Interstates Control Systems, Inc. was recently reviewed by an independent auditor and has achieved the Control System Integrators Association’s (CSIA) Certified Member status for the fourth time. The mission of CSIA is to “advance the business practices of control system integration.” To fulfill this mission, CSIA has developed Best Practices and Benchmarks and developed a Certified Member program that uses independent third-party auditors to evaluate how well a member has implemented the best practices. Once a member achieves certified status they must be re-audited every three years to maintain certification. CSIA currently has approximately 250 integrator members and only 90 of them have obtained certified status.
Some companies go through the audit process one time and then never re-certify. This is not the case at Interstates. It views the CSIA audit process as part of our continuous improvement efforts. The audit forces it to look closely at its processes and evaluate them on a regular basis. “Achieving CSIA certification is proof that we have met the required standards for developing processes that deliver repeatable excellence for our clients,” says Jack Woelber, president, Interstates Control Systems.
CSIA certification covers the following areas: general management, human resources management, marketing and business development, financial management, project management, system development lifecycle, supporting activities, quality assurance, and service/support. “Ultimately the benefit of CSIA certification for our clients is that it confirms Interstates Control Systems has developed and implemented systems and tools that help ensure a successful systems integration project delivery,” says Jeff Miller, director of automation services.
The audit process is an opportunity to identify areas where we could make improvements that help deliver better solutions for its clients. As a result of CSIA auditing, Interstates Control Systems has improved its project delivery methodology and has more clearly defined its deliverables. It has improved our project configuration management process and quality assurance processes based on findings from the audits. Audits have also helped with internal systems such as a disaster recovery plan and new employee onboarding and training programs.
“Jeff Miller’s passion for both the CSIA organization and for leading Interstates Control Systems through certification has been an integral part of our success with the program,” says Woelber. “I commend Jeff for his dedication and leadership efforts in helping Interstates Control Systems obtain and maintain CSIA certification. This is a big win for Interstates Control Systems and our clients!”