Here are some common questions about the industry and CSIA.
Control system integrators design and implement sophisticated control systems for manufacturing, process and other industrial facilities. Using their knowledge of engineering, information technology and business, system integrators integrate plant equipment to automate manufacturing and processes from the plant floor to the enterprise level. Automation helps manufacturers and processors reduce cost, increase production, use less energy and lower environmental impact.
The CSIA Industrial Automation Exchange is a directory of system integrators and industry suppliers. Using the sophisticated search function, you can sort by industries, specialties, products, certifications and more. Be sure to look for the CSIA logo and/or the CSIA Certified logo when looking for a system integrator — the mark of a quality integrator!
Go to the Exchange
There are many benefits to working with a system integrator. Here are just a few. You can:
The CSIA Best Practices and Benchmarks manual (BP Manual) is the industry standard for successful management of a control system integration business.
It’s written by SIs for SIs and updated on a regular, continuous-improvement basis.
While comprehensive – it is not prescriptive – which means you will get the guidance you need to run a successful system integration business – from tip to tail – while you tailor your business to meet your needs.
It is only available to CSIA members.
Learn MoreNo. You cannot buy the BP Manual. However, it is available for free to CSIA Members in good standing.
Learn MoreThe BP Manual is written and updated by the CSIA BP Manual Committee. The committee consists of volunteers who work in system integration companies – many of whom have been CSIA Certified and are seasoned SI professionals. The manual is vetted and beta tested before each release, as well as undergoes a continuous improvement process.
The Committee welcomes new volunteers, but your company does need to be a CSIA member for you to participate on the committee.
BP Manual CommitteeYou can find more information about the BP Manual – including downloading the table of contents or a sample chapter, on the BP Manual page.
Learn MoreMore information about the most recent update of the BP Manual is available on the BP Manual page.
Learn MoreCSIA Certification is proof that the CSIA Best Practices are implemented. CSIA Certified control system integrators meet the highest standards of business and management.
Technical proficiency alone is not enough. To grow and sustain a successful integration company that meets clients’ current and future requirements, integrators need to develop good business and management skills, in addition to technical knowledge.
Learn MoreIf you are looking for a CSIA Certified system integrator, you can search the CSIA Industrial Automation Exchange — just use the CSIA Certified filter.
Search the Exchange
Most automation vendors have system integrator or solution provider programs that indicate an integrator’s technical qualifications on their products. Contact your vendors for information on their programs and the CSIA Certified system integrators they work with. Some suppliers require CSIA Certification to be recognized in the top tier of their system integrator programs.
CSIA Certification is a quality system focusing on the overall management of a system integration business. The certification audit is based on CSIA Best Practices, which is a blueprint specifically for management of a system integration company.
Companies that work with a CSIA Certified company are reasonably assured that the business is managed well and committed to long-term success. ISO certification focuses on customer satisfaction and the quality of products and services delivered. The two certifications are significantly different and serve different purposes.
CSIA allows certifying and recertifying companies to be audited remotely. All CSIA-certified auditors can conduct this process. There are advantages and disadvantages to choosing a remote audit compared to an on-site audit. Contact your auditor or the CSIA certification manager to discuss whether a remote audit or on-site audit is the best choice for your company.
Contact CSIA Certification ManagerThe criteria in the audit are derived from the CSIA Best Practices and Benchmarks manual. From the manual’s complete set of guidelines, the auditors look at selected criteria that CSIA members and their clients consider necessary for operating a successful control systems integration company. The list includes many criteria that end users might not think of when selecting an integrator, such as disaster recovery plans, computer system backups and internal quality audits.
The first thing to do is to prepare for the audit. Here are some tips:
Then, when you are ready, complete the Certification Application. CSIA staff will review to confirm eligibility and guide you on the next steps – including scheduling the audit. Note: You will want to complete the application several months prior to when you would like the audit to happen.
If you opt for an on-site audit, be prepared to host the auditor in your facility — normally for one to two business days.
If you opt for a remote audit, prepare all of the technology required to complete a remote audit, including video-enabled conferencing platform.
Steps to Certification
CSIA manages the certification audit process. The association’s role is to train and authorize auditing firms, provide materials to support members preparing for the audit, and carry out administrative duties related to certification. Upon completion of an audit, CSIA will receive the results and will make the final certification decision.
