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sourceDocument: Australia Operational Technology Management
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/operational-technology

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ft:publication_title :

    - Australia Operational Technology Management

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# ISA-95 equipment model

# ISA-95 equipment model {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Australia  
Updated September 10, 2026  
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## Summary of ISA-95 equipment model

The ISA-95 equipment model is an industry standard designed to organize industrial facilities and their production equipment through a hierarchical structure.
It enables ServiceNow customers to define and manage different equipment types across multiple levels within their industrial sites, supporting efficient production management and access control.
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## Key Features

* **Hierarchical Levels:** The model consists of four distinct organizational levels within an industrial facility:
  * **Site:** The physical plant or facility.
  * **Area:** A sub-facility or department within the site.
  * **Work Center:** Sections within an area with four type options---Process Cell, Production Unit, Production Line, and Storage Zone---each serving specific manufacturing functions.
  * **Work Unit:** The most granular level under work centers, with three types---Unit, Work Cell, and Storage Unit---representing specific operational areas or storage spaces.
* **Equipment Model Entity Records:** Stored in the *Equipment Model Entity \[cmdbciotisaentity\]* table, allowing detailed tracking and management of equipment components.
* **Multi-site Management:** Supports creating multiple equipment models for different industrial sites with user access controls, enabling role-based data visibility (e.g., restricting users to their site's information).
* **ISA-95 Template:** Facilitates the creation and mapping of equipment entities into the hierarchical structure, simplifying deployment and standardization across facilities.

## Key Outcomes

* Streamlined organization of industrial equipment into a standard, hierarchical model enhancing clarity and operational control.
* Improved coordination and monitoring of manufacturing processes through defined Work Center and Work Unit types tailored to specific production activities.
* Enhanced security and data governance by managing user access at the site level, ensuring appropriate information sharing.
* Consistent implementation of industry best practices through the delivered ISA-95 equipment model template, supporting quick setup and scalability across multiple sites.  
The ISA-95 equipment model is an industry standard for organizing industrial facilities and their production equipment. Use it to define hierarchical equipment structures with distinct levels and type options at each
level.

## ISA-95 standard

The ISA-95 equipment model represents an industry standard for describing industrial facilities and their production equipment. With this model, you can create a hierarchical structure that maps your equipment model entities and
define different equipment types at each hierarchical level.

By applying an ISA-95 template, you can complete these tasks:

* Map your equipment model entities and create a hierarchical structure.
* Create multiple equipment models for multiple industrial sites.
* Assign users to each site so you can manage their access to equipment model information for specific sites. For example, you can designate that users in Atlanta can access only the Atlanta site information but not the data for a site in Michigan. For more information, see [Manage equipment model site access for non-administrators](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/TjJ0Y1EjUZ5_i762UMwMkw "Assign or remove non-administrator access to equipment model sites. You can create the user criteria to determine whether certain users can access the equipment model entities for specific sites.").

## Equipment model hierarchy

The ISA-95 equipment model consists of four hierarchical levels, starting at the site level. Each level represents a distinct organizational unit within your industrial facility:
{#isa-95-equipment-model__entry__3}

| Level | Name | Description |
|-|-|-|
| 1 | Site | A physical facility or plant. |
| 2 | Area | A sub-facility or department within a site. |
| 3 | Work Center | A section within an area. |
| 4 | Work Unit | A specific unit or section within a work center. |
[Table 1. ISA-95 hierarchical levels]

Equipment model entity records are stored in the Equipment Model Entity \[cmdb_ci_ot_isa_entity\] table.

## Work Center types {#isa-95-equipment-model__work_center_types}

The Work Center level (Level 3) has four type options. Each type serves a specific function within your manufacturing facility:

Process Cell

:   An area within a manufacturing facility dedicated to a particular stage of production. It includes all necessary equipment such as programmable logical controllers (PLCs), sensors, and actuators to automate and monitor processes. Process cell data is collected for control, quality monitoring, and diagnostics. **Example:** A robotic welding cell in an automotive factory.

Production Unit

:   A group of process cells that perform related manufacturing operations. It coordinates process cell activities and manages material and data flow. **Example:** A car manufacturing plant production unit might include
    cells for welding, painting, assembling, and packaging.

Production Line

:   A sequence of process cells or production units that manufacture a product from start to finish. It provides overall control and monitoring, and coordinates activities across all cells and units. It also manages the entire process from raw materials to finished goods. **Example:** An automotive assembly line where parts are assembled into a complete vehicle.

Storage Zone

:   A designated area for storing raw materials, work-in-progress items, or finished goods. Inventory management systems maintain material flow and availability. **Example:** A warehouse for raw materials before
    production or finished goods awaiting shipment.

## Work Unit types {#isa-95-equipment-model__work_unit_types}

The Work Unit level (Level 4) has three type options. Work units exist beneath work centers and represent the most granular level in the equipment model:

Unit
:   A generic work unit designation for operational purposes.

Work Cell
:   A designated area where grouped machines and resources work together to complete a specific task or process efficiently.

Storage Unit

:   A designated space or structure for keeping specific equipment, materials, or products. **Example:** A car manufacturing plant uses storage units for car paint, electrical accessories, and raw steel.

The following graphic shows the standard ISA-95 default template delivered when you install the Industrial Process Manager. Figure 1. Equipment model template example