History of SISA

The early 1950s reflected a prosperous and dynamic steel industry as well as the dawn of the systems professional. It was these two forces that precipitated the formation of an association of steel industry professionals interested in exchanging information on the implementation of systems applications in the industry. What started out as just discussions over dinner in Pittsburgh (where else?) evolved into informal round table discussions at semi-annual meetings and ultimately the formal organization of the Steel Industry Systems Association (SISA).

The organization's founding fathers, seeking an independent spirit in its organization but needing a guiding parent, chose to form under the "umbrella" of the Association for Systems Management (ASM). In 1996, SISA became an independent association.

The organization is directed by a Governing Board that consists of three elected officers (President, Vice-President, and Secretary/Treasurer), two past Presidents and three to four committee Chairs.

The mission of SISA is to provide a forum for systems professionals and systems users to gather and discuss the implementation of systems within the steel industry. Each of the two meetings held each year (May and October) focuses on a topic chosen by the Governing Board. Papers are solicited and a program developed. The papers are presented by steel company systems personnel, users of systems and by consultants or vendors that are recommended by members.

A typical SISA meeting will start Thursday morning and will run through to Friday noon. There is usually a luncheon on Thursday and a social get-together Thursday evening. The subject matter of the provide topical interest through the entire session for both systems and non-systems personnel. Topics at recent sessions have been: Maintenance Management Systems, Production Planning Systems and Computer Integrated Manufacturing of Steel, Data Acquisition Systems, Quality Systems, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), The Integration of Process Control / Traditional Business Systems, and Production Planning/Scheduling.