Posted on behalf of Jose Rivera, CEO of the Control System Integrators Association.
By Jose Rivera
The situation we are facing is unprecedented and of epic proportions. I write this article during the “shelter in place” ordered by the governor of our state (Illinois), just like many other states and countries have done or will be doing soon.
My wife and I had already been working from home for the past several years and adjusted to it. We have now added two young kids, who are receiving their education remotely for the rest of the school year.
The “shelter in place” is set to last until April 7, 2020. I personally expect it to be extended and am happy to comply knowing that this is our direct way to help reduce the transmission rate.
Coping with Shelter in Place
We are trying to maintain some level of “normalcy” in our house by creating and following a daily schedule and addressing our immediate needs (work and at home). We are also trying to leverage the time that has become available (all my in-person trade shows and partner events have been cancelled or postponed along with all the activities of our kids and social appointments) to work on things that needed to be taken care of but for which we couldn’t find time (work and personal). We are reaching out to our friends and families via phone or video call to keep us connected.
CSIA: A Community of Sharing
I want to stay positive and productive. I don’t underestimate the challenge faced by all of us. The largest segment of our membership is the smaller SIs, the ones that are most vulnerable in the current situation. From its start CSIA has relied on its members’ willingness to share with their peers. We take it to the extreme at our conference with our “Lessons I Learned from Touching a Hot Stove” panel. Participants share big mistakes that have cost them dearly and how they recovered from them.
Hot Stove Lessons
At the 2018 conference, three SIs shared their experiences coping with two hurricanes (Harvey in Houston, Maria in Puerto Rico) and an earthquake (Mexico City) that hit them in September of 2017. The focus was on preparedness and, later, disaster recovery to provide business continuity.
During the past weeks I have had to think often about this presentation. Many challenges that SIs are facing now are relatable, including the need to:
- continue operations with employees (some of them in distress) working remotely,
- take care of employees and the wider community,
- meet the challenge of normal operations as clients have also been impacted,
- be flexible and creative, and
- tackle the challenge on the company financials and required measures.
Pandemic Resources: Coping with COVID-19
Following our “learning by sharing” approach, we have created a site within our website dedicated to our members willing to share how they are coping with the situation and inviting them to post and answer questions. In the end we are a community, and we will make it through as a community.
This CSIA-Members-Only community is called “Pandemic Resources: Coping with COVID-19,” you can join here. There you will find resources and information about small business loans, legal resources, advice from peers, and more.
Bonus Podcast Episode: Your FAQs Answered
If you are wondering about the financial and legal impacts to your business, you will find the information in this bonus episode of the podcast called Here’s What You Need to Know About the COVID19 Crisis – useful, it features a panel discussion with experts:
This is available to CSIA members and non-members and based on the frequently asked questions these specialists are fielding every day.
Townhall and Awards Ceremony Go Virtual
In parallel, we are looking at our offer to see how we can increase the value delivered outside of the conference. I know that most of us are busy coping with the situation. I hope that some time may open in your calendars and in your minds to participate.
Announcements to follow soon. We will deliver our annual “Townhall” business meeting and Awards Ceremony in a virtual format. We realize that this will not be the same, but let’s adjust to what could be the new normal for months to come.
A Giant Thank You
I would like to thank all those members that have opted to convert their 2020 registrations/sponsorships/exhibits to 2021. The conference represents an important source of income for our association, and the cancellation of the 2020 conference seriously impacts our financials.
I would also like to request those members that may be behind with their membership renewals to do so as soon as possible. CSIA is a small enterprise, vulnerable to the current situation.
We Can Do This
While the current challenge is unprecedented, let’s find encouragement in other dramatic crisis we have weathered in the not too distant past: 9/11 and the global finance crisis that led to the great recession.
I know that we will all be faced with very hard decisions to make in the months ahead. This will come along with grief from relatives fatally impacted by the virus (today I learned about the first victim, a distant relative of a SI member). We all play a leadership role in our families, businesses and communities.
Let’s find inspiration and drive to overcome the present challenge. We are in this together and together we shall overcome.