Collaborative Systems Integration

Collaborative Systems Integration (CSI) is an American specialist consultancy and system integrator focused on Open Process Automation (OPA), the vendor-neutral, standards-based approach to industrial process control defined by The Open Group's Open Process Automation Forum (OPAF) and embodied in the O-PAS standard. Based in Austin, Texas, CSI positions itself not as a general services firm that added OPA to an existing portfolio, but as an organization founded specifically to help industrial owner-operators and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors move from proprietary distributed control systems (DCS) toward open, interoperable automation architectures. CSI's work spans the full lifecycle of an open automation program: building the business case and lifecycle economics, defining the O-PAS architecture, integrating multi-vendor systems, and executing implementation. The firm markets a four-layer design framework intended to keep openness intact through implementation, and it offers 24/7 production support for critical process operations. Its public materials cite a modeled total cost of ownership (TCO) reduction of 60–70% versus a proprietary DCS over 25 years, and phased deployments of roughly 6–24 months. What distinguishes CSI is its standards-level pedigree. The company was founded by Don Bartusiak, who served as Chief Engineer of Process Control at ExxonMobil and was an elected Co-Chair of OPAF from 2016 to 2023. CSI's principals include Trevor Cusworth, a past OPAF Co-Chair and the Forum's current Marketing and Outreach Lead. CSI states that it has worked inside the standard since 2017 and operates under a commercial license from The Open Group authorizing the use of O-PAS in commercial offerings. The firm has also established a European OPA partnership with Toggle Engineering. CSI serves process industries including refining, chemicals, power and pharmaceuticals, and engages with the wider automation community through events such as the ARC Industry Forum. Its leadership has been publicly interviewed by ARC Advisory Group on Open Process Automation, migration away from vendor-locked control systems, and next-generation control architectures. The company also publishes insights and educational material on OPA adoption, including founder-perspective commentary on the practical challenges of conformance programs, supplier ecosystem fragmentation, and operator capability.

Collaborative Systems Integration (CSI) was founded as a specialist Open Process Automation organization rather than as a general automation services firm that later added OPA capabilities. Its founding is closely tied to the career of Don Bartusiak, who served as Chief Engineer of Process Control at ExxonMobil and was an elected Co-Chair of The Open Group Open Process Automation Forum (OPAF) from 2016 to 2023. CSI states that it has worked inside the OPA standard since 2017, the year the Open Process Automation initiative was gaining momentum within The Open Group. The firm's leadership team includes Trevor Cusworth, a past OPAF Co-Chair who currently serves as the Forum's Marketing and Outreach Lead. This standards-level involvement is central to CSI's identity: the company describes itself as being "inside the work that defines" Open Process Automation, rather than merely having a perspective on it. CSI operates under a commercial license from The Open Group authorizing the use of O-PAS in commercial offerings. CSI's mission is to accelerate the adoption of open, standards-based process automation. The firm argues that owner-operators deserve control over their automation infrastructure, including the freedom to choose best-of-breed components, the ability to upgrade on their own timeline, and the security of a standards-based architecture. CSI's team has designed, commissioned and supported open automation systems in refining, chemicals, power and pharmaceutical environments. In its early years, CSI focused on building the business case and lifecycle economics for OPA, defining O-PAS architectures, integrating multi-vendor systems, and executing open automation projects. The company developed a four-layer design framework intended to keep openness intact through implementation, and it offers 24/7 production support for critical process operations. Its public materials cite a modeled total cost of ownership reduction of 60–70% versus a proprietary DCS over 25 years, with phased deployments of roughly 6–24 months. CSI has expanded its reach through partnerships and thought leadership. It established a European OPA partnership with Toggle Engineering, extending its ability to serve European industrial clients. The firm publishes reports and tools such as the State of OPA 2026 and an ROI Calculator, and it engages with the automation community at events including the ARC Industry Forum. In 2026, Don Bartusiak was interviewed by ARC Advisory Group on the future of industrial automation, Open Process Automation, and migration from vendor-locked control systems. CSI also publishes founder-perspective insights, including Trevor Cusworth's May 2026 article "Four Things I Got Wrong About OPA," which reflects on the slower-than-expected development of enforceable conformance programs, the fragmentation of the supplier ecosystem into committed-open and open-feature approaches, and the operator capability bottleneck that has slowed adoption.

• 2026

  Don Bartusiak is interviewed by ARC Advisory Group at the ARC Industry Forum 2026 on the future of industrial automation.

• 2026

  Trevor Cusworth publishes "Four Things I Got Wrong About OPA" on May 18, 2026.

• 2017

  CSI states it has worked inside the OPA standard since 2017, the year the Open Process Automation initiative gained momentum.

• 2016

  Don Bartusiak begins serving as elected Co-Chair of The Open Group Open Process Automation Forum (OPAF), a role he holds until 2023.

• CSI is founded by Don Bartusiak as a specialist Open Process Automation organization.

• CSI establishes a European OPA partnership with Toggle Engineering.

Specialist, standards-level authority on Open Process Automation, advocating for owner-operators against vendor lock-in.

• O-PAS consulting and integration services

  End-to-end services covering OPA strategy, lifecycle economics, architecture definition, multi-vendor integration and implementation.

• Four-layer open architecture design framework

  A published framework intended to keep openness intact through implementation.

• 24/7 production support

  Round-the-clock support for critical process operations.

• State of OPA 2026 report

  A report on the state of Open Process Automation.

• OPA ROI Calculator

  A tool for modeling the return on investment of Open Process Automation.

1. 1Open Process Automation Experts | O-PAS Consulting & Integration — CSIcsi-automation.com
2. 2About Us — Inside the OPA Standard Since 2017 — CSIcsi-automation.com
3. 3Four Things I Got Wrong About OPA — CSIcsi-automation.com
4. 4Collaborative Systems Integration — Wikidatawikidata.org