Best Practices

CSIA Best Practices - The Industry Standard

Introducing Version 6.0!

The CSIA Best Practices and Benchmarks manual is the industry standard for successful management of a control system integration business. On an ongoing basis, the manual is tested by a committee of CSIA members, auditors and clients as part of a continuous review and improvement process.

The CSIA Best Practices and Benchmarks 6.0 manual has been updated to reflect advances to all sections in general and significant improvements and additions have been made to general management to include a section on business ethics; sales and marketing to further differentiate between sales and marketing and expound upon the various facets of marketing; and cybersecurity to build upon and clarify this rapidly evolving segment of the industry.

Version 6.0 was released in May 2023. BP Chair Tony Valasek explains what's new in this episode of Talking Industrial Automation.  To listen, click the play button. To view a transcript, go here. To review the BP 6.0 Summary and FAQ document, click here.


The industry standard for system integrators that are committed to delivering the highest level of quality, performance and reliability, the manual offers guidance on the following management topics. To get you started we have provided a direct link to resources for each chapter. Click on the headers to access. 

General Management
Strategic Management, Organizational Structure, Business Risk Management, Business Ethics, Environmental Responsibility and Sustainability 

Human Resources Management
Administration, Recruitment and Selection, Performance Management, Training and Professional Development, Compensation and Benefits, Employee Relations/Communications, Health and Wellness, Safety

Marketing, Business Development, Sales and Opportunity Management 
Marketing Management, Digital Marketing, Content Marketing, Branding, Public Relations/Communications, Sales Management, Proposal Development, Business Development, Account Management 

Financial Management
Measures of Financial Performance, Financial Planning, Billing Procedures, Management of Credit, Expenses, Cash, Purchasing and Security, Project Financial Reporting, Taxation 

Project Management
Project Contract Management, Project Procurement Management, Project Planning, Project Risk Management, Project Resource Management, Project Communications Management, Project Scope Management, Project Schedule Management, Project Budget Management, Project Change Management, Project Quality Management, Project Quality Assurance, Project Closure, Agile Project Management Considerations
System Development Lifecycle
Internal and External Kickoff, Requirements, Design, Development, Unit/Module and Integration Testing, Factory Acceptance Testing, System Shipping, Installation, Commissioning, Site Acceptance Testing, Closure

Supporting Activities
Process Development and Maintenance, Standards and Templates, Project Methodologies, Procurement Management, Risk Management, Configuration Management, Reuse Management

Quality Management 
Quality Management Organization, Quality Assurance and Quality Control, Continuous Improvement, Client Satisfaction 

Service and Support
Strategy, Organizational Structure, Methodology and Service Management

Information Systems Management and Cybersecurity 
Information Systems Management, Cybersecurity Management System


What Purpose Do the CSIA Best Practices Serve?


  • They are unique to the SI industry, so are concise and to-the-point.
  • They are comprehensive, covering nearly all aspects of running a CSI business.
  • They serve as a guide, identifying what practices companies should be incorporating and allowing them to decide how to implement each.
  • No “reinventing the wheel." Business owners and managers don’t have to search for all the right things to do in managing an SI company. The BP manual lays it all out.
  • Most SI companies are started and run by people who excel at technical know-how, but who may not necessarily be business savvy. The CSIA Best Practices help fill that gap.
  • They minimize trial-and-error learning.
  • They are a basis for most processes and procedures in an SI company, so the time to develop these is reduced. Processes and procedures lead to increased efficiency and profits.


Mark of Excellence

Certification puts the Best Practices into action.

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