October 2015

Thanks to nearly 30 CSIA Partners for getting on the CSIA Exchange "highway"

In the last year nearly 30 of our trusted CSIA Partner Suppliers have adopted the Exchange as a go-to place to feature new products and services under the CSIA umbrella.

This summer and fall we welcomed Schneider Electric and Rockwell Automation, Phoenix Contact, OPTO 22, Intel, Panduit, Canary Labs, and RFID Inc. They have committed to the Exchange with Partner Packages. Partner Packages are especially valuable to our Partners because they can feature their SI Partners!

A special thanks to Tatsoft for securing one of the new Featured Section Placements!

There is no better place to feature your products and your SI Partners than on CSIA's Industrial Automation Exchange. Shouldn't the Exchange be on your road map to success?

Top ten tips for maximizing exposure on the Industrial Automation Exchange

Last month, we introduced the first of top ten tips for maximizing your profile on the Industrial Automation Exchange. Here are tips 2-5 (click the buttons below for more info)!

Get more Exchange tips and best practice ideas at csiaexchange.com.

Our newest Exchange subscribers. Join them!

Integrators:

NorthWind Technical Services, LLC

Connect Control Systems
Vertech

Hargrove Controls + Automation, LLC

Partner:

Tatsoft, LLC

CSIA Pulse

CSIA's financial benchmarking program goes live this week

For months, we've been telling you about the soon-to-be-launched, all-new CSIA statistics program, CSIA Pulse. CSIA Pulse replaces the former KPICs program and will be open to all CSIA members beginning Oct. 1.

Message from CEO

Welcome to the year-end mad dash

I lived in Paris for four years. One particular custom in France is that the country basically shuts down during the entire month of August to go on summer vacation. Yes, a full month of vacation.

CSIA and OPC Foundation collaboration efforts

CSIA CEO Jose Rivera addresses the attendants of the OPC Foundation seminar in Chicago on Sept. 25, 2015. At this event, CSIA had a tabletop display, along with some of our CSIA Partners. CSIA is very glad to collaborate with the OPC Foundation. We promoted the OPC Foundation Seminar tour in our September newsletter, and an article by CSIA was published in the OPC Foundation newsletter.

Video

JP Morgan Survey

Industrial System Integration Industry Survey open through October 13, 2015

JP Morgan and CSIA conduct a survey of the industrial system integration industry in the fall and the spring every year. The information obtained from the survey is augmented with information from the main automation suppliers and put into a comprehensive document that is shared with JP Morgan clients and those system integration companies that participated in the survey. This survey provides great market information and allows CSIA to continue to build its brand as the leading knowledge source for system integration. I encourage everybody to participate in this survey. Thank you very much in advance.

Access the survey.

Mergers and Acquisitions, Part 3

For system integrators: Building, preparing and realizing value

When an owner is ready to begin the sales process of a system integration firm, there are a number of pieces that need to successfully come together. In order for a company sale to occur, it is important for the owner and advisors to jointly manage the sale process. By doing so, the outcome is more likely to be orderly, smooth and lucrative for the business owner.

Legal

"That was wrong. But that was really wrong"

Breach of contract versus material breach of contract

My integrator clients often assume they can automatically stop working if they are not getting paid on a project. Likewise, when I represent facility owners, they often assume that they can withhold payment or terminate a contract anytime an automation vendor fails to comply with a term of the parties' agreement. However, in order to take such actions, there usually must be not just a breach of contract but a material breach of contract.

Committees

The Partner Committee met in person on Oct. 15-16 in Milwaukee, at the headquarters of Rockwell Automation. The location changes every year.

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.