In This Issue
Welcome new members 

Allied Moulded Products Inc.
Bryan, Ohio
U.S.

Global Automacao
Curitiba, Parana
Brazil

Pendant Automation Inc.
Havre de Grace, Maryland
U.S.

Precision Control Sdn. Bhd.
Shah Alam, Selangor
Malaysia

The Knowledge Applied
Satelite, Mexico
Mexico

TransTech Projects Pvt. Ltd.
Pune, Maharashtra
India

 

Contact Us 

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Refer a new member!

Tell your colleagues about CSIA. Find member benefits and an application at www.controlsys.org.


 

Get in on the conversation!

Here is a sample of topics that members are sharing on the Open Forum:

 

If you need programs, plans, requirements and provisions to deal with relations between you, your employees and/or your customer, you'd better not bother about NLP.

 

I am looking for a pre-eminent expert in the SAP platform. 

 

Are other integrators in the state of TN doing the same? If not, what am I missing when I read the "computer software" section of the Sale and Use tax guide?

 

Log onto the Connected Community to join the conversation with your peers and stay in the know.

 

 

Integrators:
Have you reviewed the Resources for Managing Your System Integration Business library lately? There have been 1,400 downloads of the project management templates.

 

Partners:
Have you reviewed the Resources for Partner Members library lately? The best practice for partner member technical webinars can be found there.
 
Eagle cam

 

This is unrelated to CSIA activities, but those with a love of the outdoors will enjoy this live cam of an eagles nest in Codorus State Park in York County, Pennsylvania. Join the millions of other people globally who are watching this pair of bald eagles hoping to bring two eaglets into the world.

 

Fun Facts:

� The eagles' names are Liberty and Freedom.
� The nest is 75 feet above ground in an oak tree.
� The nest is 5-6 feet wide and 4-5 feet deep.
� The nest weighs several hundred pounds.
� The nest is 6 years old.

 

Quote 
of the Month:

"There's no such thing as a commodity product or service ... it's just lack of thoughtful marketing, stronger conviction about your product or service, and sales imagination."

~Ken Edmundson
 
 The go-to resource for control system integration.  

March 2015
Growth on The Industrial Exchange

Paid advertising on LinkedIn and Google has been in place during the month of February, and we are seeing increased traffic to The Exchange as a result. Direct promotions to the email lists of industry publications are driving increased inquiries, as well as traffic. As a matter of fact, The Exchange experienced a doubling of traffic during the past four week period, when compared to the four week period immediately preceding it.

 

But it gets better. We will be running ads on the websites of both Plant Services and Water and Waste Digest during the months of March through December. Be sure to check us out there, and be sure you are on The Exchange.

 

Have you got a good story? For those of you who have found success on The Exchange, we would love to hear your testimonial. Contact CSIA Executive Director Bob Lowe to share your story.

 

How to tag your content on the Industrial Automation Exchange
Your Exchange: 
Tagging your content 
with the right categories
One feature that was recently implemented on the Exchange is resource tagging. Whether uploading a case study, a white paper about your new software, or a quick post about the event you'll be at, you can now tag searchable categories for them to appear under in the Find an Answer section. 

Register before March 10; Order your shirt before the conference

All CSIA members who register for the Executive Conference before March 10 will receive a $40 voucher good toward any item in the CSIA Gear Store, including the official 2015 CSIA Executive Conference shirt.

 

Vouchers will be emailed to registrants in late March, in time to place orders and receive your merchandise before you pack up for the conference. Anyone registering after March 10 will receive vouchers within a few weeks after the conference. Vouchers expire June 27, 2015. Browse the CSIA Gear Store now!

 

Executive Conference session:

Learn more about peer groups 

by Don Ulrich, Stone Technologies

 

Do you ever want to:
  • have an open and honest discussion with a peer at another SI to get some real insight into a critical issue or just bounce around an idea?
  • find out how the other guys really do it?
  • learn from others who have solved something that your company struggles with, while being willing to share some of your proud achievements?
Based on the experience of current peer groups that consist of CSIA member companies, a program has been developed that will provide an environment for interested companies to learn more about what peer groups are, the benefits of participation and guidelines on how to join one.

