System integrators and the workplace’s future

The 2022 CSIA Executive Conference is themed “The Future of Work.” Through presentations and panel discussions it aims to explore the “new normal and beyond” from the following perspectives:

• People: Attracting, retaining, and developing talent has been a perennial challenge for SIs. The pandemic has only made it worse. In an environment of heightened competition, SIs need to demonstrate that they are in tune and cater to the needs of the new generation.
• Location: After so many months of successful remote work, organizations are questioning the need to go back to the office full time or their offices in general. Many are moving toward a “hybrid” workplace, having figured it out for their individual needs. Some companies are keeping their brick-and-mortar offices but investing to transform them to suit new purposes with more networking space, flexible layout, and hot desking. At the same time interactions with some clients (e.g., for project work and business development) are still relying on a virtual approach as some manufacturers still restrict onsite visits and in-person meetings with non-employees.
• Deliverables: Digital transformation, Industry 4.0, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), smart manufacturing (or whatever name you prefer) has been changing the system integrator (SI) business. The work SIs deliver has evolved and diversified over the years. This is impacting their business models and placed new recruiting needs. The automation industry along with SIs have benefited from investments made by manufacturing clients to reduce shop-floor worker density (to reduce contagion) and to re-shore manufacturing to strengthen supply chains. Delivering on this expanded opportunity has come along with talent shortage and serious supply issues.

With the sole exception of 2020 and 2021, CSIA has held their annual Executive Conference since its founding in 1994. 534 attended the last in-person conference (2019 in Asheville, NC). The main audience at this conference are owners/leadership circle of industrial system integrator companies, along with automation equipment and professional service providers to the system integrator community.

The 2022 CSIA Executive Conference is themed “The Future of Work” with an emphasis on showing the new normal for workers. Courtesy: CSIA

Jose M. Rivera is the CEO of the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA), a CFE Media and Technology content partner. Edited by Chris Vavra, web content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media and Technology, cvavra@cfemedia.com.

ONLINE extra

In 2022, the CSIA Executive Conference will be held in Denver, June 27 – 30. Full details, including registration information, are available at the conference website.

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