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By Brett Wangman posted 08-04-2016 11:26

  
2016 CSIA Executive Conference registration now open!
The annual CSIA Executive Conference is the highlight of the professional year, when over 500 system integrators and industry partners meet to network, hear outstanding speakers, share best practices, and learn about new products and services. The 2016 Conference will be held April 19 - 22 in Puerto Rico. In addition to strong educational programming, the Partner Industry Expo and Reception will showcase the latest products and services from industry supplier, manufacturer and service provider members. There are several excursions planned, as well, to give you an opportunity to take in Puerto Rico from land and water.
Every year, as word spreads about the benefits of attending and those who have participated in the past come back, registration grows! Join fellow SIs and industry partners from around the globe to build connections, exchange ideas and have fun!
Road to Executive Conference 2016

Free Executive Conference registration

Bob Bruce from SYSCON Automation Group won a free 2016 Executive Conference registration. He was part of 63 companies that renewed their membership before the 11/15/2015 deadline. Congratulations, Bob!
Message from CEO
SI Development: Think outside the box
I want to start this newsletter by sending our members my best wishes for 2016. During the holidays I had time to reflect on all that we have been able to accomplish as an association in the past years. I feel sincerely grateful. We have a vibrant association with lots of energy put toward a good common cause. I'm also very excited about what lies ahead. As I have shared lately in a Control Engineering article, I think that SIs are faced with a very real growth opportunity, not that different from what the system integration market faced when large end users began opting to outsource their SI services beginning in the 1990s. I believe that the present opportunity is based on the real underlying drivers behind heavily promoted terms like IoT, IIoT, Smart Manufacturing and Industrie 4.0.
LATAM
CSIA kicks off quarterly event series in Mexico City
On December 10, 2015, CSIA kicked off its quarterly event series in Mexico City. The quarterly event series is part of CSIA's efforts to develop a true system integration community in Mexico, and in the process, create a model of success for globalization efforts.
Read More.
Octavio Delgado, project management directorat ECN and Jose Rivera CSIA
CEO with happy faces after the event.
Group attending first of quarterly
event series in Mexico City.
Tax Credits
R&D tax credits available to system integrators
Due to frequent legislative and legal changes to the tax code, the control system integration community is largely unaware they are a likely qualifier for one of the IRS' most powerful tax incentives designed for businesses. Based on the technological nature of the work performed by most system integrators, federal and state governments have made significant government programs available for their benefit.
Insurance
What is the dirty little secret of control systems integration?
The answer is, "If the contract is large enough, the integrator will sign it."
Over the 12 years of our Insurance Program the contractual obligations that members' customers are requiring have gotten ever more onerous, reaching the point that it is sometimes difficult to imagine circumstances where the integrator would not be liable! So, what are the insurance implications of signing such contracts, specifically loss related to your professional errors and omissions liability coverage?
Legal
Workers Comp reclassification request for assistance
(Reprinted from a posting by Mark Voigtmann in the CSIA Connected Community)
A CSIA member was recently audited by the National Council on Compensation Insurance. Despite no material change to the member's business operations, the NCCI reclassified the principal business of the firm. This resulted in a significant increase in the CSIA member's workers' compensation premium. The member is disputing the classification code assigned from the NCCI.
We would appreciate it if other members would share the NCCI classification code assigned to the principal business of their firm, as well as any secondary business classification code(s). This request is for general informational purposes only; member names and classification codes will not be used in conjunction with the appeal.

Mark can be reached at Mark.Voigtmann@faegrebd.com or (317) 237-1265.
CFE Media Integrator of the Year Awards
Congratulations to CSIA members (all three of them CSIA-Certified!) for being recognized as Integrators of the Year by CFE Meda. Shown left-right: Bob Vavra (CFE Media), Tim Matheny (ECS Solutions), Michael Gurney (Concept Systems) and David Blaida (Matrix Technologies).
Industrial Automation Exchange
Our newest Exchange subscribers. Join them!
Coming soon--Project Management training
Project Management training coming to CSIA
In March, CSIA will be delivering a Project Management Training course that is directly relevant to SI needs. We will be leveraging distant learning methodology and technology to allow attendees to remain in their offices and join the virtual classroom. This training is scheduled to be delivered on short sessions over four days spread over two consecutive weeks. This format allows attendees to continue their regular job functions and immediately implement the acquired knowledge on their actual work projects.
The four dates for the entire course are:
Week 1: Tuesday, March 8 and Thursday, March 10
Week 2: Tuesday, March 15 and Thursday, March 17

Cost per CSIA member participant: $1500
We are delivering on your request for project management training. Please support this initiative to ensure we continue to deliver on our mission. Watch for more details on this coming soon!

Sponsor Article
Connectivity's role in improving factory management
MES interface brings shop floor to top floor

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Webinar







Collecting reliable data in an unreliable world
Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 11 a.m. ET
Presented by Canary Labs
Automation Conference & Expo
Connect with customers, prospects and solution providers May 24 - 25 in Chicago
Partnership with CSIA includes a
10% registration discount for members.
Automation technology end-users and other industry professionals will convene in Chicago, May 24 - 25 for the fifth annual Automation Conference & Expo. CSIA is again supporting this popular educational and networking event, produced by PMMI Media Group (publishers of Automation World). Program topics include: collaborative robotics, high-performance HMI, OEE, control system cybersecurity, using mobile technologies, PackML and more. Visit www.theautomationconference.com for details. CSIA members save 10% with discount code: CSIA16
2015: A Great Year for the CSIA Industrial Automation Exchange
Check out this cool movie we made. If you can't see it, click here.

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