Vance VanDoren, CONTROL ENGINEERING -- 6/1/1998
Proliferation of low-cost, high-tech automation equipment has left some end-users
in a quandary.
How can they take advantage of the latest automation technology without investing
their own time and effort to stay abreast of every new development? How can they
benefit from all these new hardware and software products if their in-house engineering
staff is already too busy to use them?
More and more, the answer seems to be "system integrators."
Automation system integrators are contract engineering firms that can design and
implement automated production facilities for end-users lacking resources to do
the job themselves. System integrators bring specialized engineering skills to automation
projects and can supplement the end-user's often understaffed engineering department.
It is the integrator's job to keep up with the latest technology trends and provide
the best solutions for the end-user's automation problems.
Some integrators specialize in just the design phase of a project; others provide
implementation and start-up services as well. "Turnkey" system integrators can handle
the whole project from start to finish.
Where to look
There are as many varieties of system integrators as there are systems to integrate.
Even turnkey integrators tend to specialize certain industries or certain applications—such
as discrete, continuous, or batch automation projects. Finding the right integrator
for a particular job can be as simple as asking the competition who it was that
automated their facility (if they'll tell you), or it can involve a bit of sleuthing.
The "Information Maze" graphic shows several paths that end-users have followed
to locate system integrators qualified to handle their automation projects. Perhaps
the most common route through the maze starts at the top and proceeds clockwise.
End-users already familiar with a particular vendor's products generally start their
search by asking the vendor or their local distributor for help. At one time, most
of the larger automation vendors would reply with offers of assistance from their
own application engineering departments. Some—including Honeywell (Phoenix, Ariz.),
The Foxboro Company (Foxboro, Mass.), and Fisher-Rosemount Systems (Austin, Tex.)—still
do.
Today, however, more and more vendors are turning to their networks of system integrator
partners to provide the engineering services required for an automation project
(see "Partnerships Help End-Users Automate," Control Engineering, mid-December 1997).
Some vendors respond to a request with information about several partners that the
end-user can contact directly. Other vendors forward the end-user's request to all
of their partners so they can contact the end-user. Occasionally, the vendor selects
the best partner for the job with an invitation to participate in a joint effort
to supply all required equipment and services together. Many of the smaller integrators
with limited promotional budgets rely heavily on vendor referrals for new clients.
Other options
The counter-clockwise route through the maze is somewhat less traveled. End-users
sometimes find the integrators they're looking for directly, either through word-of-mouth
advertising or by returning to integrators they've used before. If the end-user
does not already have a brand preference for the project, the chosen integrator
may contact a vendor that can provide the necessary equipment.
Rarely will an integrator forward a project's requirements to a predetermined vendor.
Integrators value their freedom to assess a project objectively and to recommend
the best products for the job.
The "Information Maze" illustrates how some equally useful, but unsolicited, information
about system integrators can reach the end-user. Trade magazines publish a variety
of articles, advertisements, and directories based on information collected from
vendors and integrators.
Control Engineering publishes the Automation Integrator Guide (formerly the Automation
Register) every December. With the printed and on-line versions of the Integrator
Guide, end-users can locate system integrators by industries served, areas served,
engineering specialties, product experience, and corporate affiliations. The table
shows a sample profile from the on-line Integrator Guide.
Referral services
Several trade organizations also serve as clearing houses for information about
system integrators in their respective automation disciplines.
The Control System Integrator Association (CSIA, Cordova, Tenn.) will even check
its membership roster for integrators that meet an end-user's specific requirements.
This free service is available through the CSIA's web site at
http://www.controlsys.org/.
Of course, finding the best candidates for integrating an automation project is
only the first step towards getting the job done. Making the final selection and
deciding how to proceed from there can be even more challenging. The next article
in this edition examines some of the issues that need to be addressed up front.
Qualified system integrators may register for the 1999 Automation Integrators Guide
edition of Control Engineering at www.controleng.com/integrators
or by calling (765) 296-7600.
ON-LINE SEARCH FACILITY
Control Engineering's on-line search facility at www.controleng.com/integrators
gives end-users the option of locating system integrators by several criteria. A
search generates corporate profiles that include:
- Company name and address;
- Telephone and fax numbers;
- E-mail and home-page addresses (where applicable);
- Industries and geographic areas served;
- Engineering specialties, product experience, and corporate affiliations; and
-
A corporate resume describing the integrator's background and capabilities.
Source: Control Engineering
© 2004 Reed Business Information, a
division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved.