CSIA CEO Jose Rivera paid a little visit to Synergy Systems in Lisle, Illinois to meet with Mark Urda and Marc Hunter (pictured). Thank you for the warm welcome!

Message from CEO
LATAM, training development, and changes in committee leadership
I'm writing this month's newsletter on board my flight to Mexico City for a fully packed week of meetings with local SIs and partners. My goal is to understand what is working and what needs to be adjusted to bring the CSIA Mexico chapter to the next level. 

Executive Conference

Access presentations from past conferences

CSIA members who attended the 2015 Executive Conference can access many of the conference's presentations on the CSIA Connected Community. Find them in the "2015 CSIA Executive Conference" community library.
Read more.

CSIA Pulse

CSIA Pulse to start collecting data in October

We are SUPER thrilled about the official release of the CSIA Pulse program on Oct. 1! We will be collecting popular and relevant key parameters for assessing company performance and hope that everyone contributes - the more participants, the better the data.
Read more.

Publicity
Are you wondering how to get published?
CSIA staff is often contacted by editors from industry publications asking for member input regarding featured editorial topics, case studies or blog participation. There are many options for getting your organization featured in the media, and CSIA is here to assist you.

Cybersecurity
Task force developing guide for cybersecurity guidelines
The Cybersecurity Task Force is developing a whitepaper on cybersecurity for system integrators. The first draft is complete. Now the review process is underway, with expected completion in September.  

Read more.

 

The Exchange

 

Want to be featured on the homepage of The Exchange?  

Subscribe to the Integrator Package and you will! Integrator Integrator Packages include an Integrator Interview, featured in rotation on the homepage. It's an in-depth interview allowing end-users to dive deep into your business, your focus, your specialties, your story. It's as easy as filling out a questionnaire. Your interview will be linked to your profile and rotated on the home page. Contact Tony to get a questionnaire. 

 

The Exchange works!
Only a year old, the site has already produced leads which members report are qualified, and are entering the proposal stage. It has also given incredible exposure to members who continuously use the content marketing features of The Exchange. 

Our newest Exchange subscribers. Join them!
Membership Survey

CSIA member survey results will influence strategic planning

I would like to thank the 108 respondents who participated in this year's membership survey. We had the input from 47 integrators, 45 certified integrators and 16 partner members. Here are the highlights:

Read more.

 

Insurance
CSIA members victims of phishing scam

Over the last two weeks, two CSIA members have had their computer systems compromised. The perpetrators entered the corporate computer systems and seemingly monitored the entire email network including traffic, then sent an email with instructions to transfer funds. In the first case, the amount involved was $18,000. In the second, it was $188,000. 

Legal

Utilizing master services agreements has many advantages

Clients frequently ask me to look at a master services agreement (MSA) by which several small integration projects or separate control system deliverables will be covered under a single overarching legal agreement. Typically the business terms, such as the price, schedule and scope of services, are included in individual scopes of work (SOW) documents issued under the MSA, while the legal framework for all interactions between the two companies during the term of the MSA is covered in the master agreement itself.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Building, preparing and realizing value 

Whether an owner will eventually sell a company or give it to children or management, it is advantageous to take steps to improve company value. The stronger the fundamentals of a company, then the more options an owner will have going forward. Here are some suggested ways that a system integrator can improve company value.

Government Contracting

Five steps to becoming a small business defense contractor

Market forces like reshoring, an aging workforce, and greater requirements for sustainability continue to drive demands for manufacturing automation. This is just as true for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) as it is for commercial organizations. In 2014, the DOD awarded $53 billion to small business contractors.  Although it may seem intimidating to sell to the government, the opportunity is there if you're financially sound, well prepared and persistent.

Read more.


Webinars







Management help where it's needed most
Wednesday, August 26 - 11 a.m. EDT
Anthony Valasek, PREMIER System Integrators

Bottom-Line Automation (Part 2 of 3):  

Making the financial case for investments in automation

Tuesday, September 22 - 11 a.m. EDT

Paul Galeski, Maverick Technologies

 

Bottom-Line Automation (Part 3 of 3): 

Making the financial case for investments in automation

Wednesday, October 21 -  11 a.m. EDT

Dr. Peter Martin, Schneider Electric Company 

 

Register here. 








How to improve efficiency in proposal and project management phase
Tuesday, August - 9 a.m. EDT
Presented by RutamSoft

For Partners

Technical webinars are unique opportunity for partner members

Last fall, we launched the first of our Partner Technical Webinars, a unique program in which CSIA partner members are invited to host online programs in partnership with CSIA. It's been a huge success! Learn how you can take advantage of this unique opportunity to educate integrators about technical topics of interest to them. 

Read more.


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