Looking at a systems integration project in your DC? Here are some tips for keeping the project running smoothly and on schedule.

Even thinking about a major systems integration project can be daunting. The process of bringing together multiple technologies—material handling equipment plus a wide array of software—demands significant time and resources... and entails a large measure of risk.

The goal is to link these disparate pieces into a seamless whole. Business success—not to mention careers—depends on successful execution. To borrow a phrase, failure is not an option.

So what does successful implementation take? We asked a number of experts who specialize in systems integration what their customers need to do in advance of and during a major project to ensure that it runs as smoothly as possible.