Glossary · Batch and process operations
Operation (ISA-88)
Also known as: Batch operation
German: Operation
In ISA-88 batch control, an operation is a procedural element defining an independent processing activity that consists of the algorithm needed to initiate, organize and control phases. An operation usually runs to completion within one unit.
- Batch control
- Process industry
- Standards
In one sentence
In ISA-88, an operation is a procedural element for an independent processing activity that organizes and controls phases within one unit.
Example
The unit procedure in reactor R-201 contains the operations "charge", "react" and "transfer"; "react" coordinates the phases heat, agitate and hold.
How it applies
- Engineering: Operations group phases into meaningful processing steps and define their sequence, often with sequential function charts.
- Operation: Operations are natural points for holds, checks and operator confirmations.
- Recipe management: In recipes the equivalent is the Recipe operation, whose parameters are passed to the phases.
- Documentation: Because "operation" has an everyday meaning, documentation should mark the ISA-88 sense, for example by consistent capitalization in tables or a glossary link. Process descriptions can describe each operation's purpose, phases and end conditions.
Operation vs. phase
An operation is an independent processing activity that coordinates phases. A Phase (ISA-88) is the smallest procedural element and performs one process-oriented action. The term also differs from ISA-95 "operations", which refers to manufacturing operations management activities at Level 3.