Realizing the Benefits

of Automation and
How to Get There With
Qualified Control
Standards
Certification
Education & Training
System Integrators
Publishing
Conferences & Exhibits
Bob Lowe, Executive Director
Control System Integrators Association (CSIA)

Bio:
• Executive Director of CSIA for 1 year
• Owned and Managed a Control System Integration
company for 18 years.
• Electrical and Electronic Systems Engineer at
Alumax Aluminum for 8 years
• Technician at Alumax Aluminum for 11 years

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The History of CSIA

1990 - Charlie Bergman started Technical Marketing, a company

that gathered statistics on system integrator companies. That
collection of companies became the nucleus of CSIA. An
executive council formed and selected the CSIA name, developed
by-laws, objectives and membership requirements.
1993 - First Executive Conference
1994 - First Annual Membership meeting
1997 – The Best Practices and Benchmarks Manual was written by
integrator members
2000 – CSIA Certified member program begins
2003 – CSIA Insurance program begins

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CSIA Today

• ~200 Associate Members (non-Certified)

• 91 Certified Members

• 55 Partner Members
Vendors / Suppliers of automation equipment and
software

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CSIA Value Proposition

CSIA is committed to the business

development of control system integration
companies and their implementation of best
practices in order to provide a healthy, low risk
channel for the application of technology to
their industrial clients.

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What an Integrator Should Do
and
What a Client Should Expect.
They Are One and the Same!!

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What an Integrator Should Do and What a Client
Should Expect. They Are One and the Same!!

The business attributes of a Control System Integrator

General Management
They have
• a clear purpose and vision for their CSI company
• a plan for long term ownership and transition
• a defined organizational structure
• a good computer and network system with policies for its use
• a full-proof backup system in case of disaster
• adequate general liability and professional liability insurance
that is right for their business model
• a disaster recovery plan in case of fire, tornado, flood, etc.

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What an Integrator Should Do and What a Client
Should Expect. They Are One and the Same!!

The business attributes of a Control System Integrator

Human Resource Management
They have
• a job description for all positions
• a drug-free workplace
• a comprehensive orientation process for new employees
• a comprehensive performance evaluation system
• ongoing training on internal procedures
• soft skills training
• a technical training program that aligns with their strategy
• management training

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What an Integrator Should Do and What a Client
Should Expect. They Are One and the Same!!

The business attributes of a Control System Integrator

Business Development Management
They have
• alignment between what they sell and their clients needs
• a system to log, track and forecast bookings
• guidelines to define scope of work & supply for an application
• clearly convey scope of work & supply to the client
• standard estimating and pricing policies
• administrative reviews of proposals
• Clear, comprehensive and fair Terms and Conditions
• Clear definition of application s/w and Intellectual Property

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What an Integrator Should Do and What a Client
Should Expect. They Are One and the Same!!

The business attributes of a Control System Integrator

Financial Management
They have
• a financial system that uses GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Practices)
• a cash flow forecast system
• a system to track and invoice changes in supply
• a system to track accounts receivable and payable
• a project financial control and job cost system
• a system to monitor Work in Process (WIP)

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What an Integrator Should Do and What a Client
Should Expect. They Are One and the Same!!

The business attributes of a Control System Integrator

Project Management
They have
• a system to ensure that work is contractually authorized
• a system to monitor and control subcontractors
• a system to review project plans with their team and the client
• a system to manage the project according to the plan
• a system to identify and manage the risks of an application
• a system to manage resources throughout the project
• a system to manage the finances throughout the project
• a system to manage changes
• a system to close the project in conjunction with the client
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What an Integrator Should Do and What a Client
Should Expect. They Are One and the Same!!

The business attributes of a Control System Integrator

System Development Lifecycle Management
They have
• a system to kickoff a project with clarity of overall scope
• a good Functional Requirements document from the client
• a system to develop a good Functional Specification
• a good system design process with internal reviews as needed
• material assembly standards (i.e. control panel assy.)
• factory acceptance tests (FAT) according to the project plan
• site acceptance tests (SAT) according to the project plan

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What an Integrator Should Do and What a Client
Should Expect. They Are One and the Same!!

The business attributes of a Control System Integrator

Supporting Activities Management
They have
• a system to develop and maintain key business processes
• communication standards and templates
• methods to differentiate project work from other billable time
• a process to identify and assess project or business risks
• Configuration Management for internal assets
• Configuration Management for projects
• a reuse system for documents, templates, drawings, programs

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What an Integrator Should Do and What a Client
Should Expect. They Are One and the Same!!

The business attributes of a Control System Integrator

Quality Assurance Management
They have
• a continuous improvement culture
• a system to assure that their processes are followed
• an in-house safety inspection program
• a client survey process at the end of projects
• a process to deal with complaints and be sure they are resolved
• an internal project quality audit

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What an Integrator Should Do and What a Client
Should Expect. They Are One and the Same!!

Now the end game for the Client to Choose an Integrator -

from a Business Perspective

• If a System Integrator is CSIA Certified, then the client is

guaranteed that a System Integrator has the attributes just
discussed. To be certified they had to exhibit compliance with
the CSIA Best Practices to a third-party auditor!

• If a System Integrator is not Certified, then it is recommended

that the client visit the System Integrator’s facility to perform
their own audit of the processes just discussed !

