Various embodiments of the present technology provide an integrated platform that provides optimization tools that can be used across multiple lifecycle phases of an industrial automation system. In accordance with various embodiments, the integrated platform can take specified designs in a presale phase and easily open up that information in a corresponding tool to address needs in the post-sale phase to allow for all device commissioning, programming, and configuration without any importing, exporting, or recreation of presale files. Various embodiments use a common, cross-platform data file that links activity within each lifecycle phase. As such, any layouts or designs can be easily opened up within the platform by users with differing roles. Moreover, if in the post-sale phase, a control engineer decides that a specific aspect of control system was left out, the control engineer can summon the capability of the presale phase to expand the system.