How Unified Namespace Solves Manufacturing’s Data Silo Problem

Manufacturing facilities generate huge amounts of data daily, but just having that data isn’t enough. The real challenge is making it accessible and useful across the entire organization.

In a recent Automation World article, John Parraga, Director of Process Automation at Magnum Systems and a certified member of the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA), along with Jeff Harpenau, Engineering Director of Automation Ecosystem at Magnum Systems and also a certified CSIA member, discuss how a Unified Namespace (UNS) provides a modern solution to manufacturing’s ongoing data silo problem by building on the ISA-95 standard.

The article explains how traditional point-to-point integration creates a complex “spaghetti” architecture that’s costly to maintain and difficult to scale. A UNS transforms this method by using a central data hub—usually an MQTT broker—where all systems publish data to a shared namespace with standardized naming conventions.

This setup simplifies data access, enables advanced analytics and machine learning capabilities, and lets teams make quicker, more informed decisions. John and Jeff also highlight the vital role that control systems integrators play in implementing a UNS, considering their unique position at the intersection of operational technology, information technology, and manufacturing operations.

Click to read the full Automation World article

Magnum Systems podcast series, AIM!

Check out our podcast page.

Maximizing Manufacturing Efficiency: The Role of Automation in Integrated Systems

Plant-Wide Integrated System Testing: The Hidden Cost of Fragmented Solutions

Blog