The Organization for Machine Automation and Control

What The Organization for Machine Automation and Control does

The Organization for Machine Automation and Control (OMAC) is a non-profit membership-based industry association founded in 1994 (originally as The Open Modular Architecture Controls User's Group, rebranded in 2008) and headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a charter member of the Automation Federation and operates as a collaborative forum that brings together end-user manufacturers, OEM machine builders, system integrators, technology providers, and non-commercial organizations to develop open standards, implementation guidelines, and best practices for manufacturing automation. OMAC's portfolio centers on its three active workgroups: the Packaging Workgroup (OPW) covering PackML and sustainability, the Manufacturing Workgroup (OMW) covering Digital Twin Manufacturing (ISO 23247) and STEP-NC (ISO 10303-238), and the Digital Transformation Workgroup (DTW) covering remote access and cybersecurity.

Its core technical contribution is PackML (Packaging Markup Language), an automation standard that establishes consistent machine state models, HMI conventions, stacklight mappings, and data tag schemas (PackTags) to enable interoperability across packaging lines regardless of OEM or control system. PackML has been adopted by the International Society of Automation as ANSI/ISA-TR88.00.02 (updated 2022), giving it formal standards-body recognition. OMAC supplements this with supporting deliverables including the Practical Guide for Remote Access to Plant Equipment (90 pages, 37 contributors), Security Considerations for Remote Access (47 contributors), Practical Considerations for Data Governance, an OEE Implementation Guide, and the PackML Energy and Sustainability Implementation Guide.

OMAC generates revenue almost entirely through annual corporate membership dues, tiered by member sales volume: $900/year for organizations under $5M, $1,900/year for $5M-$50M, $2,900/year for over $50M, and $1,000/year for non-commercial/academic members. It supplements this with event participation (PACK EXPO, Interpack), workshops, training modules, media partnerships (PMMI Media Group including Packaging World and Automation World), and a member portal for resource access. Distribution is direct via website enrollment, supported by channel partnerships with PMMI, ISA, ARC Advisory Group, OPC Foundation, PLCopen, CSIA, and O³neida. Governance is provided by a Board of Directors drawn from member companies including Smurfit Westrock, Procter & Gamble, Domino Printing Sciences, Boeing, Arla Foods, Siemens Digital Industries, Milacron, Beckhoff, COPA-DATA, Tronrud Engineering, rymden software, and ZarPack (ProMach), with Bryan Griffen serving as Executive Director.

Name

The Organization for Machine Automation and Control

Legal name

The Organization for Machine Automation and Control

Website

https://omac.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

OMAC is a non-profit industry association that develops open manufacturing automation standards — primarily PackML and related guidelines — and serves end-user manufacturers, OEM machine builders, system integrators, and technology providers through workgroups, implementation guides, and annual corporate memberships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Herndon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Membership Dues: OMAC generates revenue through annual corporate membership fees categorized by annual sales volume. Membership categories include End Users, OEM/Machine Builders, System Integrators, Technology Providers, and Non-Commercial Organizations. Membership terms run either June-July or January-December cycles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

OMAC is a non-profit industry association that develops and publishes open automation standards, implementation guides, and best-practice frameworks for the global manufacturing industry. Its flagship offering is the PackML standard (adopted by ISA as ANSI/ISA-TR88.00.02), delivered alongside three member-driven workgroups (Packaging, Manufacturing, and Digital Transformation), implementation guides, training modules, and technical publications sold via annual corporate membership.

Product overview

The Organization for Machine Automation and Control (OMAC) is a non-profit industry association that develops open standards and best practices for manufacturing automation. Rather than a unified software product, OMAC offers a portfolio of standards-based frameworks and guidelines centered around PackML (Packaging Markup Language), which was adopted by ISA as ANSI/ISA-TR88.00.02. The core offerings include three active Workgroups: the Packaging Workgroup (OPW) focused on packaging machinery standards and sustainability, the Manufacturing Workgroup (OMW) driving Digital Twin Manufacturing and STEP-NC initiatives, and the Digital Transformation Workgroup (DTW) addressing remote access and cybersecurity. Supporting these workgroups are various implementation guides, training modules, and the John A. Kowal Memorial Scholarship program. OMAC provides these standards, guidelines, and educational resources to help manufacturers achieve interoperability, improved efficiency, and reduced integration costs across their operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PackML (Packaging Markup Language)