However, the audit itself is conducted by a third party.
CSIA charges a modest certification fee to cover administration costs. CSIA staff will send an invoice after the Certification Application is approved.
There are also fees associated with audit-related services. All such fees are handled directly between you and the auditing company.
An on-site audit usually requires one to two business days. A remote audit will take the equivalent hours as one to two business days, but can be split up in segments that are favorable to both the SI and the auditor.
When you are ready to schedule an audit, the first step is to complete the Certification Application and return it to the CSIA office. The application will be reviewed to confirm eligibility. Assuming eligibility, CSIA staff will advise you as to the next steps.
As soon as all CSIA-related paperwork is completed and your application is approved, CSIA staff will forward a copy of the completed Certification Application to the auditing company. The auditor will contact you to set up a service agreement and schedule the audit.
It’s a good idea to submit the completed Certification Application several months before the desired audit date so that all paperwork can be completed with adequate time allowed for scheduling the audit.
These guidelines apply whether the audit is for a certification or a renewal.
Every 3 years, CSIA Certified companies undertake the audit process to become recertified. This periodic review encourages CSIA Certified integrators to stay up to date with current business practices and focus on continuously improving their businesses.
To avoid any interruption to certified status, companies are responsible for having the audit completed by the expiration date.
When you are ready to schedule an audit for CSIA Certification renewal, complete the Certification Application and submit it to CSIA.
CSIA is currently updating the Certification Management System (CMS). CSIA charges a certification fee for each audit to help cover the cost of managing the CMS. Scheduling an audit and audit payment remains between the auditor and you. If your company is ready to begin the recertification process, the first step is to complete the Certification Application.
Some of the changes include:
Any new applications for certification or recertifications after May 1, 2024, will use version 6.
Contact CSIA Certification Manager for more information.
Contact CSIA Certification ManagerTo create your log-in credentials or set up your account for the first time, follow these steps.
You can now use the “Log In” tab with your email and new password to access your CSIA account. If you forget your password in the future, the “forgot password” option can be located on the “Log In” tab underneath the email and password fields.
This is also a good time to review your CSIA profile (for yourself and your company page) on the CSIA Industrial Automation Exchange to check the information is current there as well.
The membership database fuels the Exchange but not all fields are two-way integrated so it’s possible that the information is correct in one place but not the other.
For information on how to manage your contacts on your CSIA Exchange profile or membership record, see “How to update or change your contacts” below.
Note: These log in credentials will work on www.controlsys.org as well as www.csiaexchange.com.
Need help?
Contact Staff“WE’RE SORRY, SOMETHING WENT WRONG WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SIGN UP.”
This error message is usually prompted from accounts that started but did not complete account set up. In almost all cases, following the instructions below will “reset” your account:
Need help?
Contact StaffIf you have a new email, either from an internal change or because you have moved to a new organization, you can update your credentials to reflect the change.
Proceed through account set up (as outlined above) with the new email address and complete email verification. After doing so, the system should flag the similar details from your existing account and merge the new credentials to your existing one.
To ensure the smoothest transition, before verifying your new email, update your contact record (under “My Profile” –> “Manage My Profile” in the CSIA Portal) with your new email address/information. This will assist the system in linking your existing profile with your new login credentials.
This is because account set up has not yet been completed. Please use the steps to outlined above to create an account.
This short video is a tutorial on how to add, delete or update your company contacts (the people who work for your company — they will need log in credentials to access member benefits).
The video also shows you how to update your company contacts on your CSIA Exchange company profile.
You need to be the primary contact, billing contact or marketing contact to make changes to the company contacts, because those roles have admin privileges.
CSIA membership benefits extend to anyone in your company. However, the number of contacts that will publicly display on your CSIA Exchange profile will depend on your subscription level. (CSIA members automatically get an upgrade to a Bronze level, which includes one publicly facing contact on your Exchange profile; but most companies go up to a Gold profile or higher to provide maximum control over what contacts appear on their Exchange profile. For more information, see the CSIA Industrial Automation Exchange FAQs or the CSIA Industrial Automation Exchange page.
You need to add them to your company record (note you will need to be the primary, billing or marketing contact to do so because those roles have admin privileges). This tutorial will show you how.
