View source for Draft:Open Process Automation Forum

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{{AFC comment|1=Much of this is sourced to their website, press releases or otherwise what they say about themselves.  Other sources are trade publications which cannot be used to establish notability. [[User:S0091|S0091]] ([[User talk:S0091|talk]]) 14:38, 11 September 2024 (UTC)}}

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{{Infobox company
| logo = Open Process Automation Forum.png
| founded = {{Start date and age|2016}}
| parent = [[The Open Group]]
| website = https://www.opengroup.org/opaf
}}

The Open Process Automation™ Forum (OPAF) is a forum of [[The Open Group]]. The forum is responsible for development of the [[Open Process Automation Standard]] (O-PAS™ Standard) and various other supporting documents.

== History ==
The Open Group Open Process Automation™ Forum (OPAF) held initial formation meetings in 2016 in San Francisco, California.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=The Open Group Launches Initial Meeting of Open Process Automation Forum |url=https://www.automation.com/en-us/articles/2017/the-open-group-launches-initial-meeting-of-open-pr |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=automation.com |language=en}}</ref>. By December 2016, there were 41 member organizations that had joined the forum during the pre-formation stage.<ref name=":0" /> The forum was officially formed in 2017<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Neil |first=Stephanie |date=2017-01-04 |title=Introducing the Open Process Automation Forum. Finally. |url=https://www.automationworld.com/products/control/blog/13316586/introducing-the-open-process-automation-forum-finally |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=Automation World}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=The Open Group Launches the Open Process Automation™ Forum {{!}} www.opengroup.org |url=https://www.opengroup.org/open-group-launches-open-process-automation%E2%84%A2-forum |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=www.opengroup.org |language=en}}</ref>.   
== Membership ==
OPAF requires organizations to establish membership with [[The Open Group]] before participating in the forum. As of March 2024, the membership roster lists 90+ organizations. Majority of the organizations on the member list are end users, system integrators, and suppliers within the process automation industry.<ref name=":1" /> 

There are eight (8) [[distributed control system]] (DCS) vendors listed on the OPAF membership roster<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Report |first=Report |date=March 19, 2024 |title=Membership Report on March 19, 2024 |url=https://reports.opengroup.org/opa_forum.shtml?_ga=2.90538266.1480682590.1597104957-1916591253.1590268489 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240319173327/https://reports.opengroup.org/opa_forum.shtml?_gl=1%2Ac0ebkf%2A_ga%2AMTI5MDY2MjcxMS4xNzA4OTU4Mzk5%2A_ga_LTTWTXF7XY%2AMTcwODk1ODM5OC4xLjAuMTcwODk1ODQwMy4wLjAuMA.. |archive-date=March 19, 2024 |access-date=March 19, 2024 |website=OPAF Membership Report}}</ref>: 

# [[ABB]]
# [[Honeywell]]
# [[Rockwell Automation]]
# [[Schneider Electric]]
# [[Siemens]]
# SUPCON
# [[Valmet]] (Metso)
# [[Yokogawa Electric]]

== Organization of the Forum ==
The forum has four main working groups (listed below) and a project manager.<ref>{{Cite web |title=OPAF Org Chart {{!}} www.opengroup.org |url=https://www.opengroup.org/opaf/org-chart |access-date=2024-05-14 |website=www.opengroup.org |language=en}}</ref> The forum has two elected cochairs and a forum director. Each working group is led by two elected cochairs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Open Process Automation™ Forum Team {{!}} www.opengroup.org |url=https://www.opengroup.org/opaf/elected-leadership |access-date=2024-06-11 |website=www.opengroup.org |language=en}}</ref>

* Enterprise Architecture Working Group (EAWG)<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Kalyanaraman |first=Mohan |last2=Bartusiak |first2=Don |last3=Bitar |first3=Steve |last4=Houk |first4=Bradley |last5=DeBari |first5=David |last6=Brandon |first6=Williams |date=June 1, 2020 |title=Process Automation Opens Up |url=https://www.chemicalprocessing.com/automation/automation-it/article/11300327/process-automation-opens-up-chemical-processing |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240302072657/https://www.chemicalprocessing.com/automation/automation-it/article/11300327/process-automation-opens-up-chemical-processing |archive-date=March 2, 2024 |access-date=Aug 12, 2024 |website=Chemical Processing}}</ref>.
* Business Working Group (BWG)<ref name=":6" />.
* Technology Working Group (TWG)<ref name=":6" />.
* Certification Working Group (CWG)<ref name=":6" />.

