The purpose of ISO 11354-1:2011 is to specify a Framework for Enterprise Interoperability (FEI) that establishes dimensions and viewpoints to address interoperability barriers, their potential solutions, and the relationships between them.

ISO 11354 applies to manufacturing enterprises, but can also apply to other kinds of enterprises. It is intended for use by stakeholders who are concerned with developing and deploying solutions based on information and communication technology for manufacturing enterprise process interoperability. It focuses on, but is not restricted to, enterprise (manufacturing or service) interoperability.

ISO 11354-1:2011 specifies the following:

• viewpoints for addressing stakeholder concerns for the exchange of entities (information objects or physical objects) at the operational levels of enterprises at which interoperability is required;
• a framework for structuring these stakeholder concerns (business, process, service, data), the barriers relating to enterprise interoperability (conceptual, technological, organizational) and the approaches to overcome barriers (integrated, unified, federated), with contents identifying the various kinds of solutions available to enable interoperability.

ISO 11354-1:2011 does not specify the specific mechanisms for the exchange of entities (information objects or physical objects), nor the manner in which interoperability solutions are implemented.