At the 2026 CSIA Conference, Interstates VP of business development Daren Dieleman discussed the forces reshaping system integration, from evolving customer expectations and workforce transitions to cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
System integrators are navigating an industrial landscape defined by new technology, persistent workforce pressures and rapidly changing customer expectations. But despite the accelerating conversation around artificial intelligence (AI), the core of successful integration remains human: listening well, building trust and helping manufacturers turn complex ideas into practical results.
That was the central theme of a recent Ctrl+Alt+Mfg podcast episode recorded live at the CSIA Conference in Baltimore. Daren Dieleman, vice president of business development at Interstates and chair of the CSIA board of directors, shared his perspective on the priorities and challenges facing integration firms today.
Dieleman said CSIA is focusing on member value, ensuring programs, activities and services directly support its mission of helping member companies run stronger businesses.
“We’re really doubling down and focused on member engagement, member attention, member value,” Dieleman said.
That emphasis reflects the importance of community in an industry where firms can learn from peers while still competing for customers, talent and technical expertise. Conferences, special-interest groups and peer networks create spaces for integrators to compare notes and discover approaches they might not otherwise encounter.
“I hope attendees leave here feeling like they left with one or two or three or 10 ideas that they didn’t have and that this becomes an indispensable part of their year,” Dieleman said.
The people challenge remains
For all the attention on emerging technology, people are still the industry’s most enduring challenge. Dieleman identified workforce and leadership as critical priorities for system integrators, particularly in a competitive talent environment.
“People challenges are kind of constant, especially coming out of the COVID period,” he said. “It was a highly competitive environment for people. [I] think it still is.”
The challenge is more nuanced than simply filling open positions. Integrators need leaders who can guide technical teams, communicate with customers and translate manufacturing problems into implementable automation strategies. As experienced owners and founders retire, younger leaders increasingly are stepping into executive and ownership roles.
“We have lot of junior leaders moving up into senior leadership roles, some even now taking over as CEOs and potential owners,” Dieleman said.
The characteristics needed in that next generation extend beyond technical expertise. Dieleman emphasized humility, empathy and listening, especially in an industry that must keep pace with an expanding set of technologies and customer demands.
“I think humility is one of the most important leadership traits one can have,” he said. “Not just assuming you’ve got everything figured out.”
AI is here, but it has not replaced the fundamentals
AI is now a near-universal topic in manufacturing conversations, but Dieleman offered a grounded view of its immediate impact on system integrators. While firms are testing applications for internal processes, proposal development, contractor reviews and marketing, the technology has not fundamentally displaced core automation work.
“At this point, it’s not a tremendously material impact, to be really honest,” Dieleman said.
But that does not mean integrators can dismiss the technology. Manufacturers are asking how AI might fit into their digital roadmaps, and integrators need enough knowledge to guide those discussions. They must determine which use cases can deliver value while remaining realistic about implementation, security and operational readiness.
“People are really experimenting with AI most from what we’re hearing and seeing internally,” Dieleman said. “How do I use it to make my processes more efficient?”
For now, integrators are balancing experimentation with execution.
“It’s not like we’ve stopped programming PLCs and those sorts of things,” Dieleman said.
Still, the pace of change makes it important to stay engaged. Referencing a conference presentation, Dieleman noted the choice facing companies is to be on the leading edge or risk falling behind.
“This is an area, I think, as system integrators, we’ve got to really pay attention to to make sure we’re not so lagging in adopting AI in X, Y and Z use cases that we get run over by that when it comes,” he said.
Cybersecurity, software and customer trust
AI is only one element of the evolving technology picture. Dieleman pointed to cybersecurity as a constant concern, made even more pressing by expanded connectivity and AI adoption. He also identified “software-defined stuff and containerization” as areas that integrators should monitor closely.
At the same time, customers increasingly expect their integrators to be more than contractors executing a narrow scope of work. Manufacturers want partners that understand their operations, identify broader opportunities and bring insight from other industries.
“I think clients do expect you to know and understand their business well — what matters to them,” Dieleman said.
That expectation shifts the relationship from transactional project delivery to strategic partnership. The goal is not simply to present a collection of available technologies, but to begin with the manufacturer’s problem and collaboratively identify the right solution.
“Here’s my problems. I want you to help provide expertise, maybe work alongside of our team,” Dieleman said. “Or they may not have a team at all, so I need you to be my trusted partner or trusted advisor in this process.”
Growth requires discomfort
For Dieleman, the technology, workforce and market changes converging on system integration all reinforce the necessity of maintaining a growth mindset. As he transitions from leading Interstates’ system integration business into a business development role spanning construction and manufacturing, he is applying that principle personally.
“When’s the last time you really stretched yourself to take on an assignment that might have been really uncomfortable?” Dieleman asked.
The answer, he suggested, may define how well individuals and organizations navigate the next stage of industrial transformation.
“Any time I’ve taken on and done something that is different, that is stretching, I’ve ultimately been better for it,” Dieleman said.
The Ctrl+Alt+Mfg Podcast
Make sure to check out other episodes of the Ctrl+Alt+Mfg podcast, where hosts Gary Cohen and Stephanie Neil discuss a range of digital transformation insights. The last five episodes are listed below:
Ep. 14: From data silos to smart factories, with John Dyck of CESMII and John Harrington of HighByte
Ep. 15: Industrial AI’s reality check, with Josh Peeno of JPeeno Innovation Group
Ep. 16: The system integrator playbook, with Daniel Gomez of Omnicon
Ep. 17: Rethinking Industrial Data, with Gary Tillery of Skkynet
Ep. 18: Audacious Goals for Infrastructure Security, with Danielle Jablanski of STV