If all this sounds interesting and you want to learn more, attend our session at the Executive Conference. The session will consist of a panel of representatives from current peer groups. They will answer your questions and help you determine if this is something that is right for you. This session will be followed up with opportunities for interested individuals to meet each other and determine if they are a good fit, and to see if they want to form a peer group of their own. To make it easier, special stickers for your badge will be available to indicate your interest in joining a peer-to-peer group. I hope to see you at the session.

 

Executive Conference session:

Benchmark your hiring practices

How does your system integration company's hiring practices benchmark with others in the industry? It's unlikely that you know because this is CSIA's first survey on this topic. To the best of our knowledge, no one else has done this survey in the SI industry either. The survey, a joint effort by CSIA and Automationtechies.com, was sent to the primary contact of our integrator members and certified integrator members on Monday, Feb. 23. If your primary contact has not received the survey information, please contact the CSIA office.

 

The survey results will support the conference session Replacing an Employee---The Clock is Ticking by Alan Carty and Pat Supanich. Additionally, the results will be shared with everyone who provides a contact email. Pat and Alan will not only summarize the results in the conference session, they will also explain how to most effectively find and hire new employees. It's what Automationtechies.com does every day. Come to the conference and learn from the experts. Take a few ideas back to the office, apply them and save a bundle of money by avoiding bad hires!

 

Executive Conference session:

The good, the bad and ugly of business management

by Nick Setchell, CEO, Practice Strategies and "RealTimeCEO"

 

Having had the privilege of working with and analyzing more than 1,000 businesses, I have had the rare opportunity to observe a wide variety of business practices. Some have been strong, and some have been very weak. You can learn from both! In this session, I will explore some of the extremes of business management, and help the audience both navigate through the challenges of strengthening their own practices and avoid some of the damaging mistakes so often made in business. 


Running a midmarket business is the toughest job in the world. You are expected to behave like a Fortune 500 company, but with access to only a fraction of the resources. Inevitably, as you grow, your success is less influenced by your original skill and training, and more influenced by a plethora of other challenges you were never trained to address or overcome. This session will take a fresh look at some of the pitfalls of business and how to not only steer clear of them, but turn them to your advantage.


Some of the issues that the session will address include: 

  • The "silo" mentality, which destroys your ability to reach potential
  • "Pack following" and how it limits the chance to win the race
  • How a mistake-punishing culture stifles proactive business improvement
  • Avoiding linear leadership thinking, which is easy to beat
  • Succession planning 101 mistakes
  • The massive hidden cost of recruitment failure
  • The "imposter syndrome" of leadership
  • Costly mistakes leaders make when under pressure
  • The challenging juxtaposition between gut feel and validated decisions
  • Having a true understanding of your business performance

Executive Conference session: 

Building and maintaining a culture of accountability

by Ted Garnett, president, PS Culture Matters

 

As the strategic planning consultant to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, I get some inside looks at the high performance culture of the sports world. A couple of years ago, I was sitting next to a very sweaty and happy Chris Perry, who minutes earlier had won an NCAA championship title. I asked Chris when he started wrestling. He said in fourth grade. It takes that kind of proactive plan to become an NCAA Champion, and his dad was sitting behind us weeping tears of joy.

I think my buddy Rich Bender (head of USA Olympic wrestling) is weeping tears of another kind. The sport has been mostly reactive over the years. They thought by default they would always be in the Olympics, until the IOC unexpectedly voted them out. The default/reactive approach resulted in the unthinkable, whereas Perry's proactive approach resulted in the mostly unachievable.

I ask organizations all the time "Are you winning?" Most of the time, when they are being honest, they answer they are doing fine, which is less enthusiastic than a triumphant "YES, WE ARE WINNING!" In fact, many show evidence that they have more problems than wins on the horizon. With the coming talent shortage as baby boomers exit the workforce, with the technology challenge, and with the ever growing global marketplace squeezing in, we find more and more businesses are losing. With human capital historically blamed by CEOs as an area where all initiatives come in "over budget, after deadline, and we still don't know if it works," we have failed to effectively maximize our greatest asset.

 

Read the Entire Article.

 

CSIA Certification testimonial by Crossmuller Pty Ltd. 

Crossmuller, one of our CSIA Certified system integrators out of Australia, shared this testimonial about how CSIA Certification benefits their company and why they went through the certification process again.

