“We must ensure that the C&I industry’s best interests are represented in all future legislation and specifications. To do this, we must achieve formal recognition from ECSA as the tenth official engineering discipline, thereby giving C&I its own voice in all relevant decision-making forums.” – Vinesh Maharaj, president, SAIMC.
The Instrument and Control Society of Southern Africa has come a long way since its inception back in 1957. Today, known as The Society for Automation, Instrumentation, Measurement and Control, it is good to see that the organisation is embracing change and evolving into the premier representative body for C&I professionals on the African continent.
The current leadership is well guided by the progressive ideas of incumbent president Vinesh Maharaj, so ably assisted by his predecessor and the man who laid the foundation for it all, immediate past president Johan Maartens. Between them, the pair have a very clear vision for the future and such chemistry in their professional relationship that leaves little doubt that there are exciting times ahead for the SAIMC and all of its members – including the patrons.
While all this has been apparent to council members for some time now, it was at a recent breakfast launch in Bryanston that the new ideas really hit home for the first time. After six months of preparation, strategy sessions, surveys, and late night e-mails, a brand new SAIMC presented itself to the world on the morning of 22 August at the Dimension Data Campus. The message that day was clear: the SAIMC has elevated itself from just another body of capable engineering professionals into a global force to be reckoned with. The society for C&I professionals has realised that to ensure its survival and growth it must step-up and answer that most fundamental of all the marketing questions: “How are we going to add more value for our customers?”
That question though, while deceptively simple on the surface, cannot be answered effectively through introspection alone. Meaningful answers to a problem like this only emerge when all the significant demographics are holistically considered. What makes SAIMC’s achievement so striking, is the way it did this in a context that propelled it to twenty-first century relevance. What emerged was that one of the Society’s primary medium term objectives must be to ensure that C&I takes its rightful place as the tenth officially recognised engineering discipline in South Africa. This is entirely appropriate, as it seems the move towards automation is redefining the employment environment in the manufacturing sector. If our country is truly to foster economic growth through competitive manufacturing, it is essential that an appropriately skilled workforce is available to ensure that our manufacturers can be, and can remain, at the cutting edge of the global shift to automation.
In his column in this issue, Vinesh shares in detail the ideas that underpin the organisation’s new brand and the thinking behind it all. Amongst others, the objectives in the SAIMC’s new mission include: engaging with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) to define the C&I industry with a view to placing C&I as a distinct engineering discipline; engaging with ISA and the Automation Federation to bring internationally recognised training courses to South Africa; engaging with local tertiary institutions to get the C&I curriculums brought in line with industry requirements; and expanding networking capabilities within the SAIMC through online initiatives on the website. There is plenty of work involved here, so it should not be long before the new emblem, which represents the organisation so perfectly in context, becomes a recognised symbol among the industry’s thought-leaders around the world.
As the official journal of the Society, SA Instrumentation and Control believes the crown jewel in the new strategy is C&I recognised as a distinct engineering discipline. We plan to put all our collective experience, support and enthusiasm behind this initiative through active workshop facilitation, publicity, and whatever else it may take. ‘Progress by Control’ is the new mantra. It is a tough challenge that will require inspiration from leaders, deal-makers and marketers if it is to succeed. This is true First World thinking – the chrysalis has emerged.
Steven Meyer
Editor: SA Instrumentation & Control
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