Welcome new members
Integrators
Allied Controls, LLC
Union, Missouri
United States
Brave Control Solutions
Windsor, Ontario
Canada
Gibson Engineering Co, Inc.
Norwood, Massachusetts
United States
JTI Engineering
Bakersfield, California
United States
Mechatronic Systems, LLC
Indianapolis, Indiana
United States
Nidec Avtron Automation Corporation
Cleveland, Ohio
United States
Northeast Integration
Portsmouth,
New Hampshire
United States
Quantum Solutions, Inc.
Columbia, Illinois
United States
Partners
B-Scada
Crystal River, Florida
United States
Electro-Matic Visual
Farmington Hills, Michigan
United States
Hardy Process Solutions
San Diego, California
United States
JNE Automation
Hamilton, Ontario
Canada
METZ CONNECT USA, Inc.
Tinton Falls, New Jersey
United States
Rugged Science, LLC
Sparks, Maryland
United States
Thermal Edge, Inc.
Irving, Texas
United States
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Contact Us
Leadership directory
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Get Connected
  
 
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Join CSIA
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Refer a new member!
Tell your colleagues about CSIA. Find member benefits and an application at www.controlsys.org.
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Get in on the conversation!
Here is a sample of discussions that members are starting on the Open Forum:
Ajera was acquired by Deltek in June 2014 and is being offered along their Vision product for small and mid-sized firms (under 200). As we are closing in on an ERP software selection, we received a call from Deltek about considering Ajera instead of Vision... Does anyone care to share their thoughts about the Ajera product or how Deltek has changed under the new management?
When you are calculating an ROI or payback period for labor-saving automation, what are you (or your customers) using for the true cost of manufacturing labor? It's more than base salary plus 15 or 20 percent. I've heard numbers like $45,000 per year for low wage earners, and it goes up from there. I'm just looking for some general guidelines here based on your experience.
Log onto the Connected Community to join the conversation with your peers.
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Download logos and marketing resources Are you a CSIA Certified member? If so, are you using the correct logo? There is a special logo with a big checkmark exclusively for you! The certified logo can be found in the Marketing Resources - Certified members library. When visiting that library, read about logo usage, open the marketing kit and see the marketing fliers designed uniquely for certified members. |
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Show off your CSIA!
Non-certified members will find logo and marketing information in the Marketing Resources - All Members library.
Another library that Integrator members should investigate is the Resources for managing your system integration business library.
The library that all Partner members should investigate is Resources for Partner Members.
Finally, Whether you have your own in-house marketing department or you're it, CSIA has the tools and the connections to help you make the most of your marketing dollar. The Integrator Marketing Committee assembled a quick guide to help you and your company make the most of your membership in CSIA. Learn DIY marketing, how to enhance your presence on the CSIA Industrial Automation Exchange, and the best ways to show off your membership in CSIA. Find the file in the Marketing Resources for Members library.
If you have an idea for other tools we can provide our members, please email Kristin McGuine.
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Quote
of the Month:
"When it comes to work, the word 'commitment' is an uncomfortable companion. The irony of commitment is that it's extremely liberating. Commitment frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To truly commit to your work is to remove your head as the barrier and begin enjoying the work you do... then, and only then, can you begin to become truly good at what you do!"
~Ken Edmundson
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The go-to resource for control system integration.
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Bob Lowe and Jose Rivera
Message from the CEO Jos� Rivera
According to the results of the follow-up survey, as well as various comments received, the Executive Conference was a great success. At a personal level it was the warmest possible welcome to CSIA for me. I continue to be impressed by the incredible level of collaboration and openness that is characteristic of CSIA. It is one thing is to hear or read about it, but it is quite another to experience it first hand!
Immediately following our event, I attended the North American MESA conference. We will be collaborating with MESA on a Smart Manufacturing initiative sponsored by the Department of Energy. We are in the process of putting a task force together, and I look forward to being able to share more specifics in our next newsletter.
In the past several weeks, I've had the opportunity to meet with a number of SIs, attend the first day of a peer group meeting, meet with our staff in Madison and reach out to our partner members to seek their input on additional collaboration opportunities. May was also a very busy month with the transition of leadership, as Bob Lowe offloads his very extensive task list.
In the name of our association, I would like to thank Bob for his deep commitment to CSIA and his long list of deliverables as a member and executive director. We wish him all the best in his next life chapter. We will miss you!
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It's been an amazing and fruitful six years for both me and, in my view, CSIA. I've grown personally and so has CSIA, both in numbers and in value. The number of friends I've made in the United States and around the world is beyond description. The AMPED staff in Madison is an amazing group and have become more than just business associates. They are good friends.