== Publications ==

=== Standards ===
'''The O-PAS™ Standard'''
{{Main|Open Process Automation Standard}}

=== Guides ===
'''O PAS™ Adoption Guide'''

:The document is 33 pages in length, available in English only, and was initially published in March 2023. The document is written in a "Question and Answer" format and provides guidance on things to consider when adopting and implementing open process automation systems in an end-user facility. The document is written from various perspectives within the process automation business ecosystem.<ref>{{Cite web |title=O PAS™ Adoption Guide |url=https://publications.opengroup.org/g232 |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=publications.opengroup.org |language=en}}</ref>

'''The Open Process Automation™ Business Guide'''

:Initially published in January 2018<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://governance.foundation/assets/frameworks/togaf/g182_1%20-%20Process%20Automation.pdf |title=The Open Process Automation Business Guide |date=January 2018 |publisher=The Open Group |year=2018 |publication-date=January 2018 |language=en |access-date=May 13, 2024 }}</ref> and updated in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Open Process Automation™ Business Guide |url=https://publications.opengroup.org/g182 |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=publications.opengroup.org |language=en}}</ref> This document is 60 pages in length and available in English and Chinese translation. The document details the business case, value proposition, guiding principles, and quality attributes of the O-PAS standard. The document also defines the roles of end users, system integrators, and suppliers of hardware, software, solutions and services. The guide further outlines the value proposition for each of those actors in the business ecosystem.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jenkins |first=Scott |date=2024-04-22 |title=Open Process Automation Value Opportunities for the Chemical Industry |url=https://www.chemengonline.com/open-process-automation-value-opportunities-for-the-chemical-industry/ |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=Chemical Engineering |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== White Papers ===
'''The Security Approach of the O-PAS™ Standard'''

:Published in March 2023, 16 pages in length, and available in English.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Security Approach of the O-PAS™ Standard |url=https://publications.opengroup.org/w231 |access-date=2024-05-14 |website=publications.opengroup.org |language=en}}</ref>

'''Improving Profitability through Open Process Automation™ Systems'''

:Published in November 2021 and available in English and Chinese translation.

'''Open Standards in Process Automation: The Key to Industrial Profitability'''

:Published in July 2019 and available in English and Chinese translation.

'''Requirements for an Open Process Automation™ Standard'''

:Published in May 2018 and available in English.

== External Relationships ==
The Open Process Automation Forum maintains external relationships with a number of [[Standards organization|standards development organizations]] and [[Trade association|trade associations]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Atila Belloquim on LinkedIn: #theopengroup |url=https://pt.linkedin.com/posts/atilabelloquim_theopengroup-activity-7119666920051630082-7Cs4 |access-date=2024-03-09 |website=pt.linkedin.com |language=en}}</ref>.

