Taking a Lead from the Human Body with Reducing risk through an Enterprise Nervous System for Industrial Architectures

For the last couple of weeks I have been travelling in what seems hundreds of meetings with many people. However, last week I had a number of presentations on the direction of Operational/Automation systems, and challengers of the 7 to 10 years.

Twice a question was asked around flat vs. layered architecture, similar question around one platform vs. multiple platforms.

•       Layers allow me to contain change

•       Layers allow me to manage complexity, divide and conquer

•       Inter-operable layers reduce technology lock-in and increase options for clients

•       Federated means lower level has autonomy but cannot violate higher level rules and principles.

Too often people put forward ONE platform/layer, but actually the world is made up of layers of information, interaction, and decisions. It is important to optimize across a layer, so interaction with the “things” at that layer is focused, efficient, and in context of that layer in content and time. As you transverse layers so does the context of information, the interaction between different “things” and complexity or focus change.

In the industrial automation/ operations control has it’s layers of executing with the different equipment components in the process unit, requiring speed and tight coupling. As we go up the layers to supervisory then MES and Information, the context changes, responsibility for decisions increases, but time context changes. The “things” interacting change, combined with more complex messages with more context.  

The diagram above illustrates some of the concepts between the natural layering in humans, and the corresponding concepts in industrial information systems, and the required isolation, focus of sectors is key.    

Bio-mimicry is an emerging science that adopts nature’s designs to solve human problems. Moreover, the concept of federation, which enables central coordination but local autonomy, is part of nature’s design for information management.

If we think about it – the human nervous system has over a billion neurons spread throughout the body to help control its various functions. If the brain had to deal constantly with a billion signals, it would “crash” the system. Thus, nature has designed a system where functions are layered in an architecture that helps create a robust sense-and-response mechanism.

Autonomous functions (layers) which have Interoperability is key for fast relevant actionable decisions to take place with the most efficiency. So why do we ask about one, when we should design in layers but understand the layers the context, things, and actions. But understand how the layers must be “loosely coupled but aligned” so that operational execution aligns with business strategy in near real time.