When I accepted this position in 2009, I promised three years, and while it then turned into six, it seems like just yesterday that I started this chapter in my life. Now my CSIA chapter is finished and it's on to the next one. However, I agreed to continue leading the Cybersecurity Task Force as a volunteer and also to participate on the Client Marketing Committee, so I'm not going away entirely.
I received several gifts from CSIA at the conference and am grateful to the CSIA staff for all they did to make that happen. The Board of Directors and Jos�, of course, supported giving the gifts, so thanks to them as well.
Best wishes to Jos�, the staff, the Board of Directors and all of our members. Here's hoping for a prosperous future for CSIA and the system integration industry! I encourage all of our members to support and engage with CSIA in order to drive increased professionalism and excellence in our industry. We provide more value for this world than we give ourselves credit for.
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CSIA 2015 Executive Conference by the numbers
- Over 500 people attended this year's Executive Conference, held April 29-May 2 in Washington D.C.
- Underscoring CSIA's growing international presence, about 60 system integrators, partners and guests from 13 different countries attended the conference from outside the United States, and were welcomed at a special reception for international guests.
- New this year were two workshops held in conjunction with the conference: Best Practices Training, and A Commonsense Approach to Automation Upgrades and System Migrations.
- The conference also featured 25 breakout sessions and an expo.
CSIA CEO Jos� Rivera will soon begin the program development for 2016. It's apparent that the 2015 attendees appreciated the sessions offered, so please help Jos� deliver another awesome program next year by suggesting topics you want to learn about and the names of any recommended presenters, if you have any. Several of the 2015 sessions were ideas that came from members just like you.
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Congratulations to the 2015 CSIA award winners
Rising Star
Steve Palmgren, Patti Engineering, Inc., Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.
Charlie Bergman Award
Jim Campbell, Viewpoint Systems, Inc., Rochester, New York, U.S.
Integrator Member of the Year
Martin Control Systems, Inc., Plain City, Ohio, U.S.
Partner Member of the Year
Inductive Automation, Folsom, California, U.S.
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Welcome to the new Board of Directors
CSIA is pleased to announce its 2015 Board of Directors, including newly-elected members, who were approved via an electronic member survey in March and whose terms began during the 2015 CSIA Executive Conference in Washington, D.C.
Mike Miller, Chairman of the Board (2015-2017)
ESCO Automation, Marion, Iowa, U.S.
PC Romano, Immediate Past Chair (2015-2016)
Avid Solutions Inc., Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
Jeff Miller, Treasurer, (2013-2015, 2015-2017)
Interstates Control Systems, Inc., Sioux Center, Iowa, U.S.
Rick Pierro, Director (2015-2019)
Superior Controls, Inc., Seabrook, New Hampshire, U.S.
Howard Huffman, Director (2015-2019)
Huffman Engineering, Inc., Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.
Diane Trentini, Director (2015-2019)
Optimation Industrial Services, LLC, Rush, New York, U.S.
Eduardo Acosta, Director (2011-2015, 2015-2019)
Omnicon S.A., Cali, Valle, Colombia
Don Ulrich, Director (2013-2017)
Stone Technologies, Inc. Chesterfield, Missouri, U.S.
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There's only ONE CSIA Industrial Automation Exchange
At the Executive Conference, there was a lot of confusion among members about the CSIA Exchange. The CSIA Exchange is completely separate from our friends at Control Engineering and Van Doren Industries, as well as all other for-profit companies who have SI directory sites.
The CSIA Exchange is not a directory. Rather, it is one part buyer's guide and one part community, and all parts content-marketing machine! There is no better place than the CSIA Exchange for end-users to research our members and to decide who can help them with their automation and controls project. As an integrator or supplier partner, you need to be on the CSIA Exchange. It is the largest site of its type with over a thousand systems integrators and suppliers to the industry. That's a good thing! End-users know this is the most comprehensive site and a hub of knowledge. The banner and brand of the Control Systems Integrators Association adds a layer of trust while they research your company.
Unique to the CSIA Exchange is the ability for end-users to ask a question of CSIA members. Please take a moment and review this section and answer any questions that are unanswered to which you could add value. Your name and company show on these, elevating the profile of your, well...profile. |
Webinar features best practices for using the CSIA Exchange
Tony Veroeven, CSIA Exchange manager, recently hosted a free webinar with recommended tips and tricks for making the most of your company's profile.
