I've heard it said many times. That attitude describes CSIA and is what has made us great. It's counterintuitive, but it works. Our industry has become more professional because of it. Most of our members aspire to apply CSIA Best Practices and ultimately be CSIA Certified, but the road to certification can seem daunting. Help us make that road a little smoother by sharing examples of project quality plans that have worked for you. These will be included in the Roadmap to Certification, a collection of model documents to help members improve their businesses and prepare for a CSIA certification audit. Share one and you may find ten others that help you improve!

Why are Best Practices and CSIA Certification important? Because they provide reasonable assurance for end-user clients that a CSI company has established good business practices - a risk reduction factor for them. Would you go to a doctor that says he's good but is not board certified? I wouldn't. Then why make prospective clients guess whether you are a well-managed company? CSIA Certification: it's good for our industry and for our end-user clients!

For readers outside of the United States, please know that CSIA Best Practices are nearly 100% applicable anywhere in the world!

Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CSIAexecdir.

by Lynda J. Patterson, FASAE, CAE, president

The staff at the world headquarters of CSIA has been very busy as we finish up 2012 membership renewals (thank you for renewing your membership!), working with our conference sponsors (thank you for your sponsorship!), and registering attendees (thank you for registering!) for the 2012 Executive Conference.

This week we also welcome CSIA leadership to Madison, Wis., for our annual planning meeting. Chairman Steve Goldberg, Treasurer PC Romano, Executive Director Bob Lowe and the staff (Jeanne Rosen, Ann Nelson, Brittany Olson, Chrissy Smith, Laura Hodge and Kim Striebel) will convene to talk about CSIA strategy, success metrics, international growth, marketing plans, membership and governing documents. This small meeting helps us identify the big-picture issues for CSIA and develop a meaningful agenda for the full board meeting prior to the conference in Scottsdale.

We sincerely appreciate (and not parenthetically!) our volunteer leaders for sharing their time and talent with CSIA. Their leadership and dedication to advancing the profession benefits all system integrators and their clients.

I look forward to our continued growth and success, and to seeing you in Arizona!

Do you have a survey question to suggest? Send it here.

Congratulations to the 2012 System Integrators of the Year: Superior Controls, Matrix Technologies, and Mangan. All three winners are CSIA Certified. In fact, 14 of the 18 winners to date have been CSIA certified.  

The Cyber Threat Environment:
Its Impact on the Control System Integration Industry

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (New York)/3:00 p.m.

Lisa Kaiser, Director of Control Systems Cybersecurity Strategic Planning, Department of Homeland Security

Lisa Kaiser provided the keynote presentation during the 2012 Symposium: Managing Plant Assets and Performance in Clearwater Beach, Fla. Her presentation, attended by IT and instrument/control stakeholders from the nuclear, fossil fuels, wind, and other interrelated energy segments, focused on the current state of cyber security, notions of where we are headed, current strategies and initiatives, and cross-sector issues. For this CSIA webinar, her presentation will be adapted to address the impact on CSIs in most vertical industries regarding the potential liabilities, encroachment by the IT industry into the CSI space and the business opportunities available. 

Register here. 

_________________________________________________________  

Recent webinar topics include:

October: Certification Audit Preparation Process

December: Low Cost High Impact Marketing Strategies

January: Yes - Subject Matter Experts Can Be Successful Trainers  

These and many other CSIA webinars can be listened to and viewed in the webinar archives.

Many newer members of CSIA did not have the opportunity to know Charlie Bergman, one of the founders of CSIA, or the origin of the Charlie Bergman "Remember Me" award. If you have a comment about Charlie, a story to tell, or a photo to share about Charlie, please contact [email protected].

Also, please let Ann know if you would like to record your comments to share on the CSIA web site and with others attending the CSIA Executive Conference. 

Here are a few of the topics recently discussed on the CSIA Open Forum:

Gary Spies, Automation Consulting Engineering Services, Inc., asks, "I just lost two valuable employees to clients.  This is a real financial blow after investing training in these people, not to mention the loss in revenue.  It seems I am their recruiter. Does anyone have an anti-recruiting clause I can add to my contracts with clients to discourage this or at least get a recruiting fee?"  Six members, including CSIA Attorney Mark Voigtmann, replied.

Kevin Mueller of ProUsys, Inc. writes, "We are looking for a CSIA integration company with significant experience in the Mining industry who is interested in jointly developing and supporting that market." Five people responded within a day and a half.

Eric Schaefer, Stone Technologies, Inc., posts:  "As an integrator, what tools or resources are SIs using for their internal safety programs?  Most resources seem to cater to panel shop safety or construction site safety. What about the programmers and engineers? Anyone care to share what they are doing or a resource that they have found for material or video training? Seven members replied.

