ISA EXPO 2008 Wrap Up
Well…I am downright embarrassed at how long it’s been since I’ve written a blog entry. My apologies!!! I don’t have a good excuse, but I have been incredibly busy. I returned from ISA Expo in Houston to a round of sales meetings and lots of e-mail traffic regarding the decisions made by the Council of Society Delegates in Houston.
It is interesting that the feedback following the passage of ISA’s new legal name (International Society of Automation) pretty much directly reflects the input I received prior to the vote, which was also reflected in the vote itself. About 85% of our membership was/is in favor of the name change and have embraced the decision. About 15% of our Members were against changing the name and they remain vehemently dissatisfied with said change. As I have indicated in many messages sent directly to people who took the time to communicate with me—whether we agree or not—I am encouraged that people care and are passionate about their membership in ISA. It is a direct indication of the strength of the organization and a good indicator of our future potential!
Some other happenings in Houston: You may have seen the press release about the meeting with the Department of Labor to develop an Automation Competency Model. Walt Boyes from Control commented on ISA’s audacity to think they could write such a model…well never fear Walt, it was actually a group representing the Automation Federation that participated in the discussion and as one of those in the room, I can assure you that discreet as well as process was taken into account. I’m not sure the competency model is intended for international consumption—after all it, was developed with the US Department of Labor—but we would certainly anticipate it being a starting point for other models globally. To be fair, Walt did have one good point: we should be pulling in other organizations to make sure we are working towards a common goal rather than working in competition with each other.
Another important event that took place in Houston was the second ISA Executive Summit. This year’s luncheon was bigger than last year’s…and I don’t mean the food! Industry leaders were well represented and shared their perspective on how ISA could work with and collaborate with them to resolve common issues and advance the automation profession. In my mind three key points were made: 1) We need to glamorize engineering. Too many young people are getting degrees in business and finance expecting to instantly become a CEO. Engineering and technology needs Hollywood to hype the career path of engineers the same way they did Wall Street Analysts and Stock Brokers in the movies Wall Street and The Firm. 2) The current American education system does not produce graduates prepared for a career in Automation. Companies are left holding the proverbial bag to provide the training and education needed to fill the gaps. This leads to my last point: 3) Many companies (and ISA) are collectively spending millions supporting various educational institutions trying to get a modicum of time and attention on Automation. Perhaps ISA should lead the way to establish an Automation University, supported by the various companies already contributing to educational institutions in the hopes of getting better graduates…let the companies duke it out for the best graduates at the end. Hmmm….It’s certainly a thought. So what should the mascot be? I vote for Tiki!
ISA also had the annual Honors and Awards Gala. What a great event! My date, Tiki (pictured above), was a big hit. Even our Honorary Member Awardee, Margaret Walker, was intrigued by the cult following of Tiki and his many escapades. But on a more serious note….Honoring our peers is one of the most important things ISA does. The pride our Members and industry leaders show when accepting their honors is truly impressive and tells me just how important the recognition is. Not to mention the great band that followed the formal presentations—those of us with the energy had a great time dancing to the tunes of 11th Hour!
Overall I would say the Society considers all events in Houston a success. There were a few speed bumps along the way, but overall things went well and the Society continues to move in a positive direction.
As many of you know, my term as Society President is rapidly coming to an end. The ceremonial passing of the gavel has already occurred and activities are winding down as January approaches. It won’t be long now, and I will no longer have this forum for expressing myself. In many ways it will be missed, but then again—considering my track record of keeping up to date—that may be for the best!
But do not despair, you can still read my musings and thoughts on the Automation Federation Chairman’s Blog, soon to be located at www.automationfederation.org.
It is interesting that the feedback following the passage of ISA’s new legal name (International Society of Automation) pretty much directly reflects the input I received prior to the vote, which was also reflected in the vote itself. About 85% of our membership was/is in favor of the name change and have embraced the decision. About 15% of our Members were against changing the name and they remain vehemently dissatisfied with said change. As I have indicated in many messages sent directly to people who took the time to communicate with me—whether we agree or not—I am encouraged that people care and are passionate about their membership in ISA. It is a direct indication of the strength of the organization and a good indicator of our future potential!
Some other happenings in Houston: You may have seen the press release about the meeting with the Department of Labor to develop an Automation Competency Model. Walt Boyes from Control commented on ISA’s audacity to think they could write such a model…well never fear Walt, it was actually a group representing the Automation Federation that participated in the discussion and as one of those in the room, I can assure you that discreet as well as process was taken into account. I’m not sure the competency model is intended for international consumption—after all it, was developed with the US Department of Labor—but we would certainly anticipate it being a starting point for other models globally. To be fair, Walt did have one good point: we should be pulling in other organizations to make sure we are working towards a common goal rather than working in competition with each other.
Another important event that took place in Houston was the second ISA Executive Summit. This year’s luncheon was bigger than last year’s…and I don’t mean the food! Industry leaders were well represented and shared their perspective on how ISA could work with and collaborate with them to resolve common issues and advance the automation profession. In my mind three key points were made: 1) We need to glamorize engineering. Too many young people are getting degrees in business and finance expecting to instantly become a CEO. Engineering and technology needs Hollywood to hype the career path of engineers the same way they did Wall Street Analysts and Stock Brokers in the movies Wall Street and The Firm. 2) The current American education system does not produce graduates prepared for a career in Automation. Companies are left holding the proverbial bag to provide the training and education needed to fill the gaps. This leads to my last point: 3) Many companies (and ISA) are collectively spending millions supporting various educational institutions trying to get a modicum of time and attention on Automation. Perhaps ISA should lead the way to establish an Automation University, supported by the various companies already contributing to educational institutions in the hopes of getting better graduates…let the companies duke it out for the best graduates at the end. Hmmm….It’s certainly a thought. So what should the mascot be? I vote for Tiki!
ISA also had the annual Honors and Awards Gala. What a great event! My date, Tiki (pictured above), was a big hit. Even our Honorary Member Awardee, Margaret Walker, was intrigued by the cult following of Tiki and his many escapades. But on a more serious note….Honoring our peers is one of the most important things ISA does. The pride our Members and industry leaders show when accepting their honors is truly impressive and tells me just how important the recognition is. Not to mention the great band that followed the formal presentations—those of us with the energy had a great time dancing to the tunes of 11th Hour!Overall I would say the Society considers all events in Houston a success. There were a few speed bumps along the way, but overall things went well and the Society continues to move in a positive direction.
As many of you know, my term as Society President is rapidly coming to an end. The ceremonial passing of the gavel has already occurred and activities are winding down as January approaches. It won’t be long now, and I will no longer have this forum for expressing myself. In many ways it will be missed, but then again—considering my track record of keeping up to date—that may be for the best!
But do not despair, you can still read my musings and thoughts on the Automation Federation Chairman’s Blog, soon to be located at www.automationfederation.org.
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5:50 AM
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