As the webinar instructs and coaches you, frequently post case studies, testimonials, PDFs, slide shares and content about your company, projects and customers so that you are using the power and value of content marketing. This is the strength of the site that will set you apart from the competition. Use the power of content marketing to build your online reputation and trust with your potential clients. Did you know that by the time a new prospect reaches out to you, they are 70-90 percent through their decision making process?
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Coming soon, more value for your CSIA Exchange subscription!
We are planning on more ways to highlight our integrators and partners on the CSIA Exchange. On the horizon for Exchange Gold Profile subscribers:
Automation Exchange blog
CSIA Exchange will begin hosting a curated blog soon.
- The authors of the blog will be...you!
- The audience will be the end user client
- The purpose will be to increase the new and regular audience of the CSIA Exchange.
- Bring more attention to your business
We need contributors and content! If you are interested in contributing an original blog article, please contact Tony Veroeven.
Featured interviews
We are planning to feature our integrators and partners in interviews that will put you in the spotlight!
The audience is the end user, and the purpose is to educate them and allow them to build trust with CSIA Exchange members. It's another "touch" in the content marketing path as your customers research and build trust in you. Eventually we will offer audio and video versions of these interviews.
 If you are interested in being featured on the Industrial Automation Exchange
please reach out to Tony Veroeven.
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Certification Task Force presents survey findings
by Jos� Rivera
On April 28, Bob Zeigenfuse presented findings and recommendations of the Best Practices and Benchmarking/Certification Task Force to the CSIA Board of Directors.
- Based on a survey conducted among non-certified members (72 respondents), 20% indicated "no interest" in pursuing certification, and 46% indicated "maybe interested."
- The most cited reason for lack of interest in certification was "not required by most end user clients" (79%). This was followed by "too large of a time and personnel resource commitment" (64%).
The recommendations provided were detailed and actionable, and included:
- A consideration of the role of Best Practices and Benchmarking in the overall CSIA brand
- Increased recognition of certification by end users and a drive to make CSIA Best Practices and Benchmarking the industry standard
- Broader use of Best Practices and Benchmarking by CSIA members
At a personal level, and especially being new to CSIA, the following statement made a big impression on me: "By and large the CSIA BP&B are not understood by simply reading them, getting ad hoc mentoring or quick pre-audit training. It is much more of a journey..." At the recent Executive Conference, I witnessed a panel discussing their peer group experiences. Some members were encouraged to pursue certification by learning from their peers about both the benefits of and the required effort involved in certification. From my perspective, the certification concept is rich in nature, and the role of community is large.
I want to thank this task force and all survey participants for their efforts toward a key component of our strategic core. I look forward to being able to report progress in the coming months.
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Save the date!
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CSIA Pulse takes industry stats to the next level
by Bob Lowe
 The new CSIA Pulse program is off and running!
The CSIA Pulse program is a new statistics program designed around feedback from our members. The CSIA Statistics Committee has been working for the past year and a half speaking, surveying and collecting feedback from members about how to improve the value in collecting statistics on company performance indicators to share among our members.
Background
Collecting company statistics has always been a part of the fabric of CSIA. Since the early days with Charlie Bergman back in 1989, a newsletter reported sales trends and other key statistics from subscribers. Charlie used to say, "If you're not keeping score, you're only practicing," and this organization has been motivated by that philosophy since it's inception.
Some years ago, we introduced the KPICs program as a way to help automate data collection through the surveying company iLumen. During that time, the Statistics Committee, in continual pursuit of improvement, asked our members for ways to improve the statistics gathering and reporting process. We did receive feedback on these topics, but we also heard from many that we needed to change the set of parameters being collected, as well as help to teach members more about the parameters' usefulness.
Results of surveys and feedback
Below are the most frequently cited items for improvement:
- Fewer, more relevant statistics - Most members are not CPAs, and can't interpret raw financial data offered on, for example, an income statement.
- Remove effects of company size - It is hard to compare a smaller company's parameters to those of a larger one.
- Easier data entry and review of reports - Some users experienced frustration uploading trial balances.
- Help with understanding parameters - Make the reports understandable by explaining the parameters and how actions within the company affect each parameter. Many companies wanted training tailored to the collected parameters.
Based on these items, we revamped the statistics collection to produce the CSIA Pulse. The Pulse collects statistics on the following parameters:
- Utilization based on hours
- Utilization based on $$$
- Number of billable employees
- Number of employees
- Revenue per billable employee
- Revenue per employee
- Days cash on hand
- Labor multiplier
- Days in backlog
- Revenue
These parameters are a combination of those most requested by our members and some minor additions that help give a broad picture on the health of a company.