Like any community or relationship, the more you give, the more you receive. Get started by visiting the CSIA Connected Community!

by Jeff Miller, committee chair

The Best Practices and Benchmarks Committee is requesting your examples of project quality plans for the next acquisition in the Roadmap to Certification. The Roadmap to Certification provides model documents that members have developed to improve their businesses and prepare for a CSIA certification audit.

Template documents, minus any identifying company information, serve as examples of the documents referenced in the Best Practices and Benchmarks Manual. After review, the committee is posting the best examples in a library called Member Resources for Improving Your Business on the CSIA Connected Community. The library is available to CSIA members only.

The template collection process began with project management Section 5 of the CSIA Best Practices and Benchmarks. In future months, the committee will be seeking examples for the other three required pass sections: Section 4 - Financial Management; Section 6 - System Development Lifecycle; and Section 7 - Supporting Activities.

Please submit any templates you have for project quality plans - without any identifying information - to the Best Practice Committee at: [email protected] by Friday, Feb. 24.

by Paul Barnard, insurance manager

After the great success for our insurance programs in 2011 it will not be easy to keep up the pace in 2012, but that is exactly what we intend to do! I have just returned from a visit to our Lloyd's Underwriters in London to discuss further improvements to our exclusive facility with them. It is a unique insurance product that is only available to our membership via the CSIA appointed insurance nrokers around the world. It already includes such features as no contractual liability exclusion for general, products and professional liability coverage.

Cyber liability was in part included in our discussions. Although this coverage is already provided, we are seeking ways in which we may be able to extend this. Cyber liability is an area of growing concern to our membership - there is no longer such a thing as a "closed system" and adequately protecting our members from potential liabilities in this area is a major concern for our insurance programs moving forward.

We are also working on a new product that will provide an easy and cost-effective way for members to ensure that all their subcontractors have the appropriate insurance that meets both the member's requirements and the member's customer's contractual requirements. More on this over the next several months.

So, as our members expand both in size and the scope of their operations, we seek to expand our insurance programs to meet these new exposures and potential liabilities. Many insurance carriers offer one product to fit all industries - this is not our way. We have, and continue to create, insurance coverage that is specific to control system integration and that respond to the unique needs of our membership.

Our insurance programs are now available to members where ever they may be situated in this wonderful world of ours. For more information on how our programs can work for your business please email me or call (001) 610-507-6595.

A decisive factor for success as a system integrator is to achieve a perfect balance between quality, speed and cost. The challenge lies in intelligently connecting them to realize the highest productivity. That is what Siemens can help you achieve with Totally Integrated Automation and COMOS.

Totally Integrated Automation offers unique advantages toward efficient configuration, faster integration and commissioning, greater flexibility in production and higher machine time availability. Both entire systems and individual products can be integrated into existing plants without any problems - even when products by third-party suppliers are being used.

With the COMOS software solution, Siemens is the only supplier worldwide to implement integrated plant management projects over the entire lifecycle of an industrial facility. The uniform COMOS data platform provides plant design engineers with a seamless flow of project-relevant data across all corporate levels and project phases. This enables an integrated overarching software solution concept. The benefits for your clients: optimal integration of planning and operating environments which translates into more efficient workflows, improved productivity and increased quality.

At the 2012 CSIA Executive Conference, you will have a first-hand opportunity to learn how system integrators use Totally Integrated Automation and COMOS solutions to improve their performance and productivity. Please mark your calendar to stop by the Siemens display at the Partner Industry Expo on Thursday, April 26, to learn more about Totally Integrated Automation and COMOS.  Then be sure to attend the 8 a.m., Friday, April 27, session with Matt McKinley, head of COMOS product management at Siemens.

by Rick Farrell, Tangent Knowledge Systems
- a 2012 CSIA Conference Presenter  

The Sin of Control

Savvy salespeople know that the way you gain control is  . . . you give it up. When we are too controlling in the sales process, we end up being controlled by the control we seek. Seeking control becomes counter-productive and unrealistic.

The average salesperson tries too hard; the exceptional salesperson doesn't. Intelligent and selective effort attracts customers; over-the-board effort and control detracts. Salespeople who learn to adopt this posture become lazy like a fox.

We think we are in control of a sales call, but we really aren't. We think we know what is best for our customers, but we don't. We think we can accurately interpret their lack of responses, but we can't. The good news is that once we realize all this, the mystery of selling is greatly diminished.

We mistakenly confuse giving up control for weakness and seizing control for strength. Actually the inverse is true. "When you accept that there is no effective way to control what another thinks, and that all attempts at such control simply introduce static into your communication, then you are better prepared to deal with people with differing points of view (diversity)," says Susan Campbell.