Once they are added to the company record, each individual will need to set up their account/password.
Here’s HowThis short video is a tutorial on how to add, delete or update your company contacts (the people who work for your company — they will need log in credentials to access member benefits).
The video also shows you how to update your company contacts on your CSIA Exchange company profile.
You need to be the primary contact, billing contact or marketing contact to make changes to the company contacts, because those roles have admin privileges.
CSIA membership benefits extend to anyone in your company. However, the number of contacts that will publicly display on your CSIA Exchange profile will depend on your subscription level (CSIA members automatically get an upgrade to a Bronze level, which includes one publicly facing contact on your Exchange profile; but most companies go up to a Gold profile or higher to provide maximum control over what contacts appear on their Exchange profile.) For more information, see the CSIA Industrial Automation Exchange FAQs or the CSIA Industrial Automation Exchange page.
CSIA membership renewals are completed in the CSIA portal via a short application process. Follow these steps to process and pay for your renewal.
Please note: If you have not set up your account in the membership portal – see the instructions to do so.
If you see the message “There are no application processes available to you at this time,” after navigating to this screen, either:
Select Next to proceed to the payment screen.
6. To pay now and complete your dues renewal, choose “Add a credit or debit card” or choose from a saved card on file. When entering a new card, please ensure the correct billing address is selected. If it does not appear in the drop down, choose the option “Use another address.” Upon processing, you will be able to access a copy of this invoice and receipt in your Invoice History.
To pay later and complete the dues payment via ACH/Wire, credit card or check, choose the option to “Bill [Organization Name]” to generate a pro-forma invoice to your account. After completing the membership order, you may download a copy of your receipt by selecting “My Profile” –> “Invoice History.” Or, you may complete the payment by credit card at any time by accessing “My Profile” –> “Make a Payment.” Please contact staff if you need wire payment information.
Need help?
Contact StaffTo be a CSIA integrator member, you must:
To be a partner member of CSIA, you must be a:
CSIA membership is by company. However, all employees of the member company can enjoy the benefits of being a CSIA member.
System integrator and partner members enjoy a full range of member benefits.
No, CSIA membership is also available to vendors, or those companies that consider system integrators to be their customers. Vendor companies are called partner members. However, CSIA membership is not open to end users (the clients of system integrators).
Control system integrators are independent companies or independent divisions of larger entities that use industrial automation equipment and software from multiple automation manufacturers in the implementation of their projects.
To be a CSIA integrator member, you must:
To be a partner member of CSIA, you must be a:
No, there is no discount for startups. The CSIA Board of Directors makes a point of keeping membership dues affordable and, thus, accessible to a wide range of businesses while ensuring dues are commensurate with company size. In addition, CSIA has a policy that companies with less than $2 million in revenue and whose main office is located in one of the countries listed on the membership application as low-income, lower-middle income or upper-middle income qualify for a reduced rate. All other companies enjoy member benefits at the rates listed in the dues chart.
See the Account Management section of the FAQs for instructions on how to renew your membership and pay your dues.
CSIA has partnered with ECBM Insurance Brokers and Consultants (ECBM) to design an insurance program for the automation and system integration market. ECBM works with many automation and system integrators so they understand your unique business needs.
Learn MoreInsurance can help protect your bottom line. Insurance protects your business against unexpected legal fees, medical bills caused by work-related injuries, damaged goods from machinery failures and other unexpected interruptions that may be caused by the services you provide.
System integrators face a variety of risks, and common insurance coverages include:
Yes. CSIA members can purchase a suite of coverages including all exposures mentioned above and additional coverages, such as auto, cyber, international exposures, crime, etc., all through the partnership with ECBM.
Learn MoreECBM offers a variety of coverages; contact the ECBM team to find the best coverage for you or your business’ needs.
Learn MoreECBM’s rates are extremely competitive to what you may see in the standard insurance marketplace, but there are pre-negotiated coverages that are provided that the standard marketplace doesn’t offer as standard or may not be able to provide. Additionally, ECBM has the expertise and service level that other programs may not have.
Learn MoreThe cost of control system integrator insurance varies per company. Premiums are based on your annual revenues, location count, property values and employee count.