Next steps for CSIA Pulse
We are officially opening the Pulse program in September. Based on the initial release at the Conference, which involved a hand-selected group of companies that participated significantly in providing the initial feedback, we are making some tweaks to the parameter definitions and calculations. These changes will be made over the summer and then the program will be opened to all members in September. The price will be $350 per year.
We are excited about this updated statistics program, and hope you will join the other companies already involved to make it the best peer-based company performance program yet! Please contact Emily Wiseman at CSIA for details.
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Salary survey is always open
Before you get too distracted with CSIA Pulse, don't forget that the Salary Survey is open anytime your company needs statistics on employee salaries. Remember that CSIA offers data on salaries as well as company financial performance.
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Membership survey to drive CSIA strategic planning
It has been three years since a comprehensive survey was completed by CSIA members, so it's long overdue. And with the onboarding of our new CEO, Jos� Rivera, it is time to review the CSIA strategic plan. We want to ensure your needs and perspectives are taken in to account. We are asking for everyone's input, whether you are the primary contact or not. This is your opportunity to tell us how we've been doing, but more importantly, the Board of Directors and staff want to know what you would like from CSIA in the future.
Please set aside a few minutes over the next couple of weeks to complete the survey. The CSIA Board of Directors and staff will use the survey responses to plan for 2015 and beyond! Thank you in advance for your time.
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Record number respond to J.P. Morgan/CSIA Survey
The number of respondents to the recent JPM/CSIA survey was the best ever at 315, breaking the previous record of 215. We appreciate the participation, especially knowing that our members receive many survey requests. Those who completed it have received a 44-page report on the survey results, plus the raw data. Our Partner members can get the results by contacting the CSIA office.
The next JPM/CSIA survey will be in September, so keep an eye open for the announcement.
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Cost to Hire survey results now posted
The results of a survey conducted by Automationtechies.com regarding hiring costs and practices for system integrators is posted in the Connected Community Survey Results library. The survey was conducted in March to provide data for the Replacing an Employee - The Clock is Ticking! presentation at the CSIA Executive Conference. The format of the results is an Excel spreadsheet with the raw data. We think you'll find it useful.
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The URS (User Requirement Specification) Task Force is working toward a template and/or template resource guide to help our clients with their project specification needs. This would become a document of value made available to clients to download from our website. We would appreciate it if you could share URS templates that you consider good or of best practice quality, either one that your company has created for your clients to use, or one that you've received from a client. We are trying to avoid starting from scratch. Please send samples to Jos� Rivera. Thanks in advance.
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Looking for a little free press of your own?
Watch for media opportunities announcements in the Open Forum
We frequently post media opportunities in the CSIA Open Forum. We have many opportunities for case studies, interviews and applications examples. Contact CSIA's Kristin McGuine for more information about how to get published!
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Cybersecurity solutions from the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security
by Robert Lowe
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has significant information available to implement cybersecurity for Industrial Control Systems (ICS). This applies to system integrators' internal operations as well as delivered systems. Get started by reading their "2014 year in review." Here is some additional information:
ICS-CERT (Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team)
Industrial control systems (ICS) are vital to the reliability, security and resilience of much of our critical infrastructure (CI). This Resource Guide provides a summary of cybersecurity products created by the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT). These products are available to the industrial control systems security community, including CI owners and operators and other key partners.
ICS-CERT overview
As a key component of DHS' National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC), ICS-CERT's mission is to reduce risk to the nation's critical infrastructure by strengthening ICS security through public-private partnerships. More detailed ICS-CERT information can be found at http://ics-cert.us-cert.gov. Questions or comments can also be sent to ICS-CERT@DHS.gov.
ICS partnerships
DHS established the Industrial Control Systems Joint Working Group (ICSJWG) to facilitate information sharing and reduce risk to ICS. ICSJWG provides a vehicle for communicating and partnering across CI sectors, between federal organizations, and among private asset owners and operators of control systems. Please email ICSJWG@hq.dhs.gov for more information.
Training
ICS-CERT offers a range of training courses, including advanced technical training, to improve expertise, as well as advance control systems cybersecurity awareness and understanding across CI sectors. ICS-CERT training includes:
Web-Based Training through ICS-CERT's Virtual Learning Portal
Instructor Led Introduction to Control Systems Cybersecurity (101)
Instructor Led Intermediate Cybersecurity for Industrial Control Systems (201)
Hands-On Intermediate Cybersecurity for Industrial Control Systems (202)
Hands-On Technical ICS Cybersecurity Training (301)
Please refer to the ICS-CERT calendar for a schedule of training events. Please email CSSP_Training@hq.dhs.gov for more information about ICS-CERT training.
