Summary

The Open Process Automation (OPA) initiative has been a leading topic of discussion in the industrial automation community since its beginnings with the ExxonMobil announcement at the ARC Forum in 2016. Shock waves were felt throughout the industry and they continue to reverberate, most recently with ExxonMobil’s presentation at the ARC Forum earlier this year.
 
During the presentation, ExxonMobil’s Lighthouse Project was described in detail, demonstrating OPA’s viability when used as the design basis for automating a resin plant located near Baton Rouge, LA. Yokogawa was the systems integrator (SI) for the project, implementing its Open Automation SI Kit with third-party hardware, third-party control software, and other non-Yokogawa software applications to prove the OPA concepts defined by the Open Process Automation Standard (O-PAS). The plant has been up and running since November 2024 without any significant issues, and the presenters joked that they were comfortable enough to leave town for a few days without undue concern over the continued operation of the automation system.
 
But what does this mean for the future of industrial automation systems? Will it progress as did the servers in large automation systems, which transitioned from proprietary minicomputers to off-the-shelf hardware over the past few decades? Or will real-time control systems remain one of the last bastions of more closed and proprietary systems for the foreseeable future, with no ability to switch from one vendor’s controller to another?
 
To answer these questions, let’s look at why OPA has the potential to be a turning point in the development of open systems.
 

Why OPA?

Exxon has proved the viability of an entire automation system based on OPA standards, including the real-time control engine. While every automation system vendor claims their systems are open, this does not apply to the heart of these systems, the controllers. Now, and for the first time, an end user can actually select best-of-breed controllers and other components from different vendors, with the assurance that they will work together, now and in the future.
 
The most striking aspect of this interoperability is the pressure it puts on prices, with cost savings estimated to be “at least 20% less over its lifespan compared to traditional industrial control systems”, per a recent automation.com article, which was based on an ExxonMobil Newsroom release. Hardware costs savings in particular could exceed this amount due to intense competition among vendors. End users can select from multiple equipment sources, including being able to replace hardware with a component from a different vendor. Replacement parts pricing will be a competitive situation, with options for end users to choose from among multiple bidders.
 

End user efforts must expand

Balanced against these cost savings is the need for end users to perform system integration at a higher level than when purchasing an automation system from a single vendor. The Open Process Automation Standard (O-PAS) is supposed to guarantee all components in compliance with the standard will work together in a plug-and-play fashion, but there are sure to be bumps on the road on the way to achieving this goal.
 
Large end users will be able to take more risks and absorb more of the development costs and market fluctuations than smaller users, so their early engagement in the market is important, as with the Exxon project. The OPAF business model highlights the need for SIs and service providers (SPs). SIs are needed to source, build, and test the components and applications before deployment. Once installed, an SP can take over. The SI and SP can be different, and the SP can be changed as needed. This keeps the SPs cost competitive with each other by avoiding an end user’s permanent reliance on a single company.
 
Initially, costs may be higher than desired for software, hardware, and services. As experience with these open systems grows within a large company, system integration costs should decrease, while software and hardware savings should remain stable, or even increase as more vendors offer compliant and competitive products.
 
Do these new open systems make sense for smaller end users? Every situation is different, but in general smaller end users will also benefit from exploring open technologies with their reduced hardware costs. Smaller end users with a very limited automation skill set typically use SIs and SPs already, so this model will not be new to them, although the technology will be to some extent.
 

Pick your partner carefully

In either case, closed or open automation systems, it remains critically important to pick the right partner. This was always true with more closed and proprietary systems, where most end users have experience and some degree of confidence.
 
But with open systems, the SI partner is arguably even more important because it must ensure the entire automation system, with components from many different vendors, works together, both initially and in the future. Picking the right partner is also more difficult with open systems as end users do not yet have experience in this area. The solution for some will be looking at SIs that have performed this type of work in the past, with demonstrated success.
 
Given these circumstances, it seems that open systems will coexist with more traditional automation systems for years to come, with open systems slowly gaining market share. Whatever the outcome, kudos to ExxonMobil, Yokogawa, and all the other OPA-participating companies for their pioneering efforts, which may turn out to be a boon for end users worldwide.
 
OPA efforts are coordinated by The Open Group, described on their website as “a global consortium that enables the achievement of business objectives through technology standards and open source initiatives by fostering a culture of collaboration, inclusivity, and mutual respect among our diverse group of 900+ memberships. Membership includes customers, systems and solutions suppliers, tool vendors, integrators, academics and consultants across multiple industries."