I like to refer to giving up control as the non-selling posture: Nothing to prove, nothing to disprove. It is non-dogmatic and non-authoritative. It allows customers the authority, the control and the independence to seek their own answers and conclusions independent of the salesperson's selling agenda.

Be sure to attend Rick's presentation at the 2012 CSIA Executive Conference on Friday, April 27!

The MESA Global Education Program (GEP) aggressively addresses the knowledge gap that serves as the primary barrier to growth of the operations management space. Slowing that growth inhibits the realization of the significant gains available to end users who successfully embrace manufacturing execution systems/manufacturing operations management (MES/MOM). So, end-user manufacturers/ producers and solution providers alike have reason to attend these programs.

MESA Certificate of Awareness (CoA) for MES/MOM Business Awareness Program is a two-day, high-level program of MES/MOM business functions courses geared for executives, manufacturing/ operations and IT personnel and sales professionals. 

These events occur in various locations globally in 2012. They require registration here.

MESA International is a non-profit, independent organization with members in 90 countries including solution providers, system integrators and manufacturer/producers.

Note: Polytron, a CSIA member, will host an event on Feb. 16-17 near Atlanta, Ga. 

*MES/MOM - Manufacturing Execution Systems/Manufacturing Operations Management 

ARC's 2012 World Forum Orlando

Feb. 6 - 9, 2012 

Renaissance @ SeaWorld Orlando Marriott, Orlando

Yes, it's getting late but it's not too late to attend the ARC Forum next week. The 50% discount for CSIA integrator members and prospective members is an amazing offer by ARC!

ARC's World Industry Forum focuses on all industry challenges and can help you develop winning strategies. It provides the ideal environment for industry executives to collaborate, share ideas, and find new ways to attack their most pressing problems. The event includes sessions on the major issues facing our industry, with multiple tracks that enable executives to explore these topics from different perspectives. Owner/operators, solution providers, and technical experts will all benefit from this experience while simultaneously contributing to the community's body of knowledge. This forum is a great learning experience with excellent networking opportunities, including meeting prospective clients. 

ISPE Meeting Report

by Bob Lowe, CSIA Executive Director

At the invitation of Jim Cummings of TSD Optimation, I recently presented a program at the Delaware Valley Chapter of ISPE dinner meeting. My co-presenter was Duane Grob, TSD's engineering manager. The purpose was to show that CSIA Certification can substitute for a substantial part of the PDA TR32 Vendor Audit Guideline. This can be important to life science companies because it reduces the resources required of them during the vendor qualification process.

Why am I writing about this? Because if you have an opportunity to do a presentation for similar reasons in a town near you, please feel free to download the presentation, tweak it to fit your needs and go for it! The PowerPoint presentation is in the Connected Community library called CSIA Presentations Made at Industry Events. Call me to discuss it. Doing presentations like this is good publicity for your company in the life sciences industry and good publicity for CSIA, particularly CSIA Certification. 

Engineering Unlimited, Inc., Minneapolis, MN, United States

Represented by Robert Werner               

Global Production Solutions, Shawnee, OK, United States           

Represented by Justin Dean      

Oil and gas control system design, electrical engineering, electronics engineering, software engineering, PLC programming, HMI development, water/wastewater control system design, variable speed drive design, motor controller design, Back Spin Relay design

Golder Associates, Lakewood, CO, United States             

Represented by Tony Harrold   

The Golder Automation group is a full service process engineering and control system integration business unit offering process design, panel design, SCADA communication design, panel fabrication, and field assistance/commissioning. Our work is primarily process oriented to serve the water/wastewater, mining, power, and oil/gas markets.

Motors & Controls Corp, Kent, WA, United States           

Represented by Brian Friedle    

A blend of customers and industries, OEM and industrial process controls with an emphasis on material handling/packaging solutions. We are also an industrial electrical distributor.

O'Brien & Gere, Syracuse, NY, United States      

Represented by Chris Marinucci               

Soluciones Automaticas Ltda, Bogota, DC, Colombia       

Represented by Alvaro Wills      

Soluciones Automaticas (SA) is a 21- year-old company in control, automation and system integration in a wide field of industries. SA is a Siemens Solution Partner, Rockwell, Schneider and Wonderaware system integrators and electrical distributor of Sola, Appleton, Ruggedcom, Hoffman, AMCI, Moore Industries.

Strategic Automation Services, LLC, Houston, TX, United States

Represented by Tim McElmurry               

Controls consulting. DCS/PLC-based system design, integration, commissioning and startup. Continuous and batch processes, primarily in the refining, petrochemicals, chemicals, water/waste water and food industries.

Triad Power & Controls Browns, Summit, NC, United States       

Represented by Shayne Hayes 

Triad Power & Controls provides electrical contracting, engineering, panel building, project management, consulting and field service for industrial and commercial companies in NC and southern VA.