Better Business Practices for System Integrators-CSIA Presentation

Control System Integrators Association

CSIA: What we do for systems integrators, automation product

suppliers and clients globally

Bob Lowe, CSIA Executive Director

Indusoft

The History of CSIA & Major Milestones

1990 Executive council formed, by-laws created

1993 First Conference and Membership Meeting

1997 Best Practices & Benchmarks Manual released

2001 CSIA Certified member program begins

2003 CSIA Insurance program begins

2009 New leadership structure

2012 Global Growth Initiative

Today!

297 Integrator members (not certified)

86 CSIA Certified Integrator members

93 Partner members (Suppliers)

The vision and mission of CSIA

Vision: Industries everywhere have access to low-risk, safe

and successful applications of automation technology

Mission: To advance the industry of control system integration

For System Integrators to be more professional

Be a forum for members to network, train, discuss common issues and share best practices

Have CSIA Certification become an industry standard

Increase CSIA’s global presence

System Integrators EverywhereHave the Same Problems!

Competition unavoidable

Price low prices and slow pay

People finding and retaining employees

Marketing how to tell the marketplace

Sales selling effectively

Cash managing finances

Risk project & business risk

Project Mngt. control of scope & change orders

Execution which KPIs to track

CSIA Key Initiatives

• Growth in Latin America, primarily Mexico

• Growth in Europe

• Brand Awareness (CSIA certification recognition)

• The Exchange

• Project Management Training

• Best Practices Revision 5, incl. Cybersecurity

Value of Membership for System Integrators

• Annual Executive Conference

• Best Practices Manual

• CSIA Certification

• Connected Community

• Educational Webinars

• Business Insurance

• Marketing Support

• Statistics and Benchmarking

• Business Documents

• Peer Groups

• Surveys

• Relationship Building

• Automation Industry Reports

6 most used services

1. Annual Executive Conference

• 500+ attendees from around the world

• 20+ business education sessions over 3 days

• Networking , relationship building

• Table top exhibits by our Partner members

• Awards dinner

2. Best Practices Manual

• 300+ best practices for managing a SI company

• Updated every 3 to 4 years by our BP committee


3. Connected Community

• Open Forum discussion board

• Library of documents, templates, surveys, marketing tools

• Conference presentations, webinar and newsletter archives

4. Webinars for system integration companies

• Business topics for managers

• Technical topics for engineers and programmers


5. Business Insurance, available globally

• Public and Products (General) Liability

• Professional Liability

• Cyber Liability

• Our insurance carriers understand the SI industry

6. Industrial Automation “Exchange”

• Excellent marketing tool

• Linkage between integrators and product suppliers

• Post whitepapers, case studies and videos

2014 Annual CSIA Conference :An Educational and Networking Experience

NEW! Industrial Automation Exchange

New tool for end-user clients to

find:

the right integrator

the right product

the right answer

Best Practices Manual

Table of Contents

1. General Management

2. Human Resources Management

3. Marketing, Business Development and Sales Management

4. Financial Management

5. Project Management

6. System Development Lifecycle

7. Supporting Activities

8. Quality Assurance Management

9. Service and Support


1. General Management

Organizational Structure

Computer Systems Management

Risk Management

Emergency Management

Management Transition

2. Human Resources Management

Recruitment

Personnel Performance Evaluations

Training

Compensation

Retention

Job Descriptions


3. Marketing, Business Development, and Sales Mngt.

Marketing Plan

Sales Strategy

Contract Documents

Risk Assessment

Forecasting

4. Financial Management

Measures of Performance

Financial Planning

Billing Procedures

Tax Policy

Cash Flow Forecasting

5. Project Management

Contract Management

Project Management Plans

Risk Management

Scope & Change Management

Resources and Schedule Management

Budget Management

Communications Management

6. System Development Lifecycle

Specs (Requirements, System, Functional)

Internal Kickoff

Design

Program Development and H/W Assembly

FAT, Commissioning, SAT


7. Supporting Activities

Standards and Templates

Procurement Management

Configuration Management

Reuse Library Management

8. Quality Assurance Management

A QA system

Project Quality Assurance

Continuous Measurable Improvements

Client Surveys

9. Service and Support

Organizational Structure

Service Methodology

Service Management


The Basis and Process of the Auditto Become CSIA Certified

Understanding the audit process is key to understanding its value!

The process of becoming CSIA Certified

• The Best Practices Manual is

the source of the audit

questions

• The manual has 300+ best

practices

• 79 of the 300+ best practices

are considered most critical

for the operation of a SI so

they are the audit questions

• The integrator prepares for the audit by implementing the 79 Best Practices, and others too

• The integrator contracts a CSIA auditor. Documentation and evidence of compliance with the Best Practices is required

• With a passing score, the integrator member is CSIA Certified!

The Value of being CSIA Certified

(INTERNAL) Improved business operations:

• Accountability

• Peace of mind for top managers and owners

• Improved sales

• Sustainable growth

• The probability of increased profitability

• Attracts and retains good employees

• Improves vendor and client relationships

(EXTERNAL) Business Development advantage! CSIA Certification is a differentiator for clients.

• More clients are preferring CSIA Certification

• Be highlighted on the Exchange

• Be highlighted on Partner member websites

• The opportunity to be in the top-tier of some Partner member Service Provider programs


“Working with certified integrators gives us the

assurance our clients will be taken care of without

requiring our resources to fix mistakes. Following

the best practices creates a better image for the SI

as well as a vendor’s products through a smooth

project implementation.”

Steve Newcomer

Channel Specialist - System Integrators

Phoenix Contact


The Value of CSIA Certification to Clients

• Reduced Risk

• Convenience in selecting integrators

• CSIA-validated business Best Practices

Experience in my industry and application?

Experience in my technology?

Good business management practices?

CSIA Certification validates

this requirement

The typical considerations by end-user clients:

The Value of CSIA Certification to Clients

Vendor certification

programs answer this

question

The end-user clients

answers this question

The Value of CSIA Certification to

Suppliers - Indusoft

• CSIA Certification focuses on business practices, so it complements the technical requirements of Partner’s service provider programs

• CSIA Certification enables Partners to easily identify the top system integrators

• CSIA Certification is the foundation for long-term integrator viability, so Partners are reasonably sure they’ll be around for a long time

• CSIA Certified integrators increase the probability of the Partner’s technology being represented properly

• CSIA Certified integrators reduce the risk of project failure

Return on Investment for Annual Dues

Learn ONE thing from

Apply it to your business

Save or Earn

Annual Dues will be Paid!

• The Best Practices and Benchmarks Manual• A Monthly webinar• The Online Community

• In Human Resources• In Business Development & Sales• In Financial or Project Management

• 10 billable hours in a year from what was learned

• At $100/hour

Contact Information

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS!

Robert Lowe

CSIA Executive Director(717) 626-8012

Skype boblowe52

[email protected]

www.controlsys.org

mailto:[email protected]

Better Business Practices for System Integrators-CSIA Presentation

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