Do you want to get involved in an ICS Joint Working Group? Here is your opportunity. Participate in the ICSJWG 2015 Spring Meeting June 23 -24, 2015 in Washington, D.C. Additional Information and Registration available here.
More resources on this will be provided in the July newsletter.
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ISA announces cybersecurity webinar series
Cybersecurity Risk Assessment for Automation Systems
June 10, 2015 Course No. IC32CW1
This webinar introduces the concepts of risk analysis, an important step in creating a cybersecurity plan for an automation system, as well as how they are applied to industrial manufacturing and control systems based on the ANSI/ISA-62443 standards. This webinar is also valuable for IT professionals who wish to learn the special considerations of automation systems in performing risk analysis.
Register or learn more
Firewalls and Security Zones on the Plant Floor
June 17, 2015 Course No. IC32CW2
The network firewall is one of the most important tools in any cybersecurity designer's toolbox. This webinar introduces the world of firewall system design, focusing on how these devices can be effectively deployed on the typical plant floor to help meet the ANSI/ISA-62443 security standards.
Register or learn more
A Tour of the ANSI/ISA-62443 Security Standards
June 24, 2015 Course No. IC32CW3
This webinar introduces the ANSI/ISA-62443 standards for security for Industrial Automation and Control Systems (IACS) and how they are organized. The webinar will introduce the terminology, concepts, and models of ANSI/ISA-62443 cybersecurity and elements of creating a cybersecurity management system.
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Legal:
The customer is not always right
If I could wave a magic wand that would solve the maximum number of CSI problems in a single day, it would be to eliminate the "customer is always right" mentality. You might be thinking, "Are you kidding me, Mark? Customer service is what our company is known for." You might be concerned about losing that competitive advantage, your mojo, your raison d'�tre. OK, I realize engineers would not use that last term, French for "reason for existence," but you get the idea. And I get it that customer service is a big deal.
I will admit that the "customer is always right" mentality has been the engine driving many a successful company. Indeed, my own law firm in its most recent partner retreat only a month ago spent two full days talking about how we could do a better job delighting clients. So, to be clear, I am not arguing in favor of eliminating good customer service such as responding quickly, listening carefully, exceeding expectations and otherwise striving to please.
What I am arguing against is striving to please the customer at the expense of your company's rights. Here are some examples:
- Allowing the customer to expand the scope of the work without increasing the price.
- Ignoring or accepting roadblocks to project success that have been erected by the customer or others.
- "Making the best of the situation" or engaging in "educated guesses" in the face of the customer's blatant refusal to communicate its requirements or reply to inquiries.
- Staying silent when the customer sends an email unfairly pinning the blame for a project's failure on your work.
Does this mean I am urging CSIs to lawyer up, draw a line in the sand and/or declare war in all cases? Absolutely not. However, I am urging CSIs to consider doing a better job of preserving their position in the face of customer troublemaking. While this can rise to the level of writing a formal notice letter in the right circumstance, that is a last resort. It may be sufficient to provide a soft notice, such as in an informal email: "Jason, we of course are going to do the programming for the new line because we realize it is important to the overall project, but at first glance this did not appear to be within the scope of our original proposal. What are your thoughts on this?"
If Jason disagrees, you might follow up with another informal, customer-friendly email, such as, "I guess we are going to need to agree to disagree on that. But it's important to us to satisfy your needs. Let's punt this issue to the end of the project and try to work it out then."
In other words, preserving your company's rights does not need to mean endangering the relationship, just as pleasing a customer does not need to mean endangering your company.
Mark Voigtmann and his firm Faegre Baker Daniels are counsel to the CSIA. Mark is the author of The Automation Legal Reference, a Guide to Legal Risk in the Automation, Robotic and Process Industries. Mark can be reached at Mark.Voigtmann@faegrebd.com or 317-237-1265.
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Members get 20% discount to 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 off the subscription price of the INSIDER.
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Workforce development videos developed by MCAA
Are you involved in workforce development in your area of the world? Are you involved in efforts to influence young people to pursue a career in industrial automation? These links to videos developed by MCAA (Measurement, Control & Automation Association) are useful tools in your efforts. Here is the link to the short version and here is the link to the long version.
The speaker is Dr. Peter Martin of Schneider Electric. He was our closing presenter at our 2015 Executive Conference. If your were there on Saturday morning, you know about Dr. Martin's knowledge and enthusiasm, and understand why he received such high ratings on the conference survey.
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