 

"The CSIA Certification process has yielded benefits across our business which have exceeded all expectations. Our company has over 20 years of successful project experience with long term dedicated employees. The implementation of CSIA Best Practices has built on this very solid base to yield financial, cultural and implementation capability returns. Our bottom line has improved. Our project delivery expertise has been enhanced. Our company culture has been reignited. Our overall mission is now firmly entrenched in our everyday activities. I would strongly recommend that any systems integration company take advantage of the more than twenty years of CSIA experience contained in their Best Practices and Benchmarking Guidelines to help you fully realize the potential of your organization. We have only just started on the post-Certification journey, but have full confidence that the benefits will continue to multiply in the coming years."

~Michael Kershaw, Managing Director, Crossmuller Technology

 
Legal update: I thought we already settled that?!
Three tips for the successful mediation of a dispute
by Brian P. CliffordCSIA Attorney

 

Back in my October 2012 legal update, I mentioned that formal mediation of an automation-related dispute can be an effective way to keep clear of the courthouse doors. Given the complex nature of many control system integration projects, it is inevitable that a few will have disagreements that arise that require some third-party assistance to close out. These three tips can help you preserve and enforce the terms of a successful mediation:

 

Put the agreement in writing. One of the attractive elements of mediation is its confidentiality. Many jurisdictions have rules that prohibit any communications made in mediation from being disclosed. However, there is usually an exception for a settlement document signed by all parties. Therefore, even if you reach an oral resolution of a claim at mediation, you may not be able to enforce the settlement if it is not in writing. (After all, even the best judge or arbitrator would have a hard time compelling performance of an agreement that he or she cannot hear anything about.) Don't let the blessing of confidentiality become a later curse.

Include all essential terms in the written settlement agreement. If you (wisely) follow the first tip, you need to know what terms should be in the signed settlement document. The basic settlement terms, often the amount of money to be paid by one party to resolve the claim, are obvious. But don't ignore other key non-monetary provisions, especially the scope of any release language (including any related indemnity terms), payment deadlines, applicable interest rates and consequences of non-payment or late payment, and the commencement (or termination) of warranty terms.This is not to suggest that the settlement document needs to be extensive or complex. It is common for the attorneys assisting in the mediation to prepare the full settlement agreement in the days following a successful mediation session. Even a dispute over the ownership of Facebook was determined to have been resolved by a 1⅓ page mediated settlement agreement. See Facebook, Inc. v. Pac. Nw. Software, Inc., 640 F.3d 1034 (9th Cir. 2011). But all of the terms the parties really care about should be included, at least in short-hand (but understandable) form. 

Check the local rules. Many jurisdictions have specific procedures and rules that govern mediation sessions and resulting settlement agreements. For example, an agreement governed by the Minnesota Civil Mediation Act must contain specific language in order to be binding. Without the required "magic language," even a signed, full settlement agreement may not be enforceable if one party has "buyer's remorse" after leaving the mediation session.

Brian Clifford is a partner in the industrial construction and automation practice at Faegre Baker Daniels LLP, a full service law firm of more than 750 legal and consulting professionals with 14 offices in the United States, United Kingdom and China. He can be reached at +1.260.460.1687 or [email protected].

 

CSIA insurance program: Are you covered in the event of storm damage?
by Paul Barnard

First, welcome to Erdos Miller, Inc. from Houston, Texas; BluSphere Systems, Inc. from Murphy, Texas; and ECN Automation from Phoenix, Arizona, the latest participants in our insurance Program.

Here in southeast Pennsylvania, the last few days of January were memorable for the forecasted mega snow storm that missed us. The sight of Philadelphia International Airport closed for two days without any sign of significant snow was particularly striking. Similarly, my last-minute dash to the supermarket for cat food proved unnecessary.

While awaiting the arrival of the storm, my thoughts went back to the storm that did occur two years ago, namely Sandy, and the lessons to be learned there from. We have seven insured members in New Jersey. Two of the seven suffered a loss. Both had their products at subcontractors who suffered flood damage. Neither had a contract with their subs setting out who was responsible to insure their product. To further complicate the situation neither of the subs had any flood insurance. You will be aware that flood coverage is not part of a standard property policy. So, in this event neither loss was insured.

I cannot stress too highly that you need to have a contract with all your contractors clearly setting out in the subcontractor's policy who is responsible in the event of damage to your property. Additionally, as recently announced, there is now a general and professional liability policy available via a joint CSIA and ISA program.

