Welcome new members
Automation Solutions of America
Beloit, WI
USA
Bureau of Industrial Automation, LLC
Moscow, Russian Federation
Delta Products Corporation
Durham, NC
USA
GPM Instrumentacion Y Control
Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela
Horizon Controls Group
Plymouth Meeting, PA, USA
Industrial Consulting Group, S. de R.L. de C.V.
Queretaro, Mexico
Keystone Controls
Sydney, Australia
NM Insertech (Caribbean) Ltd
San Fernando, Trinadad and Tobago
Ovak Technologies
Yerevan, Armenia
Project Integration LLC
Yerevan, Armenia
RACO Manufacturing and Engineering Co
Emeryville, CA
USA
TMT Solutions Inc.
San Marcos, TX
USA
Western Integrated Systems Ltd.
Burnaby, BC
Canada
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CSIA Certified Members
Congratulations to the following newly certified members:
Applied Sciences Group, Inc.
Buffalo, NY
USA
Autoware S.r.l. unipersonale
Vicenza, Italy
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Contact Us
Leadership directory
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DON'T MISS IT!
April 23-26, 2014
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The CSIA e-newsletter is now available in Spanish. To be added to the mailing list, please contact Marsala Vallejo.
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Quote of the Month
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"Look for three qualities in hiring people: integrity, intelligence and energy. If you don't get the first, the other two will kill you."
- Warren Buffet
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The go-to resource for control system integration.
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The Industrial Automation Exchange debuts in April
 by Eric Huemmer, Exchange Community Manager
The Industrial Automation Exchange, or "Exchange" for short, is CSIA's new site dedicated not only to the exchange of services and products across the globe, but also the exchange of information and resources for the entire industrial automation industry. With roll-out in April, the Exchange will replace Find an Integrator with an entirely new platform that offers many more features.
On the Exchange, system integrators and industry partners alike will be able to prominently display their companies with engaging profiles that connect directly to their websites and sales contacts. That means that this site will be a first stop for potential clients, where they can compare integrators side-by-side, determine which products to use, and ask their questions directly of industry experts.
As the Exchange grows with more users, case studies, videos and other content, so will its presence in search engine results. In fact, an integrator's profile may be the first impression to a company that does not even realize they're looking for an integrator until now. This is where the higher level packages will shine, with added features that help your company stand out amongst the rest with a more engaging and interactive profile.
As the new Exchange Community Manager with CSIA, I have seen the Exchange take shape from the initial stages of development, and I have to say that I am excited. With what this website will be capable of, I honestly believe that this could change how clients make decisions and how the industry itself operates. It will embody what CSIA stands for by being the center for integrators, industry partners and clients to connect with one another, integrate new ideas, and improve as businesses.
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You're going to want to be a part of this
by Lynda J. Patterson, FASAE, CAE, CSIA President
We are thrilled to report that all indications point to another record year for CSIA conference growth. We're at 120 MORE registrants this year than we were last year at this time.
Other conference news to look forward to:
- Watch for a more dynamic mobile app. We'll send all registrants a notification when it's ready to download to Apple and Android devices. You'll want to update your profile on the app before the conference.
- CSIA is teaming up with Land's End to launch its own online e-store. Purchase CSIA and CSIA Conference-branded shirts, caps, scarves and more. All CSIA Executive Conference member registrants will receive a $40 voucher good toward CSIA merchandise. Use it to purchase the official CSIA Conference shirt or for any item in the CSIA store. Vouchers will be emailed to registrants starting in March. Register early to be sure you have your conference wear in hand before you head to San Diego.
- We're excited to unveil the brand new Industrial Automation Exchange at the conference. Learn what this powerful tool, with its new find-an-integrator search platform, engaging profiles and resource library, can do for your company's growth. Staff will be on-hand throughout the conference to answer your questions about the features of the Exchange and help you get signed up.
- Conference sponsorship is at an all-time high. Please thank the sponsors when you see them at the conference and in all your business connections with these generous companies.
- Our exhibit program just keeps getting bigger and bigger! We've expanded the size of the room and the number of booths it can hold, and we're STILL nearly sold out.