* Automation Standards Compliance Institute (ASCI)
* Control System Integrators Association (CSIA)<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Open Process Automation is Gaining Sustainable Momentum |url=https://www.yokogawa.com/us/library/resources/media-publications/open-process-automation-is-gaining-sustainable-momentum/ |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=www.yokogawa.com |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Distributed Management Task Force]] (DMTF)
* [[FieldComm Group]] (FCG)<ref>{{Cite web |title=FieldComm Group and The Open Group Process Automation Forum announce liaison agreement |url=https://www.automation.com/en-us/articles/2019/fieldcomm-group-and-the-open-group-process-automat |access-date=2024-03-09 |website=automation.com |language=en}}</ref>
* [[:de:Verband_der_Elektro-_und_Digitalindustrie|German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association]] (ZVEI)
* [[International Association of Oil & Gas Producers]] (IOGP)
* [[International Society of Automation]] (ISA)
* [[OPC Foundation]] (OPCF)<ref name=":3" />
* [[PICMG|PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group]] (PICMG)<ref>{{Cite web |last=TimesTech |date=2024-04-25 |title=PICMG InterEdge and OPAF Partnership to Advance Open Process Control Technology |url=https://timestech.in/picmg-interedge-and-opaf-partnership-to-advance-open-process-control-technology/ |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=TimesTech |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[PLCopen]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=wendelien |date=2018-11-27 |title=PLCopen cooperates with OPAF |url=https://plcopen.org/news/plcopen-cooperates-opaf |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=plcopen.org |language=en}}</ref>
* Universal Automation (UAO)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-07 |title=The Open Group and Universal Automation |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240607191230/https://universalautomation.org/the-open-group-and-universal-automation/ |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=web.archive.org}}</ref>
* [[NAMUR|User Association of Automation Technology in Process Industries]] (NAMUR)<ref>{{Cite web |last=NAMUR |title=The Open Group and NAMUR sign memorandum of understanding to cooperate on open automation system standards |url=https://www.namur.net/en/publications/news-archive/the-open-group-and-namur-sign-memorandum-of-understanding-to-cooperate-on-open-automation-system-standards.html |access-date=2024-03-09 |website=www.namur.net |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== Media Coverage ==
There are dozens of [https://www.opengroup.org/opafmediacoverage media coverage articles on OPAF] listed on the organization website that span 2016 to present.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Open Group Open Process Automation™ Forum Media Coverage {{!}} www.opengroup.org |url=https://www.opengroup.org/opafmediacoverage |access-date=2024-05-14 |website=www.opengroup.org |language=en}}</ref>

An Automation.com article from January 2017 groups "suppliers that have joined the effort" as each being in one of "three camps of motivation".<ref name=":0" />

* Suppliers that want to protect their business with ExxonMobil and other major users that have joined
* Suppliers that want to gain a greater share of business from ExxonMobil and other major users that have joined
* Suppliers that see the technological changes and open standards as an opportunity to expand their business.

An LNS Research article from 2017 outlines three possible outcomes for the O-PAS initiative: (A) limited selection, (B) stable and viable market, and (C) lowest common denominator<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gauging if the Open Process Automation Forum Will Deliver |url=https://blog.lnsresearch.com/gauging-if-the-open-process-automation-forum-will-deliver |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=blog.lnsresearch.com |language=en-us}}</ref>

* Outcome A: Where a few vendors provide O-PAS products and the majority of end users buy them
* Outcome B: Where a good percentage of vendors provide O-PAS products and many end users buy them
* Outcome C: Where most vendors provide O-PAS products and only a few users are willing to buy them 

In 2019, [[ExxonMobil]] announced a collaboration agreement with six (6) other companies: [[Aramco Services Company]], [[BASF]], [[Dow Chemical Company]], [[Georgia-Pacific]], [[ConocoPhillips]], and [[Linde plc]]. An ExxonMobil test bed was to be operationalized later that year whereby the collaboration partners could test and evaluate the performance of individual components.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-07-18 |title=ExxonMobil Signs Collaboration Agreement to Accelerate Development of Open Process Automation Systems |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190718005123/en/ExxonMobil-Signs-Collaboration-Agreement-to-Accelerate-Development-of-Open-Process-Automation-Systems |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=www.businesswire.com |language=en}}</ref> The test bed was initialized in 2019<ref name=":4" /> and evolved from prototype to proof of concept and eventually to field trial as the "OPA Lighthouse Project" in Baton Rouge, Louisiana<ref>{{Cite web |last=Montague |first=Jim |date=2024-03-21 |title=ExxonMobil still leads on OPA testbeds |url=https://www.controlglobal.com/control/distributed-control/article/33039011/exxonmobil-still-leads-on-opa-testbeds |access-date=2024-08-07 |website=Control Global |language=en}}</ref>

An Automation World article from December 2019 did an overview of the Open Process Automation Forum a few years after formation. The article positions membership at around 135 organizations. The article positively covered the work done by the forum up to that point. It also balances the positive coverage by reporting that "not everyone agrees that this open architecture approach is a good thing." It further details [[Honeywell]] and [[Emerson Electric|Emerson]] as two [[Distributed control system|DCS]] suppliers electing to withhold OPAF participation.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Neil |first=Stephanie |date=2019-12-06 |title=Where Are They Now? An Open Process Automation Forum Update |url=https://www.automationworld.com/home/article/21104369/where-are-they-now-an-open-process-automation-forum-update |access-date=2024-03-19 |website=Automation World}}</ref>

== References ==
<references />