System Integration & Control Systems Design


CSI’s customer-centric focus ­underpins its quality market ­offering

November 2017 System Integration & Control Systems Design

A high level of business ethics, coupled with quality of workmanship, exemplary skill levels and experience of staff members, together with its dedicated focus on delivering added-value industrial solutions, has to date earned Control Systems Integration (CSI) an impeccable market reputation with customers, suppliers, business partners and competitors.

This has resulted in steady and rapid growth with a core management team at the helm, comprising control and system engineers who boast a collective 200 man-years’ experience in the delivery of industrial solutions, half of which are specific to systems integration solutions. In addition, the company employs 50 people, of which 30 are engineers or technicians. CSI has 25%+1 share black ownership with one black active executive director.

CSI’s Success Team in South Africa.
CSI’s Success Team in South Africa.

Operating out of a head office in Centurion, Gauteng, with a sister company – CSI Australia – in Perth, and the recently-opened branch in Lephalale, Limpopo, the company has a vision of client centricity that delivers best of breed or best of suite technology solutions. “We aim to empower customers with optimised automation and information management solutions through joint professional partnering, and the utilisation of our strong engineering team,” says CSI’s Andre Brits.

Quality management is key

In order to develop and maintain a consistent ability to provide products and services of high quality, CSI has established, documented, implemented and maintains a quality management system (QMS) and continually improves its effectiveness in accordance with the requirements of the international standard for quality management: ISO 9001:2015. CSI is also a member of the international organisation Control Systems Integrators Association (CSIA).

CSI complies with all legislation relevant to the engineering and electrical industries as well as the Health and Safety at Work Act. “We believe that, in operating according to these standards, we will readily meet the requirements of our customers and the industry,” says Brits.

Integrated offerings through a consultative approach

CSI’s offering to the marketplace is delivered at three interdependent operational business levels for the provision of complete and fully compliant industrial solutions, from the installation of industrial instrumentation, through the coding of PLCs and configuration of HMI/scada systems, to operations management reporting (MOM/MES), operations management information dashboards, integration into enterprise business systems (ERP), and 24/7/365 service level agreements.

The company’s consultative approach assists with the improvement of process and manufacturing operations performance, through the analysis of existing systems and technologies, the establishment of new requirements, and the development of value-adding solutions for overall operational improvement. In addition, an extended service offering to clients includes medium and low-voltage reticulation design, including protection relay grading and setting, electrical switchgear design, electrical loading and surveys, as well as the design, installation and commissioning of MCCs.

System integrator accreditations include Siemens Solution Partner, Schneider Alliance Partner, Wonderware Endorsed Partner and Rockwell System Integration services, all underlining the extensive scope of the company’s capabilities.

Collaborative partnering and staff development

CSI firmly believes in and implements collaborative partnering that relies on direct participation by its clients, suppliers and partners on shared resources, such as knowledge and people. The client’s technical resources are invited to partake in the different project stages, to ensure proper knowledge transfer from project team to client team. CSI’s mission is to ensure that the client is to a large extent self-sufficient in the support and maintenance of the implemented solution, after project completion. Onsite training is therefore provided to trainers and section supervisors.

Staff development is highlighted and the company annually develops, produces and implements a skills development and training programme in line with the government’s requirements to ensure that staff are always at the forefront of the technology solutions they have to design and implement.

Traditional past successes include the mining and metals industry (60%), food and beverage industry (25%), manufacturing industry (10%), and chemicals and petrochemicals (5%). Recent projects include production process automation for the SPSM antimony smelter in Oman, an automation documentation update for Debswana Orapa Mine plant 2, control systems implementation of the Exxaro Grootegeluk Medupi Expansion Project (GMEP), a scada upgrade for the Richards Bay Coal Terminal, and a new stacker and reclaimer at Exxaro Grootegeluk.

For more information contact Andre Brits, Control Systems Integration, +27 (0)12 653 7901, andreb@controlsi.co.za, www.controlsi.co.za





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