Quantifiable outcome

• Standardized machine behavior across manufacturers and control systems through PackML
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ei3 CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2020ei3 Corporation facilitated the Remote Access Workgroup of 37 industry leaders to create a comprehensive guide for network-based Remote Access and data collection methods for industrial applications. Also led the EU Cyber Resilience Act task force.
• Automation FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOMAC is a charter member of the Automation Federation, a global umbrella organization under which member associations and societies engaged in manufacturing and process automation activities can work more effectively to fulfill their missions and advance automation technologies.
• PMMIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, is a global resource for the packaging and processing industry. PMMI membership represents more than 900 North American manufacturers and suppliers. OMAC participates in PACK EXPO portfolio of trade shows through this partnership.
• PMMI Media GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPMMI Media Group is a market-leading B2B media company producing information for packaging, processing and automation decision makers through brands including Packaging World, Automation World, Healthcare Packaging, OEM, and Mundo PMMI.
• International Society of Automation (ISA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISA develops standards including the ANSI/ISA-TR88.00.02 standard which incorporates OMAC's PackML. ISA is the founding sponsor of the Automation Federation and develops standards, certifies professionals, and hosts conferences for automation professionals.
• ARC Advisory GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerARC Advisory Group is a leading research and advisory firm for manufacturing, energy, and supply chain solutions covering technology from sensors and automation to production, design, and business systems.
• OpX Leadership NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpX Leadership Network provides industry leadership and best practices for packaging and processing operations. Collaborates with OMAC on remote equipment access work products.
• O³neidaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerO³neida is a not-for-profit corporation operating as a network of networks focused on fostering distributed industrial automation based upon open standards. Operating nodes in North America, Europe, and Asia.
• CSIA (Control System Integrators Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSIA supports control system integrators with best practices, certification, and networking for the automation industry.
• Georgia TechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeorgia Tech research and academic institution partnering with OMAC on manufacturing automation education and research initiatives.
• NISTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Institute of Standards and Technology collaborating on Digital Twin Manufacturing frameworks and manufacturing standards development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• PLCopen: PLCopen is a vendor- and product-independent organization that develops standardized programming languages for industrial controllers (IEC 61131-3). Like OMAC, it is a non-profit standards body shaping industrial automation interoperability, with overlapping technical scope in control system interfaces.
• PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies: PMMI represents 900+ North American packaging and processing manufacturers and produces the PACK EXPO trade shows. OMAC is a close partner of PMMI, and both serve overlapping member bases in the packaging machinery ecosystem with complementary standards, events, and advocacy.
• OPC Foundation: OPC Foundation maintains the OPC UA standard for secure, reliable industrial information exchange. It is a non-profit standards organization that, like OMAC, convenes vendors, integrators, and end users around interoperability specifications referenced across the same manufacturing automation ecosystem.
• MESA International: MESA International is a non-profit industry association that develops best practices and measurement frameworks for manufacturing intelligence, MES, and IIoT. It is highly comparable to OMAC as a member-driven organization producing consensus guidelines for shop-floor data and operations.
• Control System Integrators Association (CSIA): CSIA is a non-profit association serving control system integrators with certification, best practices, and networking. Like OMAC, it convenes integrators and technology providers around common standards and is a named OMAC partner in the automation standards community.

Emerging players

• O³neida (Object Management Group / Industry IoT Consortium ecosystem): O³neida is a not-for-profit network of networks focused on distributed industrial automation based on open standards, with nodes in North America, Europe, and Asia. It is a peer standards body in OMAC's ecosystem, with similar open-standards orientation but a more distributed, multi-region model.

Broad incumbents

• International Society of Automation (ISA): ISA is a large, established global organization that develops automation standards (including the ANSI/ISA-TR88.00.02 standard that incorporates OMAC's PackML), certifies professionals, and hosts major conferences. OMAC partners with ISA but is a smaller, more focused peer; ISA is the broader incumbent in the same standards space.
• The Open Group: The Open Group is a global consortium that develops vendor-neutral technology standards (e.g., TOGAF, Open FAIR) across multiple industries. It is a comparable large-scale, member-driven standards organization, though with a much broader mandate than OMAC's automation focus.

Regional players

• VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau): VDMA is the German Engineering Federation representing thousands of mechanical and plant engineering companies, with extensive standards, working groups, and trade show activity. It is a European regional counterpart to OMAC in the broader machine automation standards landscape.

Others

• ARC Advisory Group: ARC Advisory Group is a research and advisory firm covering industrial automation, manufacturing, and supply chain. While not a standards body, ARC is a strategic partner of OMAC and produces adjacent market intelligence that influences the same community of automation buyers and vendors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/omacassociation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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