Learn MoreThe entire insurance industry is facing increased rates, due to inflation, supply chain issues, as well as other global and economic issues. Working with an experienced broker can help lower these costs by evaluating your risks, combining policies where it makes sense and finding the best carrier at the best cost.
If you are ready to talk to a broker, contact Tim Fox at tfox@ecbm.com Be sure to mention that you are a CSIA member to take advantage of the CSIA Insurance Plan.
The CSIA Industrial Automation Exchange is a digital marketplace where system integrators (SIs), industry suppliers and manufacturers can connect and do business. It is hosted and produced by the Control System Integrators Association.
You can filter by CSIA members and/or CSIA Member or CSIA Certified, but the directory also has companies that are not CSIA members so that it can be as comprehensive as possible to serve the industry.
Any system integrator or industrial automation vendor can join the Exchange at no charge. This free listing will include your company name, address and phone number.
If you want to include more information, such as a website address or a contact, you will need to upgrade your profile. Profile upgrades are available to anyone — you do not need to be a CSIA member to have an upgraded profile on the Exchange.
However, CSIA members receive discounts on profile upgrades.
CSIA members also automatically get a profile upgrade — to the Bronze level — included as part of their membership.
Most companies find that a Gold profile or higher (a package) is the best value.
The CSIA Industrial Automation Exchange ranks No. 1 in search results for a number of keywords that users will use to look for system integrators. The Exchange also draws more than 100K page views per year and is the only online marketplace where system integrators, vendors and end users connect and do business.
The B2B buyer’s journey is complicated and includes extensive online research — you want to make sure you are where your buyers are.
If you want to add your company to the CSIA Exchange, contact CSIA staff.
If your company is a CSIA member, then your company profile on the Exchange will automatically be upgraded to the Bronze level — which means you can add content to help potential business partners connect with you.
However, most companies upgrade (at a CSIA-member discounted price) to a Gold profile or to a package because of the additional benefits — such as popping to the top in searches as well as unlimited contacts and tags (the keywords that will let the system know to serve up your company in a search).
If your company is a CSIA member, then your company profile on the Exchange will automatically be upgraded to the Bronze level — which means you can add content to help potential business partners connect with you.
However, most companies upgrade (at a CSIA-member discounted price) to a Gold profile or to a package because of the additional benefits — such as popping to the top in searches as well as unlimited contacts and tags (the keywords that will let the system know to serve up your company in a search).
If your company profile information is not correct, you can log into the Exchange and make updates for most content. The exception is company information and company contacts. You will need admin privileges to make changes to the company contacts. See tutorial below.
Here is a tutorial on how to make updates to your Exchange company profile:
Here is a tutorial on how to make changes to the company contacts:
If you can not log in, contact staff.
If your company profile information is not complete, you can log into the Exchange and make changes for most fields. The exception is company information and contacts. You will need admin privileges to make changes to the company contacts.
Note: The amount of content you can add will depend on the profile level your company has — the higher the profile level the more content you can add.
CSIA members are automatically upgraded to a Bronze level, but many organizations find that a Gold profile or package works better for them.
If you are looking for some general guidance on the Open Forums, this User Guide is a good place to start. However, note that you cannot register for the Forums, you must be a CSIA member and have log in credentials to access the Open Forums.
Yes, you must be a CSIA member to attend the CSIA Conference. CSIA may make an exception for companies that have never attended the conference — contact staff to see if you quality.
Contact StaffYes, only CSIA member companies can exhibit during the CSIA Conference Industry Expo.
The CSIA Conference includes an Industry Expo, usually held the first day in the late afternoon. The event is reception style, with appetizers and refreshments, and an emphasis on networking. There are no booths, but exhibitors do have kiosks, with signage for branding and small ledge to hold a laptop and some literature or a small amount of swag. Only CSIA members can exhibit during the Industry Expo. The cost varies year to year, for 2025, the cost of a kiosk is $2300. Conference registration is separate.
Explore Marketing Opportunities Learn More About the Conference
Use this form to subscribe to the CSIA mailing list. If you are currently receiving email from CSIA, you are likely on the mailing list already. If you are looking to subscribe to the Open Forums, you can manage those settings using the Subscriptions tab or by topic on the Open Forums page.
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