Following Hurricane Sandy, one member had a further loss resulting from the loss of power at their facility. The standard coverage for loss of power is based upon the loss resulting from damage to the insured premises. Loss of power caused by damage to remote power lines is not insured. You can purchase such coverage. Premiums start from around $4,000 a year, and go up from there dependent upon the sums insured.

 

New human resources/benefits community on the Connected Community

In the United States, it's getting more difficult to think of creative ways to keep insurance costs competitive. This challenging task ultimately led to the establishment of the Human Resources Benefits Community, a community designed to help control systems integrator human resources professionals through the sharing of ideas and information about benefits. 

System integrators are in a niche industry where staff retention is critical. Offering a competitive benefit package is a major factor in attracting, retaining and motivating employees. Being in a niche industry can make it difficult to find applicable industry data on benefits trends through the more traditional human resources websites or other common sources.

The Human Resources Benefits Community has posted some initial questions asking company size, location and whether participants are fully or self-funded. The next step is starting discussions on benefits, more specifically healthcare offering structure, as it is increasingly costly, and therefore a challenging topic that companies face each year. For example, does your company have an HRA with a high deductible health plan? What type of contribution structure does your company provide for health insurance premiums?

If you've been wondering what other companies are doing in our industry to keep benefit packages competitive while fighting the continual rise of healthcare costs, then this is the right community for you!

Our community goals extend beyond the United States and benefit sharing. Discussions are open to all members, on any topic HR related. In creating this community of professionals, we are also creating relationships and connections with peers we can contact for feedback or advice on issues as they arise. Additionally, our goal is to get more HR professionals involved with CSIA through this community. This can apply to owners, managers or any other professional that is involved with the management of employees. Join the CSIA HR/Benefits Community today!
 
Tom Sulda - CSIA auditor in Asia Pacific
In the February newsletter, we introduced Tom Sulda as our newest certification auditor. Here is some more information about Tom.

Tom has 15 years of experience as an engineer and 15 years as an electrical and avionics tradesperson. In the control systems space, Tom recently spent six years at Australia's largest independent systems integrator SAGE Automation. Tom was initially brought into SAGE to ready the company for CSIA Best Practices and Benchmarks certification including the addition and integration of those best practices into quality, health & safety and environmental management systems. As a senior executive, Tom has held positions in engineering, project, sales and product management. Now as an independent business systems and process consultant, Tom is a certified auditor for ISO 9001, 14001 and 18001, a qualified trainer in PRINCE2, AGILE, PMBOK and business analysis. Tom is also a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia. To be considered for the membership grade of Fellow, candidates will have committed their career to the profession of engineering and either held a sustained, major responsibility in the design or execution of important engineering work, have relevant education qualifications, or made a major contribution to the science or practice of engineering, occupying a distinguished position within the profession.

Tom is a welcome addition to our staff. Having Tom available significantly reduces auditing costs for our members in the Asia Pacific region. We thank ASR for arranging and performing the witness audit which was the final step in Tom's approval.

 

Report on the survey of end user clients
by Bob Lowe, CSIA Executive Director

CSIA and ARC Advisory Group thank all of our members who had their clients complete a recent survey. The information is valuable for CSIA and our members, and is equally valuable to Craig Resnick at ARC, who will use the information in his CSIA Executive Conference session. As of Tuesday, Feb. 24, when this article was written, there were 74 respondents. When completed, a summary of the results will be available in the Survey library of the Connected Community.

Please note that there are other very important surveys coming up soon, so please be on the lookout. The knowledge gained from these surveys help both CSIA and our members to improve.
  
Looking for a little free press? Watch for media opportunities announcements in the Open Forum

We recently posted a media opportunity with Food Safety magazine in the CSIA Open Forum. We have many ongoing opportunities for case studies and applications examples. Contact CSIA's Kristin McGuine for more information about how to get published!
 

Coming up!
webinar series
See all the archives on the webinar page.
 
Configuration Management Defined...Finally. Part 2: Manual systems 

Wednesday, March 18, 2015, 11 a.m. EST (New York) 
Jeff Miller, PMP, Director of Project Management, Interstates Control Systems

In the first of three webinars on configuration management (CM), Henk-Jan Scholman explained CM and how it impacts both the business and project management of a system integration company. In Part 2, Jeff Miller will discuss the implementation of manual CM systems. Manual systems may use some software tools, but they consist mostly of defined file storage methods and the required documentation, training, discipline and accountability that are necessary for successful implementation. Be sure to join us. Remember, Configuration Management is essential to have a sustainable company. 