Don't wait any longer! Register today!
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Introducing the CSIA/Sandler Sales Training
Solution Program
Do your clients and prospective clients view system integration as a commodity - the perception that all integrators are created equal so they just go with the lowest price? Are you struggling to manage the sales relationship - the client is in control and you can't figure out how to take control and stop wasting time? Are valuable billable hours being lost to unbillable hours because of chasing projects you don't stand a chance to get?
CSIA has teamed up with Sandler Sales Training to develop a new, members-only CSIA/Sandler Sales Training Solution Program that is designed specifically for system integrators to overcome these challenges. Get your business development, sales and management personnel into the program to stop wasting resources. This custom training program may be your key to growth!
Registration is now open for the two Initial Training classes - April 22-23 (prior to the CSIA Executive Conference) or June 24-25. Don't procrastinate - class size is limited to 50 and they are filling up.
 | | Check out the welcome video from Sandler. |
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ARC Forum brings together end users,
integrators and suppliers
by Bob Lowe, CSIA Executive Director
Many of our members attended the recent ARC Forum. It is a unique event that provides keynotes and sessions on how industrial users can use advanced technology for their success. With about 50 percent of the attendees being end-user clients, it is also an excellent relationship-building opportunity for suppliers and integrators.
For the first time at the forum, CSIA had a session presentation and panel that covered lessons learned in the integrator/client relationship. Steve Goldberg of Matrix Technologies brought Tom Braydich of Campbell Soup. Don Ulrich of Stone Technologies brought Jeff Shiepe of Nestle. Jeff and Tom each did a presentation then Steve, Don and I were a panel that fielded many questions on the topic. There were about 50 attendees. The importance to end-user clients of working with CSIA Certified integrators, which leads to successful projects, was an emphasis.
An end-user owner operator workshop to learn what end-users desire in the delivery of automation was cancelled. A contributing factor was the East Coast snow storm. A workshop discussion guide had been developed, which will instead become the basis of a survey. The survey will be sent to ARC end-user clients and CSIA integrator members, with a request that they ask some of their clients to complete it. Assuming enough responses are received, an ARC Insight article will be written, as originally planned for the workshop results.
The article rights will be acquired by CSIA for distribution to our members. Watch for the survey information in your Inbox.
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Tremendous response for webinar series!
We've been thrilled to see record attendance at just about every webinar in this series leading up to the 2014 Executive Conference.
Be sure to join us for the last few webinars in the series.
COMING UP: March 26, 2014
J-curve management Nick Setchell Just added! April 9, 2014 Integrated business systems: Solving the challenges of system integrators Kathie Poindexter, Epicor Software John Preiditsch, Six S Partners
All webinars will be at 11 a.m., Eastern Time US (New York), and are hosted on WebEx by Software Toolbox, a CSIA Partner member. ARCHIVES:
Feb. 26, 2014
Performance management program for technical professionals
Gina Coleal
People: hiring, leading, coaching and evaluating
Ken Edmundson
Nov. 20, 2013 Developing a professional project management team for systems integration Jeff Miller Oct. 23, 2013 24-month rolling plan
Nick Setchell
Sept. 25, 2013 Organizational culture: Methods for improving performance Ken Edmundson Aug. 28, 2013 Holistic overview of proactive management Nick Setchell
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CSIA KPICS Webinar
Wednesday, March 12, 2014, 11 a.m. EST (New York)
Many of you are familiar with our KPICs statistics program. For existing users, this 30-minute webinar will introduce you to the newly updated KPICs user interface. For first time users, be sure to attend to learn how joining the KPICs program could benefit your company. Another 30-minute webinar will be scheduled in April that will explain some of the recent KPICs survey feedback findings on KPICs usage and reports. We are also expecting to spend some time on how the data is interpreted and what it means to your company.
Speakers: Jim Campbell, Viewpoint Systems; Chris Smith, iLumen; Bob Lowe, CSIA
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One last push for award nominations
by Steve Goldberg, CSIA Past Chair, Nominations Committee Chair
As an organization we have a lot of exciting projects that continue to keep the board and staff very busy. One area that takes some time to prepare for are the nominations, selection and award of the various accolades that make up part of our awards program at each conference. We are about out of time for nominations so please decide if you want to nominate someone then do so now.
