IEC 62890:2020

Overview - IEC 62890:2020 (Life‑Cycle‑Management for systems and components)

IEC 62890:2020 establishes basic principles and generic reference models for life‑cycle management (LCM) of systems and components used in industrial‑process measurement, control and automation. It defines consistent terminology and three core models - Life‑Cycle‑Model, Structure Model and Compatibility Model - to support design, planning, development, maintenance and plant operation across multiple industrial sectors. The standard targets the divergence between fast‑moving component life‑cycles and long‑lived plant lifetimes, and it is applicable to integrated management systems such as MES and ERP.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Generic models and definitions
  • Distinction between product type (type/version/revision) and product instance (life time of an installed item).
  • Life‑Cycle‑Model covering stages from concept and production to maintenance and end‑of‑life.
  • Structure Model for hierarchical system composition and component integration.
  • Compatibility Model for mapping compatibility requirements across hardware, software and interfaces.
• LCM strategies
  • Documented strategies such as last‑time buy, substitution, re‑design and migration, plus guidance on when to apply each.
  • Guidance on service levels, responsibilities and service agreements between value‑chain partners.
• Application guidance
  • Practical use of models for planning obsolescence handling, upgrades, maintenance and migration paths.
  • Emphasis on proactive LCM and the concept of Life‑Cycle‑Excellence to align suppliers, system integrators and plant users.
• Stakeholder alignment
  • Definitions and roles for plant users, product/system producers, service providers and component suppliers to enable consistent LCM practices.

Applications - who uses IEC 62890 and why

• Plant owners and asset managers use IEC 62890 to plan long‑term maintenance, spare parts purchasing (last‑time buy) and migration strategies.
• System and product manufacturers adopt the models for design-for‑serviceability, compatibility assessments and version control.
• System integrators and service providers apply the standard to define service levels, support contracts and upgrade paths.
• Applicable across industries with differing lifetimes (manufacturing, chemical, oil & gas, energy) and to integration with MES and ERP systems for enterprise‑wide life‑cycle planning.

Related standards and references

• IEC 62264 (enterprise/control system integration) is referenced in Annex material and complements LCM by linking functional hierarchies and data flows.
• Work by IEC TC 65 (industrial‑process measurement, control and automation) provides the broader context for automation standards.

Keywords: IEC 62890, life‑cycle management, industrial automation, compatibility model, structure model, life‑cycle model, MES, ERP, obsolescence, automation systems.