CSIA monthly webinars are sponsored by Software Toolbox.

Register Now

Coming in April:
Configuration Management Defined...Finally. Part 3: Automatic systems using commercial software tools 
This webinar will cover implementation of automatic systems using commercial software.


See all the archives on the webinar page.

 

Cloak and secure your critical infrastructure, ICS and SCADA systems
Tuesday, March 17, 2015, 11 a.m. EST (New York)
David Mattes, Chief Technical Officer, Tempered Networks

This webcast will address the challenges facing critical infrastructure environments, including industrial automation infrastructure across a variety of segments. Examples of common network architectures that have high risk exposure will be presented. These examples will be driven by common needs such as remote connectivity; employee, vendor, and contractor access; and integration with untrusted networks such as cellular, ISP and shared infrastructure.

Attendees will learn about various standards, architecture documents, and best-practice recommendations that together align to provide a powerful model for advanced network security for industrial environments. Standards and architectures will be referenced from the ISA, IETF and TCG.

David Mattes will present a case study of deployments that have successfully leveraged the previously discussed standards and architecture models. The importance of people, process, and technology in these examples will be highlighted, along with the importance of simplicity and ease of use of security products. Mattes will explain how effective security controls can be deployed into new environments, as well as transparently added to existing environments, leveraging existing infrastructure and IT security investments. As the threat landscape escalates and new regulatory requirements emerge for various critical infrastructure sectors, the talk will conclude with proposed next steps and a call to action.

This CSIA Partner webinar is sponsored by Tempered Networks

Register Now

CSIA members make headlines
in the headlines
Members that have been featured in industry media recently include:  

 

Concept Systems Inc.

Why It's Time to Consider Using Vision Technology

Automation World

 

Loman Control Systems Inc.

The Password Conundrum

Automation World

 

Patti Engineering

Remote Retrofit: SCADA & wireless communication lead to energy, labor & cost savings at Texas plants

Water & Wastes Digest

 

Autoware

How to Manage Change in Automation Project Scope

Automation World

 

Concept Systems Inc.

Don't Just React to Problems, Get an Automation Roadmap

Automation World

 

Patti Engineering

Keep Your Cool

Food Quality & Safety

 

CSIA

CSIA Certified: What you learn in the audit process is as beneficial as the certification

Control Design

 

Concept Systems

The 2015 Aerospace Forecast: Robots on the rise

Aerospace Manufacturing and Design

 
Committee and task force activities

 

Best Practices Committee

  • Developing Revision 5 of the Best Practices and Benchmarks manual by improving current sections and adding cybersecurity, health, safety, and other best practices, as well as making it fully applicable globally

Certification Task Force

Working on initiatives to: 

  • Brand CSIA Certification in the marketplace as an industry standard
  • Design selection and performance standards for integrators for use by clients and OEMs
  • Create a system for incremental audits towards certification
  • Develop a "Levels of Maturity" model

Client Marketing Committee

  • Developing user requirement specification (URS) templates for use by clients
  • Developing presentations about CSIA Certification for our integrators to use at client meetings

Cybersecurity Task Force

  • Writing a white paper on cybersecurity best practices for industrial control systems that will be modeled after IEC 62443-2-4

European Advisory Committee

  • Working with several Partner members in Europe to do webinars for their internal personnel and for their integrators
  • Researching the most effective way to have a physical presence in Europe

Integrator Marketing Committee

  • Developing a best practice that encourages members to include CSIA in their company marketing
  • Assisting in development of a project management training program
  • Developing a guideline listing the many considerations that impact a client's return on automation investment so that SIs can speak to those investment drivers
  • Create two-minute videos on each of the benefits of CSIA membership

Leadership Development Committee

Identify, recruit and train future CSIA leaders, primarily for the board of directors


Partner Committee

Preparing our Partner members to have an effective conference by holding a training webinar on March 3


Statistics Committee

Refining and simplifying KPICs to improve data entry and to generate reports that are applicable to metrics specific to SI company performance

 

The INSIDER
The Industrial Automation and Process Control INSIDER is one of the few "must read" publications in the automation and controls field. It is subscriber-based and does not take advertising of any kind. The INSIDER is written for automation professionals by automation professionals, and reveals actionable and timely information that control system integrators and other automation professionals can use. 

