These days, to bode well with complex operational needs, increase production line efficiency, and stay out of the curb businesses are quick to implement and integrate changes in production controller and managing devices. They constantly seek reliable and result-driven ways to leverage their operational activities with innovative yet complex IT systems and OT systems that are time-sensitive and technology-efficient. Every time a business takes a new initiative to implement/replace software, integrate new applications, and ensure workflow automation, it needs to engage with a system integrator (SI).
Now the question is, Who/What is a SI? Is it a machine, an individual, or a business? Well, to learn what an SI is what it can do for your business, and how it can benefit your business, read this blog to its end.
What is a System Integrator?
A system integrator is either a business/organization or an individual who helps tackle technology-related projects for businesses. This includes designing, implementing/replacing, and integrating software applications to manage all kinds of complex IT and OT systems to ensure error-free workflow automation. An SI assists a company in meeting its business goals with preconfigured and commercial off-the-shelf software which is more inexpensive and excludes the need for customized implementations of original programming and/or manufacturing components.
When a business hires a system integration company or an expert, it can combine its existing sub-systems into an integrated one and simplify vendor management with less necessity of contracting multiple vendors to purchase separate subsystems. For a successful and budget-conscious system integration process in Canada and the USA, contact ControlSoft Canada at your convenience. We provide you with a truly tailored system integration process that meets your business needs and amplifies the efficiency of your production line with full and on-time technical support.
What Does a System Integrator (SI) Do?
The role of an SI starts with a client meeting; it can reach to series of meetings too. During the meeting, the SI assesses the needs and demands of the client and its business to identify the technical requirements to design and implement an IT system that caters to these demands this includes also deep knowledge on OT operational technology expertise. The resulting IT system integration plan set off the foundation for the integration process. This process sometimes involves designing business-specific applications and integrating them with a new or existing IT system.
If a business wants its on-premises IT system to get integrated with its existing cloud-based applications or computing infrastructure, an experienced system integrator also can do it efficiently.
How Does An SI Work for a Business/Client?
SIs work with almost all types and sizes of businesses and help them achieve their goals by designing, implementing, and integrating various systems and applications into a single operational and automotive system. In today’s highly technical era, a business cannot prosper and accomplish its complex IT necessities until and unless it hires a professional SI. Thus far, it is essential to understand the role of an SI for a business to operate a complex IT system efficiently. Let us know why a business should partner with an SI.
- SIs help businesses meet their system integration needs by implementing specific applications and improving operational efficiencies by simplifying different processes and automation tasks that an organization or business usually lacks.
- The SI gathers the business requirements to design and build system applications with the inclusion of data fields for better business processes and performance tracking to meet broader business goals.
- Right after the clear definition of requirements, the SI sets off to outline the business process, design system changes and configurations, and starts implementing the same into the application in a testing environment.
- Just after the successful implementation of the application, the SI runs a thorough training session for the in-house employees on how to utilize and adopt the application with its features efficiently.
- There are businesses that run different applications for different business processes, and multiple teams work across multiple apps. And, if this is the case then the SI needs to determine the best possible way to move and merge data across applications by integrating the apps through APIs (application programming interfaces), screen scraping, files, and more. The SI may also determine the 3rd party tool integration to ensure the successful implementation of apps into a single system.
- System Integrator must have vast knowledge on model control systems within the OT technological domain, which includes the PLC & HMI control systems, SCADA and DCS systems control technology out there, good knowledge of industrial protocol and networking.
If it is required then a system integrator can also help a business in application migration; moving from the old system to a completely new system successfully with the data exporting and importing process.
How SIS Do Businesses? SI’s Business Models
SIs work for businesses in different ways
- Independent Working: They can work independently based on their niche specializations. It is also called self-sourcing where SIs get engaged in conventional tactics acquisition like participating in trade shows, utilizing digital advertisements, and/or calling clients directly and so on.
- Working With Teams: This way, an SI works for a team and/or with a vendor to implement and integrate IT systems for businesses.
On the contrary, an SI can work through the combinations of both ways mentioned above.
Examples of Big Brand System Integrators
SIs are not new in the domain of system integration and automation. Since 1980, big-gun organizations started hiring SIs like Electronic Data Systems, Andersen Consulting, Computer Sciences Corp, IBM, SHL Systemhouse, etc.,. In past decades, these renowned system integration service providers transformed into IT service providers, and some of them were rebranded. For example, the big brand Andersen Consulting changed into Accenture in 2001, and SHL Systemhouse was taken over by MCI Communications and afterward bought by EDS in 1999.
ControlSoft Canada is one of the renowned system integration services in Canada that offers system integration and automation services to clients from diverse domains and industries based in Canada and the USA these days with a proven track record of success and happy clientele.
Benefits of Working with SIs
Countless benefits a business can incur when it hires an SI for complex IT system designing, implementation, and integration. These are followed as….
- Improvement in operational efficiency in fast-paced automation tasks.
- An increment in the level of customer satisfaction in providing seamless customer experiences across channels involved in system automation tasks.
- Ensuring risk-free data exporting and importing to various applications during the implementation and integration of new IT systems for businesses.
- Gaining an advantage in coping with new challenges and obstacles generally undergone by businesses during the processes of new technology and IT system implementation and integration for better business operation.
- Meeting the needs of critical projects in implementing the best practices and avoiding common pitfalls.
- Allowing your employees to focus on their esteemed job roles while an SI will be there to take care of new IT system integration and/or implement changes in existing applications seamlessly.
Last but not least of benefits, when you hire an SI for your business instead of hiring full-time SIs, you can save a lot. You pay for system integration only when your business needs it. On the other hand, your business does not compromise its performance when there is a specialized one (maybe for a spell only) to cater to the complex IT system needs.
Undergoing a successful yet complex IT system implementation and integration seems possible when you have a professional and experienced system integrator by your side. Here comes, ControlSoft Canada with more than 15 years of experience in providing system integration services accompanied by automation integration, SCADA integration, and ignition integration services for various industries in Canada and North America with a proven success rate. ControlSoft Canada is a System Integrator of repute that ensures seamless system integrations with the fastest adoption of advanced technology and applications.