This is the last request for nominations for our three awards: Charlie Bergman "Remember Me," Rising Star, and Partner. The awards nomination form is available online until March 7.
The form is pretty self-explanatory, but if you have questions don't hesitate to ask. As always I am happy to help.
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Partner Committee update
by Sam Hoff and Mark Moriarty, co-chairs
The Partner Committee will be hosting a webinar Tuesday, March 11, for partners who will be exhibiting at the Industry Expo at the 2014 CSIA Executive Conference.
We emphasize that this is not a typical tradeshow for them. Most of the attendees to the CSIA conference are in executive management and are several years removed from the bits and bytes of the technical details. Therefore, the partner company should focus more on the business aspect of a potential relationship rather than touting features and benefits. But highlighting a partner's primary product offering and "what's new" is important too, particularly for first-time exhibitors.
The Partner Committee has also been working with staff on future replacement of the Application Showcase Library that is currently in the Connected Community. We would like to give partner members a more efficient way of getting white papers and other technical information out to the CSIA community.
The Partner Committee Face-to-Face Meeting last fall in Detroit spurred the idea behind the implementation of an End User Workshop at the recent ARC Forum. See the ARC Forum report for details.
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Best Practices and Benchmarks Committee
surveys members
by Eric Schaefer
The Best Practices & Benchmarks (BP&B) Committee conducted a survey of members to get feedback on Rev. 4 of the Best Practices & Benchmark Manual. The intent of the survey was to identify areas of the manual that need updating, additional information or clarity. In addition, we were looking for new content areas to address issues facing system integrators in today's market.
The initial survey results identified some areas that the committee will be addressing, either through revisions or white papers available to our membership. These areas include:
- Health and safety (specific to system integrators)
- Clarify configuration management
- Cybersecurity
- Templates or examples representing the best practice
The committee is reviewing the results and will be determining the best approach for each of the topics. The survey is still available on the Connected Community or here, so please provide us your ideas.
We are looking forward to the upcoming conference where the committee will be meeting face-to-face and scheduling the next steps for the publication of Rev. 5 of the BP &B Manual.
If you have an interest in joining us on the committee or any comments on what we can be doing to make your experiences with CSIA better, please contact me at eschaefer@stonetek.com.
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Successful negotiations, like successful plays, need great lines
by Mark A. Voigtmann, CSIA Attorney
At this year's upcoming CSIA Executive Conference in San Diego you will be seeing a first: I will be co-presenting with another attorney-my colleague Brian Clifford. Brian should not be a complete stranger to many of you. Not only has he advised CSIA members for a number of years, but he has tag-teamed with me in the past two or three years, writing short articles for this very newsletter.
Brian and I got to thinking: What could we do with two presenters that we could not previously do with one? And that's where we came upon the idea: We decided to put on a play.
You heard that right-a play. Our title says it all: The Negotiation (With Jokes). Our idea is to take an automation project from initial sale to close-out and act out negotiation strategies for each phase. (Naturally, I am going to make Brian assume the role of the hapless owner.)
What are the phases? There are at least six in my way of thinking and here are the first three:
Act I: Your Form or Mine? Many integrators don't realize it, but pitching the work marks the beginning of the negotiation. Key tip to be explained more fully in San Diego: Don't squander the opportunity to take control of the paper. The best place to do this is in the proposal (but it's not the only place).
Act II: Successful Plays Need Great Lines. Although there are different schools of thought regarding whether to start a negotiation with must-haves or need-nots, we tend to come down on the side of the must-haves, e.g., limitation of liability, insurable indemnity, palatable warranties. Key tip to be explained more fully in San Diego: You need great lines (translation: back-up positions) to survive to the next act. What if the owner says "We never limit the liability of our partners"? Or worse, "We never negotiate our contracts." What do you say?
Act III: Filling in the Back Story. Once the must-haves have been addressed and you determine that you will not be exiting "stage left" (walking away from the project), the temptation may be to let the more routine stuff resolve itself (e.g., specifications and standards, payment details, testing and commissioning, insurance).