Click here to sign up. Click on individual/small company subscription, and enter "CSIA2014" in the box marked "coupon." CSIA members must identify themselves as members for the 20% discount on the subscription price of the INSIDER. 

 

Special offers at MESA 2015 North American Conference
CSIA is excited to announce that we will be a supporting sponsor of MESA International's 2015 North American Conference, May 4-6 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Themed Advancing. Manufacturing. IT., the MESA North American Conference is co-located within the IndustryWeek Best Plants Conference & Expo. CSIA attendees get discounted rates and the benefits of both events with one ticket:
  • 50+ expert speakers, including 6 MESA unConferences
  • 6 industry tracks, including MESA's "Manufacturing Meets IT" track
  • 700+ conference attendees, including MESA members, leaders and sponsors
  • 36 breakout sessions, including 6 MESA speakers
  • The Expo hall of solution providers, complete with MESA's "Manufacturing Meets IT" pavilion
  • Dozens of plant tours
  • Keynote presentations from some of industry's top business leaders
  • An offsite event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway and a chance for you to "race like the pros" during the Richard Petty Driving Simulation
  • And much, much more...
CSIA members use code "CSIAMESA2015" at registration and get:
  • Over $150 off admission ($1,195 vs. $1,349), or
  • $500 off a 10'x10' exhibit booth in the MESA "Manufacturing Meets IT" Pavilion.
We believe there are strong synergies between CSIA and MESA and encourage all CSIA members to consider attending and/or exhibiting at the event. Learn more and register today on the MESA website. For questions on exhibiting, please contact Brandy Richardson at [email protected].

To CSIA members outside of North America, MESA hosts events globally so watch for events near you.

The problem with automation projects

Information for this article has been taken from Overcoming Automation Challenges, an ARC Strategy report provided at the recent ARC Forum.

When looking at the total cost of a project, the automation portion of that project tends to be quite small. For an average refinery, automation can represent one percent or less of total project spending. Other aspects of the project, such as piping, fittings and vessels account for much more. For this reason, the value that automation brings to a project is often overlooked. However, automation provides the "brains" behind the plant, and the process cannot run without a well thought out and executed automation strategy.

No doubt most of our members' projects are not a refinery, but the point is well taken. ARC research indicates that in general on large projects, five percent of project-spend is automation, yet it has thirty percent of impact on operations. A new model is needed. 
Left to right: John Kuenzler (director of strategic services, ARC), Bob Lowe (president, CSIA), and Andy Chatha (president of ARC Advisory Group).

Here are three observations. System integrators can decide how to make them work to their advantage.

1. Customized vs. modular construction
Standardize and modularize designs and programs. Minimize custom engineering, designs and programs. Build an effective reuse library. 
Effectively manage IP and ownership rights.

2. Early involvement
Get in the overall project cycle early. Decisions that are made in the early stages have an impact throughout the plant lifecycle. Changes made in later project phases are far more costly than those made in the early stages. Early involvement means fewer changes. Front-end engineering and design add significant value.

3. Managing people, processes and technologies
People and processes are critical to project success, as well as the technology to support them. The labor pool is shrinking yet client expectations remain high. We must find and manage resources well. The tools and methods are available, but must be discovered and used.

Attend ARC Forum 2016 to gain a broad perspective on industrial automation and information technology.


 

The Automation Conference 2015 to explore technologies that are transforming today's manufacturing 

Partnership with CSIA includes a $100 registration discount for members

 

This May 19-20, technology end-users, experts, and other industry professionals will convene in Chicago to explore leading-edge automation technologies that are transforming manufacturing in the U.S. and around the world. Now in its fourth year, The Automation Conference program is designed for engineering and management professionals within discrete manufacturing, packaging, and continuous and batch processing. Taking place at the Chicago Marriott O'Hare, TAC 2015 is produced by the publishers of Automation World, Packaging World and Healthcare Packaging.

 

Speakers include professionals from General Mills, MOL Danube Refinery, Corning Inc., Industrial Internet Consortium and IHS. In addition, over a dozen leading solution providers will present in-depth educational workshops that focus on specific challenges, products and strategies.

 

The 2015 program will include Smart Manufacturing systems, how 3D printing is penetrating traditional manufacturing, interoperability, unlocking big data to increase productivity, IIoT, mobile HMI, safety and more.

 

Registration is now open at TheAutomationConference.com. CSIA member companies can save $100 with discount code: CSIA15.