B2MML

B2MML (Business To Manufacturing Markup Language) is an open, XML-based implementation of the ISA-95 standard. It provides a set of XML schemas that represent ISA-95 object models and data structures so that business systems (such as ERP) and manufacturing systems (such as MES, LIMS, and SCADA/PCS interfaces) can exchange information in a consistent way.

What B2MML includes

B2MML commonly includes XML schemas for representing:

• Enterprise, site, and area models
• Equipment and production line hierarchies
• Material definitions, lots, and inventories
• Production schedules and work orders
• Production performance and event data
• Personnel and work center assignments

Vendors and integrators use these schemas to define message formats for integrations, such as sending production schedules from ERP to MES, or sending production response data from MES back to ERP.

How B2MML is used in industrial environments

In regulated and complex manufacturing environments, B2MML is commonly used as a neutral data model and message structure between systems, for example:

• Integrating ERP or planning systems with MES and scheduling tools
• Exchanging material master and bill-of-material information with manufacturing systems
• Capturing production results, consumption, and genealogy from MES and feeding them to ERP or data warehouses
• Standardizing the interface definitions in multi-vendor system architectures

B2MML itself does not enforce validation, security, or regulatory compliance. It defines how data is structured and labeled, not how systems must behave or be configured.

Relationship to ISA-95

ISA-95 is a conceptual and logical standard that defines models and terminology for integrating enterprise and control systems. B2MML turns those models into concrete XML schemas that can be implemented in software interfaces. B2MML is therefore often described as a practical implementation layer for ISA-95 data exchanges.

Common confusion

• Not a protocol: B2MML defines message structures (schemas), not the transport mechanism. It is typically used over web services, message queues, or file transfer, depending on the integration design.
• Not a full integration solution: B2MML does not replace integration platforms, middleware, or custom mapping logic. It is a data model and schema set that those solutions can use.
• Not identical to ISA-95: ISA-95 is the overarching standard; B2MML is one widely used XML implementation of that standard.

Context from interoperability discussions

In interoperability discussions, B2MML is often mentioned alongside standards such as OPC UA and ISA-95. While it can support interoperability by providing a shared data structure for messages, actual interoperability still depends on vendor implementations, configuration, data mapping, and change control across the integrated systems.