Key tip to be explained more fully in San Diego: Sometimes the purportedly "lesser" details can drive the whole project. Example: "Free from defects." Question: Ordinary and reasonable? Answer: it may be ordinary, but it's never reasonable in an automation project.
Next month: the final three acts. And, yes, there will be jokes.
Mark Voigtmann is a partner in the automation practice at Faegre Baker Daniels LLP. He is the author of The Automation Legal Reference: a Guide to Legal Risk in the Automation, Robotics and Process Industries. He can be reached at Mark.Voigtmann@faegrebd.com or at 317-237-1265. Follow Mark @automationlaw
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Plan to attend the Automation Conference
The Automation Conference offers two days of education and networking for professionals in the discrete manufacturing, continuous and batch processing and packaging fields. The May 20-21 event will be held in Chicago, Ill., U.S.
More than 20 sessions will be offered, featuring presentations by General Motors, Sierra Nevada Brewing, Sherwin Williams, Bosch Automotive, 3M, MeadWestvaco and other well-known technology end-users and industry experts, including some of our own CSIA members:
- Luigi De Bernardini of Autoware in Italy
- Ed Diehl of Concept Systems in Oregon
- Stephen Blank of Loman Control Systems in Pennsylvania
These members were recruited because of being regular AutomationWorld.com bloggers. Automation World and Summit Media Group are hosting the conference. Their presentation and panel discussion is titled "System Integrators - Filling the Expertise Gap."
Plan to attend and meet end-user clients, automation vendors and other system integrators.
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CSIA members make headlines
 Members that have been featured in industry media recently include:
Autoware Automation World Concept Systems Automation World Automation World Loman Controls Automation World TSi Power
Q&A: A Reasoned Approach to OEM Technology Partnerships
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ISA Security Compliance Institute Expands Coverage of ISASecure� Cybersecurity Certification Program
The ISA Security Compliance Institute (ISCI) recently announced the availability of a system-level cybersecurity certification for industrial automation and control systems (IACS) products. ISCI also announced Q2 2014 availability of an organizational certification which ensures that suppliers are following cybersecurity development and support lifecycle processes for IACS products.
Supplier organizations are encouraged to contact an ISASecure-accredited lab for details on these new certifications and the steps for certifying IACS products and their organization's product development and support lifecycle processes.
The new product certification is the System Security Assurance (ISASecure SSA), which assesses the cybersecurity of off-the-shelf industrial control systems and certifies conformance to IEC 62443-3-3. The objective of this certification is to ensure cybersecurity robustness for off-the-shelf control systems and to certify that the systems are free from known vulnerabilities. The SSA program description and certification specifications are available for download in PDF format from the ISCI website at www.isasecure.org.
The new organizational certification is the Security Development Life Cycle Assurance (SDLA) certification which ensures that a supplier's product development organization has institutionalized cybersecurity into their product development and support lifecycle processes and follows them consistently on an ongoing basis. The objective of this certification is to ensure that cybersecurity is designed into IACS products from the beginning and is followed throughout all product development and support lifecycle phases.
ISCI has been certifying embedded devices under the Embedded Device Security Assurance certification (ISASecure EDSA) scheme. EDSA, the first ISASecure certification, assures cybersecurity for off-the-shelf embedded devices and lists certified devices from prominent suppliers such as Honeywell and Yokogawa.
The ISASecure™ program has been developed by the ISA Security Compliance Institute (ISCI) with a goal to accelerate industry-wide cybersecurity improvement for IACS. ISASecure certifications are based upon international cybersecurity standards, including the IEC 62443 series, ISO 27001 and other relevant industry-consensus standards.
The ISASecure IACS cybersecurity certification program is an ISO/IEC Guide 65 conformance scheme supporting ISCI's goal to operate a globally recognized IACS cybersecurity certification program. Independent third-party accreditation by IEC accreditation bodies (AB), such as ANSI/ACLASS and JAB, ensures the credibility and value of the ISASecure certification by objectively attesting to the competence and qualification of ISCI certification bodies (CB) and laboratories.
ISASecure� is a registered trademark of the ISA Security Compliance Institute.
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