ISO 15531 specifies the characteristics for a representation of manufacturing management information
over the entire industrial process. It provides the necessary mechanisms and definitions to enable
manufacturing management data to be shared and exchanged within the factory, with other plants or
companies.
The standard is mainly focused on discrete manufacturing but not limited to it. It may also apply to
any industrial processes that do not imply any contradiction or inconsistency with the basic principle
of the standard.
The following are within the scope of ISO 15531:
 the representation of information needed to manage production and resources;
 the exchange and sharing of production information and resources information including storing,
transferring, accessing and archiving.
EXAMPLE Information on resources and system capability and capacity, monitoring, maintenance, constraints
and control information.
NOTE Maintenance constraints and relevant maintenance management data are taken into account from the
point of view of their impact on the flow control.
The following are outside the scope of ISO 15531:
- architecture and methodologies for the modelling of an enterprise in its whole as well as the
related tools;
- representation and exchange of product information;
- representation and exchange of computer-interpretable parts library information;
- representation of exchange of cutting tool data;
- technical maintenance information.
EXAMPLE Technical information that is included in devices repair, operation and maintenance manuals.
More specifically this part of ISO 15531 gives an overview of this International Standard and of the main
principles used. It specifies the characteristics of the various series of parts in ISO 15531 and the relationships
among them.
The following are specifically within the scope of this part of ISO 15531:
- general overview of the standard and of the main principles used;
- structure of the standard and relationships between the three series of parts which the standard is
made of;
- definitions of terms used throughout this International Standard.
The scope of this part includes provisions of explanations addressing the following item that are issued
in Annex B:
- how this standard fits with ISO 10303, with ISO 13584, and with other related standardisation
works;
- the role and usage of manufacturing systems data exchange and how this standard may be
used in conjunction with other standards to contribute to the integration of manufacturing
applications.
The scope of each of the other parts of ISO 15531 is defined within the relevant part of each series.