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A quote from Glenn Lawson, Engineering Manager at
Starbucks Coffee, Minden NV

“I know certified integrators follow a specific thought process and

structure. They provide documentation that’s above the grade and
do things in a specific manner. There’s a big difference and I know
the job will be done right.
“Sure, there’s that guy working out of the back of his truck that
may charge less, and you may think he’s doing a good job at the
time, but what about when something goes wrong? I don’t have
that same level of trust with him that I do with certified integrators.
Plus, fixing it costs money. You’re spending money anyway, so do
it up front and get it done right the first time.”

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Responsibilities of the Client to Select and
Work with the System Integrator

• Prepare a “Request for Proposal” including

– a project overview
– a scope of work list
– any commercial issues
• Review proposals objectively, with consideration of the:
– Basis of Proposal and Compliance with the RFP
– Company Capabilities
– Scope of Supply – Services and Equipment
– Deliverables (equipment, application programs, etc.)
– Documentation to be supplied
– Exceptions to the RFP
– Integrators location, if important
– Integrators project team’s TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES
– Cost and rates
– Cervices to be provided
– Commercial issues

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Responsibilities of the Client to Select and
Work with the System Integrator

• Build the Team

– Is one System Integrator capable of the total scope of supply?
– Select a Main Automation Contractor (MAC), if necessary
Multiple System Integrator s would work for the MAC
– On large projects an EPC is necessary
Engineering Procurement Construction company

• Award the contract(s)

– Final review of the proposal(s)
– Final review of the terms and conditions, resolve differences

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Responsibilities of the Client to Select and
Work with the System Integrator

• Manage the Project

– Participate in the project kickoff
– Monitor scope of supply based on the project plan
– Monitor progress and schedule
– Make progressive payments based on benchmarks
– Provide resources as agreed upon
– Manage change in scope with the integrator
– Provide materials for testing as agreed upon
– Participate in FAT
– Participate in installation as agreed upon
– Participate in SAT
– Signoff and final payment when the SAT is successful

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Responsibilities of the Client to Select and
Work with the System Integrator

The quality of THE START of a project

determines if it will end well…

WHAT IS A GOOD ENDING?

The client gets exactly what they asked for and
the integrator gets paid!

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 A Broad View of Automation
for a Sustainable Plant

Applicable to Client and System Integrator

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A Broad View of Automation
for a Sustainable Plant

• Collaboration
– It applies to people and machines
– Should be intelligent so as not to waste time
– Use social networking
– Build communities
A project is a community with SIs, contractors, clients
– In large companies have employee profiles and then create networks of
expertise

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A Broad View of Automation
for a Sustainable Plant

• Information
– It needs to be real-time, or right time, not next day
– It must be “contextual” (it’s understandable to the intended user)
– It must be Actionable Information (it’s useful to the intended user)
The Line Supervisor, Maintenance person and CEO need different info!
– Green KPIs are increasingly important

• Smart Grid
– A technology that will impact our society like the intenet

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A Broad View of Automation
for a Sustainable Plant

• Cloud Computing
– The use of external services to host and run your computer programs
– It hides complexity from the user
– Enables and simplifies collaboration
– Have project portals with web browsers
– Particularly useful for large or global projects
– Mail
– Records management
– Workflow
– Team collaboration
– Searches
– Reporting
– Storage

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A Broad View of Automation
for a Sustainable Plant

• Cyber Security
– “Open” systems make computers in control systems more vulnerable.
Proprietary hardware and software were more secure.
– Computers NOT connected to an external network are as big a threat as
those that are. Why? Thumb Drives and the like!
– Information disclosure is a problem.
Example: IP addresses provided in documentation enables an attack.
– Never keep and use default passwords!
An attacker can acquire them from the manufacturer’s documentation
– The threat of the insider – a disgruntled employee
Critical processes should require two people to log in concurrently
– Consider Cyber Security to be like Safety: Educate the Workforce
– Homeland Security: ics-cert@dhs.gov or 877-776-7585

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A Broad View of Automation
for a Sustainable Plant

• Asset Lifecycle Management

– Applicable from conceptualization until retirement of an asset
– Use energy efficient equipment
– Implement control methodologies to reduce energy consumption
– Determine the causes of frequent short-term stops, not just long ones
– Enable flexibility – run more products on one machine or process
– Track and trace products as they are produced
– Measure process parameters to create baseline data
Then monitor and document asset performance to identify erosion
– Monitor and analyze asset components to enable intelligent maintenance
– Provide “contextual” and “actionable” information for all stakeholders

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A Broad View of Automation
for a Sustainable Plant

• Energy
– Four components to reducing energy costs
1. Operational efficiency (i.e. production scheduling)
2. Infrastructure improvements (automation and controls!)
3. Process development (different ways to do what you do)
4. Use renewable energy
– Energy includes water, plant air, gas, electric, steam and others
– Energy efficiency is a long term initiative (decades!)
– Create site-based teams (system integrators should be on teams)
– Education of all personnel is critical
Awareness and behavior can result in substantial savings

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A Broad View of Automation
for a Sustainable Plant

• Information Handover
The information “handed over” from an integrator or engineer to a client
– The client must define in the RFP the information required
– The time and money to create operations & maintenance information is
extensive and must be considered up-front
– There is a difference between engineering information and
operations & maintenance information
– Some information must be provided during the project. The client can’t
wait until the project ends to train operations personnel.

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Thank You!

Questions?
and
Answers!

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Thank You!

Thank You for the Opportunity!

Bob Lowe
CSIA
execdir@controlsys.org
717-371-0490

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